The mission has split in two with separate control teams in Houston. This transcript is parallel to the chapter, "Day 6, part 1: Waking in the descent orbit", but only contains the communication between the CSM CapCom Ken Mattingly and Command Module Pilot Ron Evans.
The audio recordings presented in this chapter were acquired from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). It appears that long quiet periods have been deleted, probably by a process of copying from one tape machine to another. For this reason, indications of pauses in utterance will be omitted here. Except to split the original three-hour archive files into smaller chunks, the recordings have not been further edited for the journal.
108:49:08 Evans: Hey, Houston; America. Man, you wouldn't believe it. I finally got my suit on.
Mattingly: Nothing to make you feel good like a new suit of clothes.
Evans: Okay. Let me give you some P52 stuff here.
Mattingly: Okay; shoot.
Evans: I had to arc all over the sky before I could find some stars. Okay. Let's see. Used star 14 and 25. Star angle difference was .01, Noun 93 is plus .065, minus .076, minus .102; and I torqued at 108:20:00.
Mattingly: America, are you pretty well caught up with timeline now, or can you give me some indication of where you are?
108:50:48 Evans: I'm checking it off here. Right now I'm at 108:10. I'm - haven't - changed the canister yet. Let me check and see if I can have time to do that or not.
108:51:07 Evans: Okay, I'm VOX. Do you hear me now?
Mattingly: Yes sir; loud and clear.
Evans: Okay. I've removed the umbilicals - the CSM/LM umbilicals. Guess I need to install the probe and the drogue. I'll get those things done right now.
Mattingly: All right. I'll make a note of the canister and remind you of it later.
Evans: Yeah; okay.
Clanking sounds can be heard on the voice downlink as Ron works with the metalwork of the probe and drogue.
Mattingly: Hey, America. Could you confirm that you've got a pair of scissors on board with you?
Evans: [Laughter] Yeah, I made him keep one.
Mattingly: Okay. That's good thinking.
Evans: I couldn't ever find the other set, either.
Mattingly: Okay. Get hungry without those.
Evans: [Laughter] It sure does. [Laughter].
Mattingly: We could hear your drogue and probe banging around there. It sounds like the kitchen is what reminded us of it.
108:53:09 Evans: Okay. I'm Simplex Alpha and VHF, Right. Now, we're B. Okay. We're Antenna Right, [Sim]plex B.
Evans: Okay, Jack, I don't read you yet.
Evans: Okay. I'm sitting on Simplex Bravo.
Evans: I don't read you yet.
Evans: I don't read you at all. Do you read me?
108:55:35 Evans: Okay. I don't read you at all, Jack.
108:55:47 Evans: Okay. I'm down to Simplex Bravo. [Pause.]
108:55:54 Evans: Yeah; go ahead.
108:55:59 Evans: I'm talking on B now. How do you read?
108:56:05 Evans: No, I don't read you at all either, Jack.
108:56:10 Evans: No, I don't read you!
108:56:26 Evans: Okay. I've got everything on in my Auto panel. Let me try the other one for backup. [Long pause.]
108:56:49 Evans: Yep, I'm on Left. I'm on Left? Let me go to Backup.
108:56:56 Evans: I don't have you, yet.
108:56:59 Evans: Okay.
108:57:04 Evans: Hey, I finally got you!
108:57:07 Evans: Okay. You were kind of clipping there for a little bit. I got the last part of your transmission.
108:57:17 Evans: Okay. I heard that it was just - I missed the just - It was just warming up, but I got the loud and clear.
108:57:36 Evans: Okay. I read you loud and clear; that's VHF B.
108:57:46 Evans: Yeah, I didn't hear you at all that time.
108:57:50 Evans: Yeah, you're still clipping. All I got was "now."
108:58:01 Evans: Okay. "How do you read now?" I got that.
108:58:07 Evans: [Laughter] Then I missed that part of it.
108:58:19 Evans: Okay. Loud and clear, Gene.
More metallic clanking noises in the CM.
108:58:26 Evans: Now, you're still clipping, Jack. Can you move your mike a little bit closer or something?
108:58:36 Evans: No, I didn't read you at all that time.
108:58:41 Evans: Not clear.
108:58:49 Evans: Well, you're going to have to yell or something. I still - you're still clipping yourself out, Jack.
108:58:57 Evans: No, I didn't read you that time.
108:59:03 Evans: Okay. Okay; switching to Alpha.
108:59:12 Evans: Bravo is Off; Simplex Alpha is On.
108:59:24 Evans: Don't read you.
108:59:29 Evans: Don't read you.
