Spacelog Apollo 13

That's only half of it. We have most of it hidden away. It's been pretty interesting doing all the camera work here to get a little extra training running the TV here, hopefully for when we get on the ground at Fra Mauro. The monitor does make it pretty easy though.

Right. That's a real advantage in the cockpit. You're just a little bit dark. It looks like it might help to have the f-stop run down about one increment. See how it comes out —

Can't do it, we're wide open.

Are you?

I think we're wide open —

Yes. We're wide open, Vance.

Okay. Does that help any, Vance?

Okay. It's reasonably good. We can make out Fred fairly well. Looks like he's in a shadow. Hey, that helps. You just turned up the lights, huh?

Yes. We went fixed on the —

Okay. You're on candid camera.

We did notice one thing, Vance. You know that new fad with long hair? It won't work too well up here in space.

What was that one again?

I say, you know the new—the new fad with long hair?

Right.

It doesn't work too well up in space, you can't comb your hair up here.

Well, I guess you have to give up something.

Well, at least it—it helps to try. We can see you trying to comb your hair there, Jim. It looks like your—your beards haven't come along to the point where you've had to use the razor though.

I take it that was a subtle hint, Vance.

No, no. We're not commenting on your appearance, Fred. I mean nothing derogatory, understand.

And, Vance, thought we'd get a picture of Jack just so that all the girls know that he's still here.

(Laughter)

…

Yes, we—we appreciate that. There he is. Big Jack.

Jack, you're in the shadow right now; we have a little bit of interference from your window, which is very bright, so we can't—I think you're smiling, but it's a little hard to tell.

…

Hey, there we go. Incidentally, we've been getting all kinds of bits of information to pass up to you. We've had baseball scores coming in, basketball. Somebody said there's 220 days, shopping days left until Christmas.

Yes. Who won the Masters, Vance?

It was a tie in the Masters and stand by. It was a tie between Littler and Casper after 72 holes, and there is going to be a playoff Monday, we understand.

Oh. Sounds good.

One thing the world might be interested in knowing is what you do after the burn in the way of configuring switches back. We—We heard you go through the checklist. But, I guess right now, basically, you probably have all the switches back in position and you're in the mode to continue on with—Okay. What does the flight plans say? You're going to be doing cislunar navigation. So, Jack you're going to be down in the LEB. Is that correct?

That's right, Vance. Be going down there shortly.

Okay. The TV now is all but black. Looks like it must be pointing into a shadow.

What he's doing, he's trying to give you one more shot of the Moon, and right now I'm setting to maneuver pad and the optics calibration attitude.

Roger.

And what I wanted to point out, I don't know if it's apparent, but … to show the advantage of doing all the dumps just before the burn, we're looking again at the same scene over quad 1 at the Moon. And now you don't see all the sparkly frozen particles outside there any more. We've sort of run off and left them.

Roger. We—We don't see anything out there anymore in the way of particles leaving the spacecraft. We'd suggest, maybe you zoom the Moon in a little bit again so we can see the shape of it better.

Okay. That brings the Moon in. We can see the terminator at the top of the melon-shaped disk.

Okay. Now you can see a few of the spark—sparkling particles going across the screen. Those are being emitted from the thrusters. Jack's maneuvering the spacecraft now.

Okay. We can see those very poorly. Well, actually, they are coming in better now. It looks like little specks going from the upper left part of the screen across to the right, and understand those are from the thrusters.

That's affirm.

Okay, 13; Houston. Just as an item of interest, advise your speed with respect to the Earth is now 4667 feet per second.

Okay. Thanks, Vance.

Okay, Apollo 13; Houston. The Moon has been in and out of the—the—our screen here. Right now it's off at the bottom side, but we can still see the particles coming off of the spacecraft.

Okay. I am going to have to pull it out the window now, Vance. The Sun's coming up on the right side.

Roger. Understand. You —

Do you want to see any shots down in the LEB, Vance?

Say again.

Do you want to see any of the photographs or do you want the TV down in the LEB?

That's right, Jim. It would be good to see what you are doing down in the LEB or the far corner of the spacecraft where the optics are. Might be interesting to describe what you will do in the next few minutes in the way of sighting.