Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

For our benefit while we do this briefing, Jim, we'd like to have the, the COMM better, and we can sure spare the power; so we'd like you on panel 16 to close the POWER AMPLIFIER circuit breaker, and on panel 12 we'd like you to move the VOICE FUNCTION switch to VOICE. Over.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Okay, Aquarius; Houston. How do you read?

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Read you loud and clear.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Okay, and you're real good. It's a—It's a pleasure not to have all that noise. Let me tell you what I want to do, Jim. As I said, we're not going to give you detailed procedures, now. What we expect to have for you shortly are procedures which we'll try and get up to you in the following form. First, we'll have a time line, sort of a flight plan thing, which will have the times of all the major events and any configurations, switch settings, and so forth which are peculiar to our configuration and which, therefore, you won't find in the checklist. This, for instance, will be true of the way we power up the command module; and second, of course, we'll have any redlines to the checklist so that you can enter the checklist where possible to—to perform functions, and the time line will simply refer you to the checklist when that's appropriate. Okay?

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Okay. Sounds good. You're going to give me an overall time line now, I take it; is that right?

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

That's affirm. I'm going to first of all just quickly run through the times of the major events, and then we'll go back and fill in some of the details. Okay. Entry interface is at 142 hours 40 minutes; 6-1/2 hours, roughly prior to that or at about 136:10, we'll start this whole thing going by applying IMU HEATER POWER, by checking the CM/RCS temperatures and preheating the CM/RCS if required, and we suspect we'll probably want to do that. We'll have detailed procedures up for it later. At about 6 hours prior to EI or about 136:40, we will commence powering up the LM, powering up the AGS, using the modified LM/DPS RCS 30-minute checklist, which you have used for the previous midcourse. Then shortly, just before 5 hours, prior to EI or at about 137:49, we'll want you in the attitude for a LM AGS body axis alinement, using the Earth terminator like we did before; and as soon as we have that, we'll perform MCC-7, which looks like, now, about a 2-foot-per-second burn or about 15 seconds of RCS. And I'm told that it's down to 1-1/2 now, so it's comfortably within the RCS margin. Okay. When we do that, we'll immediately start the maneuver to the service module jettison attitude, which will be in plane since we're jettisoning it earlier than we usually do. We don't need, and don't want, the out-of-plane component. So it'll be in plane with the service module pointed back out along the radius vector. We will then commence to get the command module ready for service module SEP, including command module RCS checkout and hot fire, and at approximately 4 hours and 30 minutes prior to EI or 138:10, we'll jettison the service module. We'll pitch the LM up until we aquire the service module in the … and try and get some photographs, but we're not going to fool around with LM translation maneuvers for pictures because we don't want to screw up—foul up your flight path angle at that time. Okay. That gives us 2 hours to—of more or less open time here to finish up, if we're late on that, to go on over to checklist and prepare for powering up the command module. We're going to start the command module full powerup at EI minus 2 hours and 30 minutes or 140:10 GET. We'll get the computer on the line, we'll get the IMU up, we'll start uplinking your state vectors, and so forth, and alining the command module platform. At about 1 hour and 30 minutes at the latest, giving us an hour to do this command module stuff, we will start the maneuver to the LM jettison attitude. You'll then start to close out the LM. Of course, we don't have our stowage all configured way before this. We'll close the hatch, do a pressure integrity check, and at EI minus 1 hour, or 141 hours and 40 minutes, we'll jettison the LM. As soon as we do that, you can start the maneuver to the entry attitude. When you're there, do a sextant star check, take down the optics, and at that point we'll be giving you your final entry pad. You can initialize the EMS, and you'll essentially be right back on the checklist at that point. There's one—one little difference from your nominal entry. You're a little bit earlier in the morning, so it going—it's going to be nighttime when you get to EI. However, we're fortunate enough to have the Moon in a perfect position for a horizon check. We'll give you a Moon check instead of a horizon check, and you can track it right down to moonset, which is going to be at EI roughly minus 3 minutes. And that's it for the quick time line. Do you have any questions right now?

Jim Lovell (CDR)

I don't believe so, Joe, right now. We'll have to look at those time lines, and think about it for a little bit.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Okay. Real fine. We're ready to talk in some more detail about the alinement procedures, the CM powerup procedures, and so forth, but why don't we give you a few minutes to digest what you've already heard.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Two questions so far on heating up the CM/RCS. We assume that's LM power, and we assume that we're going to have to power up both CM buses, right?

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Okay, Jim. I didn't want to talk about that because we're not quite ready to recommend a procedure. We can't power up the CM/RCS per the normal checklist on the LM power because we haven't got quite enough amps. It may be that we'll want you to heat—to do the preheat one ring at a time and we're looking at that. Another possibility is that we may want to take down LM power at that, time, do the preheat, and then go back to LM power until we have to take it down finally. Over.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Okay. Understand. second question: when we finish MCC-7, that maneuver to SM JETT attitude will be angles given to us, by you, using the AGS aline ball, right?