108:59:40 Evans: Okay. I don't read you guys at all, except through the tunnel.
108:59:51 Evans: Okay. Got you loud and clear that time. And, Gene, can you verify the capture latches are all engaged?
109:00:02 Evans: I didn't read you at all, Jack.
109:00:06 Evans: Didn't read you.
109:00:10 Evans: Okay. I got you that time, and check the capture latches.
109:00:20 Evans: Okay?
In the following audio clip, there is no utterance from Ron for the first minute. However, this audio is being presented because it includes much metallic clanking as Ron works to reinstall the docking equipment.
Gene has just requested that Ron give him the values in the computer's memory knownas Noun 20. These are the angles of the three gimbals in the IMU that represent the CSM's current attitude with respect to the current reference (the REFSMMAT). Gene will adjust these to account for the different orientations of the two spacecraft coordinate systems. The resulting angles will then be used for an initial coarse alignment of the LM's IMU.
109:06:51 Evans: Okay. There we go. Plus 356.95, plus 106.34, and a plus 001.49.
109:07:14 Evans: Right?
109:07:17 Mattingly: America, Houston.
Evans: Houston, America. Go ahead.
Mattingly: In order to get a better drift check, they'd like to tweak up the attitudes before they do that coarse align. So how about doing a Verb 49 tweak back to the original undocking attitude.
Evans: Okay, that's the what; 0105 and 0?.
Mattingly: Yes, sir.
Evans: CMP Okay. Stand by, Gene. We'll get back here.
Evans: Okay?
109:08:22 Evans: Okay, Houston; America. 0105 and 0, correct?
109:08:25 Mattingly: Yes, sir.
109:08:43 Evans: That's interesting. I don't know how it got off attitude.
109:08:51 Mattingly: Yeah, I was going to ask you the same thing. You might have knocked a - a stick or something while everybody was flailing around down there. Could you...
109:09:02 Evans: Maybe - maybe I hit the stick or something. Yeah.
109:09:05 Mattingly: Yeah. [Pause.]
109:09:14 Evans: Okay, Gene. We're Min Deadband, Att Hold at 0105 and 0.
109:09:58 Evans: Okay, Houston. I forgot to release the docking latches. Okay. I'll go up and release docking latches 1 and 7.
109:10:05 Mattingly: Okay.
109:10:08 Evans: And if I just put the - No, I'll do that.
109:10:14 Evans: I was going to say you could read the probe temp if I put the circuit breakers in.
109:10:35 Evans: Okay. There's number 1. One releases; two releases, and it's free...
109:10:43 Evans: ...Seven. [Pause.]
109:10:59 Evans: One release, two releases, and it's free.
109:11:36 Evans: Okay. Docking Probe circuit breakers; two of them are going Close. Main A. Main B. Probe Extend/Release is going to Retract. Ah ha, I've got two barber poles!
109:11:56 Mattingly: That's a good sign.
109:12:01 Evans: Okay. Docking probe circuit breakers are going Open. Okay. Extend/Releases, and they went gray, of course, when then went open. Okay. Extend/Release to Off. Verify probe extend latch engage indicator's not visible. Well, I'll go back - it wasn't a while ago, but I'll go look again. Only if you hit Extend with the circuit breakers in. Mighty fine. It's still back inside there. Extend latch is still engaged.
With Ron having slightly changed the attitude of the stack a few minutes ago to restore the planned undocking attitude, Gene wants to obtain a fresh coarse alignment of the LM's IMU. This is again based on the IMU in the Command Module but with appropriate conversion to the LM's orientation. Again, this is by Ron selecting Verb 6 Noun 20.
109:13:37 Evans: Okay. Standing by. Go ahead.
Gene counts to a Mark for Ron to get the gimbal angles.
109:15:00 Mattingly: America, Houston, in order to get on and stay on the time line, I'll remind you about the lithium canister after PDI; we can let that one go. And if you'd like to let the camera business slide until after your suit check and we'll get those things. I'll come back and remind you of those, too.
109:15:21 Evans: Okay. I've got the - the cameras all set. I got them out, anyhow. I don't have the - the right values on the lenses yet; but, anyhow, the camera are out and they're loaded.
109:15:35 Mattingly: Okay.
109:15:36 Evans: I've got mag OO on the Hasselblad.
109:16:13 Evans: Okay, Houston. Why don't I go ahead and get the PGA ver out of the way, and then we can get some of the - data, or would you rather get the data up first?
109:16:24 Mattingly: No, it's your choice. Why don't we go ahead and get the PGA, and I'll just sit on these PADs, and could you tell me if you ever got around to playing with the squelch on the VHF?
