Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Okay. Jack. We copy the angles. You can go ahead and torque them.

Jack Swigert (CMP)

Okay. Joe. The time of torquing will be 23 hours 47 minutes 30 seconds.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

For information, Joe, we're all configured back again now to our regular seating positions, if you're monitoring us.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Hello there, Houston; 13.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Gosh, we had forgotten, but we'd like to hear what the news is.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Okay. There's not a whole lot to it. Well, let's see, we'll start with the—Let's start with sports, what the heck. The Astros survived 8 to 7, the Braves got five or six runs in the—five runs in the ninth inning, but they just made it; and in the other important game of the day, the Cubs were rained out. I have all the rest of the scores, you can tell me if you want any of them. They had earthquakes in Manila and other areas of the island of Luzon. There were three tremors and they kept the buildings shaking for about a half an hour or so, and it was about a 5 on the Richter scale. Okay, let's see. The Beatles have announced they will no longer perform as a group. The quartet is reported to have made in excess of a half billion dollars during their short musical career. However, rumors that they will use this money to start their own space program are false.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Maybe we could borrow some.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

(Laughter) Okay. Okay; West German Chancellor Willy Brandt, who witnessed your launch from the Cape yesterday, and President Nixon will complete their round of talks today. Brandt reportedly came to the U.S. to seek assurance from the President to go ahead with talks with the eastern European nations, especially East Germany, Poland, and Russia. Many air traffic controllers are still out, but reports indicate that they are slowly returning to work, and you'll be happy to know the controllers here in the MOCR are still on the job.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

I said thank goodness for that.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Okay. Some truck lines are being struck in the Midwest, and the school teachers have walked off the job in Minneapolis. Today's favorite pastime across the—Uh oh; have you guys completed your income tax?

Jim Lovell (CDR)

How do I apply for an extension?

Jack Swigert (CMP)

Yes, Joe. I got to—hey, listen—It ain't too funny; things kind of happened real fast down there, and I do need an extension.

Jack Swigert (CMP)

I didn't get mine filed. And this is serious; would you —

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

You're breaking up the room down here.

Jack Swigert (CMP)

— because I may be spending time in a —

Jack Swigert (CMP)

I may be spending time in a—I may be spending time in another quarantine besides the one that they are planning for me.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

We'll see what we can do, Jack. We'll get with Recovery and see if we can get the agent out there in the Pacific when you come back. By golly, let's see. In professional basketball, the Nicks beat the Milwaukee Bucks 110 to 102, and Billy Casper is leading the Masters after 54 holes with a 208, and spring football practice is in full swing. And that's about all the news we got; the updated plan of the day for you guys, the uniform will be service dress inflight coverall garments with swords and medals, and tonight's movie shown in the lower equipment bay will be John Wayne, Lou Costello, and Shirley Temple in the “The Flight of Apollo 13.” Over.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Houston, this is 13. Is it true that Jack's income tax return was going to be used to buy the ascent fuel for the LM?

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Well, considering that he's a bachelor and hasn't got that deduction to take, yes.

Jack Swigert (CMP)

Hey, Joe. I'm glad you brought that up, because I was really serious about that.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Okay, Jack. We'll—We'll take care of it. Tom Stafford says he'll get an extension for you.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

And Jim McDivitt says, “yes, now that you mention it, he forgot to fill the ascent stage.”

Jim Lovell (CDR)

(Laughter) Suspicions confirmed.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Should give you very good performance on descent.

Fred Haise (LMP)

We should have a lot more hover time, huh?

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Okay, crew. About the only other thing I've got for you right now is an update to your P37 pad for lift-off plus 35. This is a change to the pad we gave you yesterday. The reason for the update is for weather avoidance in the mid-Pacific landing area at 70 hours, which is the return time for this pad, and in case the question arises in your mind, we don't expect any problem there for the end of the mission. The weather area is 20 degrees south of your end-of-mission landing point, and it appears to be moving to the south.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Okay, Joe. I'm ready to copy the pad.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Okay. GET of ignition is 035:00, DELTA-VT 7883, Longitude minus 155, and the GET 400K 069:54. Over.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

GETI is 035:00, 7883, minus 155, 069:54.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

And, Houston, Jack's going to try donning his suit now for practice, himself, and when he gets it out, we'll give you a dosimeter reading.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Okay. We've retrieved Jack's dosimeter, and it's reading 02022.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Okay. We copy 02022 on the dosimeter, Jim.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

13, Houston. At your convenience, we'd like the LM/CM DELTA-P reading.

