Spacelog Apollo 13

Okay. I'll stay this mode, if it's all right, so we won't be hot miked.

Aquarius, Houston. You're cleared to open the POWER AMPLIFIER circuit breaker and go to LOW BIT RATE, leaving the POWER AMP switch in PRIMARY.

Houston, Aquarius.

Go ahead, Aquarius.

About how far out are we now, Jack?

Okay, Aquarius. You're 150 000 miles and you're coming in at 4500 feet a second. That's from the Earth.

Okay. We're at 100—Yes. 150 K, 4500 feet a second.

Aquarius, Houston. How do you read?

I read you loud and clear, Jack.

Okay, Jack. What's your status, who's sleeping, and who's working?

Well, right now we're all three kind of working. Do you have any recommendations?

Yes, looks like to us from here that you and Fred ought to get some sleep, and that you ought to eat in about 6 hours. And that the Skipper ought to go to bed about 113 hours.

Okay.

I've got some other information. We shouldn't have some good dope on your trajectory for about 2 hours. Looked like to us that the burn was real good, however, and we're taking a close look at it, and we'll get back with you on that in about 2 hours from now. Another thing that we're expecting to have happen is that the SHe tank is going to reach its burst limit. The earliest time we predict this will happen will be at 107 hours on about 25 minutes. And the latest probable time is at 110 hours, and this is supposed to be a nonpropulsive vent, but you might hear it and you might see something.

Okay. That's good news. We were wondering about that. And I'll relay all the other information you gave me.

Okay. And if the SHe tank does burst during this time frame before we get trajectory info, why, that will delay our trajectory info somewhat. Your consumables, your water is now good through 152 hours.

Jack, wait a minute. Let me copy some of this down.

Okay.

Okay. I'm ready now.

Okay. We're predicting that you still have more water than you need. And one thing we'd like for you to do is when you're going to sleep up there in the command module take a look through the optics and see if you can see any stars.

Okay, Jack, I will do. Jim and I were able to spot constellations from the windows of the LM when there's no venting taking place. Could you give me some time on these consumables, what you're predicting they're good for? I think you started to give them times, didn't you, or was I just hearing things.

We started to give you some times. We think we might be able to give you some better ones pretty soon. But it looks like your water is good through 154 hours, and you've got takusan O₂ through 272 hours, plenty of lithium hydroxide, and your amp-hours ought to be good through 199 or 200 hours. Over.

Okay; good. Copy that.

We expect that your water rate is going to drop off and at the time, DELTA will go up to 160—165 hours quite shortly. Another thing we're interested in is what's your status on rest and medication.

Okay. None of us, I know of, had any medications, and right now as far as rest, I suppose we're no tireder than normally in this situation. I'm going to relay the work-sleep cycle.

Okay. And don't forget to look through the optics when you go up in the command module.

(Laughter) Okay. I'll do that.

Jack, as luck would have it, we just now started to vent a little from the command module …

Aquarius, Houston. Sorry about that but there's too much background noise to read you. I think we'll have to wait until you come up on a new antenna. Over.

Okay, Aquarius. Go ahead now. I think I can hear you.

Okay. Okay, Jack. I was going to say, as luck would have it, the command module picked this time to start venting again, so I probably won't be able to get a good hack out of stars out of the telescope.

Okay. Thank you. And if you can think of it, when the time comes up, when you're not venting how about remembering to take a look through them and give us a word?

Houston, Aquarius.

Go ahead. Over.

Aquarius, Houston. Did you call?

Yes, Jack. I just got a question. How long are you predicting our command module canisters to last in here?

Okay, Jack. We've got 14 cartridges that'll last 157 hours, plus we've got the LM primary cartridge with 23 hours, and we've got two PLSS cartridges with 7 hours apiece.

Okay. I was just curious as to how much time we've got out of these two cartridges.

Stand by 1. I'll get a prediction on that. By the way, I hope you're keeping track of the ones you've used and the ones you've not.

Yes, right now, we have numbers 7 and 8 in the LM here.