109:16:40 Evans: Well, I did. And, let's see, we're at Squelch A now. I've even got it all the way down to 1, and I still don't hear them.
109:16:56 Mattingly: Okay. You did get a satisfactory check on your side, didn't you?
109:17:04 Evans: Oh, yeah.
109:17:05 Mattingly: Okay.
109:17:07 Evans: I got a satisfactory - Every once in a while I can hear them now; they're cutting in and out somewhere, I don't know where.
109:17:12 Mattingly: All righty.
109:17:39 Evans: Okay. Squelch A is sitting at about 4.
109:17:52 Mattingly: And, America, we'll give you a state vector if you give us Accept.
109:18:01 Evans: Okay. You have it.
109:18:03 Mattingly: Thank you.
Long comm break.
The next audio clip includes about fifty seconds of cabin noise before Ron speaks. He is on VOX (voice-operated switch) but with the sensitivity turned up so that his mike is always live to Earth. There are sounds that may be a camera with an electric motorwind being operated or perhaps a gas valve being opened and closed.
109:27:51 Evans: Okay, Houston. [Garble] flow return is Closed. Suit Flow valve. The other two are closed; mine is open, and I got the inner connect in between the other ones.
109:28:04 Mattingly: Sounds good.
109:28:05 Evans: How's the old suit pressure? Okay. Looks like pretty good. Okay. O2 flow is lower limit. Okay. Let's go up to Press. Here we go. That's going up to Press, and it feels like it's going up.
109:28:45 Evans: And terminal Direct O2 on air to [garble] O2 Flow High.
109:28:58 Evans: Okay. Wait a minute, Jack. I'll just go to Receive on the VHF. I'll just go to Receive on the VHF, Jack.
109:29:28 Evans: Okay. Let's see, and there's a Delta-P of about - 6½ - Now we're going to cycle suit circuit return here. Okay. It's out; it's back in. Okay. Now we can squirt a little more O2 flow in.
109:30:03 Evans: Whoo hoo! - There we go. Man, oh man!
109:30:19 Evans: Direct O2 is Off.
109:30:28 Evans: That's coming down. Shoot! I'm reading 4.5 in my suit. Is that right?
109:30:37 Evans: 5.
109:30:41 Mattingly: Looks like about 4 on our data, Ron.
109:30:48 Evans: Well, I'll be darned. The old suit gauge read 4.5.
109:31:01 Evans: [Garble] that close in there. Let's say about maybe nine or something like that. That's closer to four. Can't tell for sure what it feels like. Anyhow, the O2 flow is down. It's not leaking very much. I'm reading about a 0.3. Something like that. [Pause.]
109:31:41 Mattingly: Okay. We're - we're showing 4.2 to 4.3 on our pressure spread, and you're cabin and suit pressure gauges probably show something similar. And we show that the flow rate is down.
109:31:54 Evans: Oh, okay. That's not too bad. That's pretty close.
109:31:57 Mattingly: Yeah. And the O2 flow is staying pretty good.
109:31:58 Evans: [Garble] let's go to Depress on this thing, huh?
109:32:01 Mattingly: Sounds good.
109:32:03 Evans: Okay; so it looks like it's sta - stable there, isn't it?
109:32:07 Mattingly: Yes, sir.
109:32:13 Evans: Okay. Let's go to Depress.
109:32:29 Evans: And my ears are pretty good. If you guys are okay I'm going to go to Off. Save a little time here.
109:33:02 Mattingly: America, I don't know if I copied you correctly. You don't want to go to Off on that Suit Test valve until the pressures are back down to normal. If that was what you asked.
109:33:14 Evans: [Laughter]
109:33:17 Mattingly: Or are you already there?
CMP I changed my mind.
109:33:19 Evans: I changed my mind.
109:33:30 Evans: Yeah. My ears are popping to meet demand - I changed my mind, I'll let it go down slowly.
109:33:35 Mattingly: Okay.
109:33:38 Mattingly: Okay. And we've got about 20 minutes before LOS, so there's no hurry on those PADs. I've got them standing by when you're ready, and didn't know what you - what you had in mind about working on these things. We might get - you might get started on the hatch integrity check, if you get to that point, and I can give you the PADs while you're waiting for it to bleed down or whatever it turns out to be convenient. [Pause.]
109:34:12 Evans: Okay. Let's see, I guess it's about time to - Integrity check; okay.
109:34:33 Mattingly: Okay. And I guess the LM is going to be asking you for a Noun 20 pretty soon like, here.
109:34:44 Evans: Okay, Challenger; America here. I'll go back to CMC.