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Spoken on April 12, 1970, 7:55 p.m. UTC (54 years, 6 months ago). Link to this transcript range is: Tweet

Jim Lovell (CDR)

That reading is 0.65 psi.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Houston, Apol … Roger. We're thinking together. And we're here waiting for your call.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Okay, you were a little broken up there, Jim, but I think it's getting better. We are ready for the launch-vehicle-systems debriefing whenever you are.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Okay, Houston; Apollo 13. You were cut out again; say again, please.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Roger, Jim. We are ready for the launch-vehicle-systems debriefing whenever you are. Over.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Okay, Houston; 13. In answer to Question 1, the changes in noise level occurred mainly between the first stage and the other stages—the other stages were about the same in noise level, very quiet, with the first stage, of course, making quite a bit of noise in the beginning but—which built up during the high Q, and then … went quiet just after high Q.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

I might mention that the noise level during the first stage was not sufficient to be uncomfortable at all.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Roger. And I assume COMM was okay.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

That's affirm. COMM was very good all during—throughout the entire flight. Much better than I expected.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Now, in answer to Question 2, there was, of course, a vibration transient in the second stage that—due to the number 5 engine going out—which occurred shortly before the engine went out, and slightly after that then the S-II stage was very smooth.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Okay, Jim. I guess the significant point there is that you didn't notice the vibration before you saw the engine light.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

That's right. We—we noticed the vibration but it wasn't such that we thought something catastrophic was going to happen; it just started vibration and then the EN light came on, and then the vibration went away and the stage itself was smooth.

Jack Swigert (CMP)

Yes, and that—it was all pretty—pretty short in span—just a second or so before and like a second afterwards, Joe.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

And on the S-IVB, the vibration of the vehicle itself wasn't what … second … powered flight—a very-high-frequency vibration.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

That was—was that during—just during TLI, or did you notice that at insertion?

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Well, it was a high-frequency viola—vibration but more noticeable during the TLI burn than it was during the … flight.

Jack Swigert (CMP)

I guess the S-IVB vibration during TLI was there all the time although it seemed to—to grow to us as the burn progressed, although that may have been just due to the boost weight decrease.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Okay, you called this about 3-1/2 minutes, but I guess the thing was slowly building up throughout the whole burn. Right?

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Okay, was it uncomfortable or did it cause your vision to degrade or anything like that?

Jim Lovell (CDR)

No, it—it was not uncomfortable at all but I was recalling the ride on 8, and the S-IVB was more—much more smooth than even it was on 13.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Okay, now, in answer to number 3, we did not experience any unexpected transients except that all of us noticed the PU shift. We thought it was more pronounced than we had expected it to be.

Jack Swigert (CMP)

Joe, on that. I guess most of every time that PU shift occurred we all—almost all of us glanced at the engine light. We could feel definite acceleration change.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Roger. Understand, Jack.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

And, during the high-Q portion of the flight, the Alfa meter, to my knowledge, nearly went above 25 percent.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

In answer to number 4, we got a pretty good look at the thermal shroud and the IU after taking the LM away, and from our viewpoint, the shroud was completely intact. I saw no loose particles or parts of it floating at all.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

And, I guess we answered number 5. I don't think at any time did we have any communication problem during powered flight.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

In answer to number 6, the answer is essentially no. We saw no venting or suspected leak on the LM or the CSM

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Okay, Jim. I guess you described to us the non-propulsive venting on the S-IVB after the APS maneuver and we copied that at the time.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Okay. Fred saw the S-IVB venting.

Fred Haise (LMP)

Yes, we had already talked about that, Joe. And that was also visible when it—of course, when it did its evasive maneuver when we were looking at it right close up.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Okay, Joe. The last time we saw the S-IVB positively was when Fred saw it venting at about—at about 5 hours. We think we might have picked it up later on. We saw a particle or something out there that was tumbling which might have been the booster or one of the SLA panels.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

And when was that, Jim?

Jim Lovell (CDR)

We're—we're debating. It was somewhere between—say 7:30 and 9 hours.