109:34:52 Evans: Stand by. Okay, go.
Gene gives Ron another Mark when he should recall the CSM's gimbal angles on the DSKY.
109:35:03 Evans: Okay; 002.15, 104.36, 359.69.
109:35:46 Evans: And Houston, do we want to release those docking latches before they do their hot fire? I don't think so. Do we?
109:35:54 Mattingly: I'll check. Stand by.
Evans: No.
109:36:22 Mattingly: You're right, Ron, we'll - we'll just hold up on that release on the latches until the hot fires are over. So, when you get your copying hand ready, why, we'll give you some PADs. We'll clean that one up.
109:37:10 Evans: Okay, Houston. Let's see - where are we going to start on the PADs?
109:37:13 Mattingly: Okay. And you might go to Block on the computer, too.
109:37:20 Evans: Okay.
109:37:28 Mattingly: Okay. The first thing I'll give you is the Sep PAD.
109:37:35 Evans: Okay. Let's go.
109:37:35 Mattingly: And that is on page 113.
109:37:42 Evans: Okay.
109:37:43 Mattingly: Okay. Noun 33 is 110:27:55.00. Roll is 0, 105 pitch, and yaw is 0.
109:38:06 Evans: Okay. Noun 33, 110:27:55.00, and roll, pitch, and yaw are as depicted: 0, 105, and 0. Right?
109:38:18 Mattingly: That's affirm.
109:38:23 Evans: Okay; got it.
109:38:27 Mattingly: Okay. The next thing I have for you is a P24 PAD that goes on page 115.
109:38:38 Evans: Okay. Suit Test valves in Off now. On page 115 - Okay; got it.
109:38:47 Mattingly: Okay. It'll be 17-1; 110:58:13; T-2 is 111:00:30; 01:00; 01:...
109:39:07 Evans: Wait a minute. Wait a minute.
Cernan: [Garble] deadband attitude [garble].
109:39:10 Evans: Hold it, Ge - hold it. Okay, Wide Deadband Att/Hold, that's what I'm on. And Amer - Houston; America, I missed T-2 on.
109:39:26 Mattingly: Okay. Are you ready to go back to it now?
109:39:31 Evans: Okay; ready for T-2.
109:39:33 Mattingly: All right, sir T-2: 111:00:30; 01:...
109:39:43 Evans: Shoot!
109:39:41 Mattingly: ...00; 01:26; Roll 015, 297, 000; North 02. Over. [Pause.]
109:40:05 Evans: Okay. I'll read back what I have. T-1 110:58:13. I missed T-2. TCA is 01:00; T-3 is 01:26; Roll 15, pitch 297, and 0; North 02. I presume 17.1.
109:40:23 Mattingly: Yes, sir. And T-2 time is 111:00:30.
109:40:35 Evans: Okay. 111:00:30.
109:40:38 Mattingly: That's correct.
Explanation of P24 PAD follows:
Target: 17-1, which is a landmark at the planned landing site.
T-1 (110:58:13 GET) is the time that the landmark is on the horizon and is 2 minutes, 47 seconds before closest approach.
T-2 (111:00:30) is 2 minute, 17 seconds after T1 and is when Al begins pitching the spacecraft at 2° per second to keep it at an approximately constant attitude with respect to the landmark.
TCA (111:01:00) is the time of closest approach.
T-3 (111:01:26) is 3 minutes, 13 seconds after T1 and 26 seconds after TCA. It marks the end of the landmark tracking mode.
Spacecraft attitude at T-2: x, 15°; y, 297°; z, 0°.
An additional note states that at TCA, the spacecraft will pass 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) north of the landmark. Noun 89.
109:40:40 Evans: Challenger said something every time you talked on that one.
Cernan: [Garble] Houston. PGNS Rate Command. Cold fire [garble].
109:40:49 Evans: Hey, Jack, could you go to Receive only on the VHF for a little bit?
109:40:55 Evans: Okay.
109:41:00 Evans: And, Houston; America. You can go ahead on the next PAD.
109:41:03 Mattingly: Okay. On page 113, I've got a DAP load for you.
109:41:16 Evans: Okay.
109:41:18 Mattingly: Okay. The weight: 37983; plus 0.40, plus 0.91.
109:41:37 Evans: Okay, CSM weight is 37983; pak to off, plus 0.40; yak to off, plus 0.91.
109:41:49 Mattingly: Okay. That's correct. And the last one comes up on page 121, and it's a LM P76.
109:41:59 Evans: Ah ha; okay.
109:42:04 Mattingly: Okay, Noun 33.
109:42:06 Evans: Okay, 121 - Got it.
109:42:10 Mattingly: All right, sir. 112:02:51.92; minus...
109:42:15 Evans: Okay. Wait a min - Hold it. America, [garble] Challenger. The hot fire - you want Free, Challenger?
109:42:30 Evans: Challenger, America. You want Free for the hot fire?
109:42:38 Evans: Okay. Going to Free now.
109:42:44 Evans: And, Houston; America. You can try that one again.
109:42:47 Mattingly: All righty. Noun 33 is 112:02:51.92; minus 0007.5 and all zips for Y and Z.
109:43:08 Evans: [Laughter]. Okay, try that Noun 33 again.
109:43:27 Evans: Houston, America. We're cut out on Noun 33 again, and I've got minus 0007.5 and X, Y, and Z are 0.
109:43:40 Mattingly: Okay. And the time, 112:02:51.92.
109:43:50 Evans: Okay, Noun 33 is 112:02:51 - 112:02:51.92.
109:46:11 Evans: Okay, Challenger; America. You're in Att hold. You didn't get very far off that time, either. That's good. Okay.
109:46:19 Evans: Okay.
109:47:09 Evans: Okay, Challenger; America.
109:47:18 Evans: Okay. I'm going to turn off B3 and also my roll jets, and then I'm going to undo the docking latches.
109:47:30 Evans: That's - verified Transponder is Off.
109:47:36 Evans: Say again about umbilicals.
109:47:41 Cernan: All I get is umbilicals. I didn't get the question.
109:47:50 Evans: Verify. I have those down here.
109:48:03 Evans: And jet Bravo 3 is Off. [Pause.]
109:48:14 Mattingly: Okay, Ron, we're about 5 minutes from LOS. And the only thing that you wouldn't be able to do following right down your checklist is to get the VHF data on and check the tape recorder at LOS. The rest of that stuff you can follow right on through, and we'll remind you on the lithium change after descent. So it looks like we're caught up again.
109:48:52 Mattingly: And, America; Houston.
Evans: Okay [garble].
Mattingly: You have a Go for undocking from here.
Evans: Roger. Go for undocking.
The two spacecraft are being held together by twelve strong docking latches arranged around the docking ring, and by three small capture latches on the tip of the probe now engaged in the LM's drogue. The capture latches have been preloaded so that as Ron releases the docking latches, the seal between the ships should be maintained. The capture latches do not have the strength of the docking latches and so to avoid undue stress on them, Ron has disabled some of the CSM's RCS thrusters. The possibility of an unexpected break in the seal is why Ron is suited and why he is asking Mission Control to keep an eye on the flow of oxygen into the cabin. Should there be an escape of air through a compromised seal, the spacecraft would increase the flow of O2 to compensate.
109:49:28 Mattingly: Okay. Number 1 is disconnected; and, Houston, could you watch my O2 flow - as I disconnect these things?
Mattingly: Yes, sir.
Evans: Okay. Two clocks on number 2, and it's out of the way. Number 1 J-hook is out of the way. One hook - Okay, that's three of them on number 3, and it's out of the way. Number 4 was already cut. And it's out of the way.
109:50:20 Evans: Okay, number 5. One , two - and it's fully released, and the hook is off of the docking ring. Okay. Number 6 is - one, two - and it's fully released, and the hook is off of the docking ring. Okay, 7 is released, and the hook is off of the docking ring. [Pause.] O2 flow still okay?
109:50:59 Mattingly: Yes, sir. Looking good.
109:51:04 Evans: Okay, here's number 8. Here's one, two. And the chute's fully released, and the hook is off the docking ring.
109:51:22 Evans: Okay, here's number 9. One, two, and she's fully released; the hook clears the docking ring. Okay, number 10. Here's one, two - fully released, and the hook clears the docking ring. There's one, 11. Okay, handle's free; J-hook clears the ring. I've only got one more to go. There's the first latch there's two latches [garble] came over. And the hook stays clear; the handle is free. And, by golly, they're all off. Hey, Challenger; America. You're hanging on those three little bitty things.
109:52:37 Evans: Okay. I put the old - hatch in.
109:52:49 Mattingly: Okay, Ron, we're within a minute of LOS. Your O2 flow still looks good, and the rest of the stuff that you can get on the VHF is going to be just fine. You're right on schedule now.
109:53:05 Evans: Okay. I'll get that VHF stuff and then put the hatch in.
109:53:22 Evans: Okay, we're in Receive Only to B Data.
Evans: Hey, Challenger; America. I'm going to Receive Only the B Data.