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

That's affirmative. Once we get that AGS alined and get a time hack on it, the good people down here will be able to give us AGSAGS, 8-ball attitudes for the service module separation attitude, for the command module alinement attitude, which we are going to pass you up the—a Moon/Sun P52-type alinement. We'll have AGS 8-ball attitudes for those, and we'll be able to uplink through the command module once we get the computer up a preferred REFSMMAT, which will be identical to the LM attitude, at the time of the burn. And we'll go into the details on that later.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Okay. Just stand by 1. I'll give it to you.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

We would like to have plenty of … the control characteristics are of the LM/command module, and whether we can use the attitude control—controller only to maneuver the combination to photograph the service module at 4 plus 30.

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Spoken on April 16, 1970, 7:45 p.m. UTC (53 years, 11 months ago). Link to this transcript range is: Tweet

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Okay. Good thinking. We are—it's—There has been a lot of consideration of what kind of maneuvers to let you do to photograph the LM, I mean the service module. We consider it quite low priority; the feeling is that it will be real nice to get pictures of the service module, but they are not required for our troubleshooting program. As far as the—the attitude control authority, and so forth, we will get you more detailed word on that later; we are working it. It appears that using the ACA instead of the TTCA after service module JETT will give you excellent attitude control authority, and that's what we recommend.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Okay. And I'm …—use an AGS ATT HOLD configuration to keep the attitudes—turn the LM JETT attitudes.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

That's affirm. We are—We are probably going to recommend a tight deadband AGS attitude hold for that.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Okay. The star check at the entry attitude, is it a sextant star check or a COAS star check?

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

It'll probably be a sextant star check, Jim. It really depends on how good that platform is that we get. And we expect it to be plenty good enough for a sextant star check.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

While we are on that subject, Jim, I want to mention one thing to Jack. As I said, this CSM alinement procedure we are going to recommend is a Moon/Sun, and there are Sun filters stowed; they are stowed in compartment R-1; however, they are for the telescope only, of course, not the sextant. One is for the long eye-relief piece, the other for the normal eyepiece. And if he has any questions about that, we'll be glad to talk about it.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

And because it will be too late to do much about a hatch integrity check if it fails, you want us to have our suits on sometime during this period?

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Okay, Jim. We are laying for you on that one; it is a subject that we wanted to—to bring up with you. We have been considering it, and our feelings are—Of course, it is up to you, but as we see the pros and cons, you just put your finger on the pro. We do a hatch integrity check shortly before EI minus 1 hours, and if we bust it, you would have a hard time scrambling into the suits. On the other hand, the disadvantages of wearing the suits are that they might slow you down considerably, not even counting the time to don them, and someone is even very concerned that after such and such a period of time in the suits, you might get too warm, and we might have to power up the SUIT LOOP to ventilate the suits and we don't particularly want to do that because it cost quite a bit of power. Consequently, our recommendation was going to be that you not wear the suit, since we have no reason to believe that the integrity check will show us anything but a slightly increased leak rate, and we can certainly hack that. What do you think? Over.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Well, I have confidence in the hatch, as long as it goes in and locks in smoothly; I see no reason why we need the suits, and one thing we are going to do during our spare time is to practice putting that hatch on, make sure we get it on and locked.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Okay. Real good. And with that precaution, think we can concur on that decision.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

And that's all the questions we had about the time line you gave us.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Okay. Let me take a check here and see if there is anything anybody else wants to input to you, right now.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Roger. One detail that I thought you ought to know about the service module JETT is that we're going to recommend a push-pull maneuver, that is in the attitude I described. We'll want you to go half a foot per second plus-X on the LM, then jettison the service module, then go half a foot per second minus-X, which will be less time because you're suddenly a heck of a lot lighter. Over.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Okay. Understand. You want me to go a half a foot per second plus-X, JETT the service module, and go a half a foot per second minus-X.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

That's affirm. We think that will give you plenty of separation, and also will be a slow enough rate so you'll have a chance to get some photos.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Okay. One more thing we want to update you on with a little detail. As we told you, the ascent SEP attitude was in plane and the LM JETT attitude will be more similar to a normal service module SEP attitude, that is it will be LM up, out the radius vector and 45 degrees right, out of plane toward the south. We are going to recommend that prior to JETT, the configuration be with the LM overhead hatch closed, with the vent valve open, and we'll JETT with the tunnel pressurized. Over.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Okay, Joe. Understand that the LM JETT attitude will be similar to service module normal jettison, which will be up and out of plane, and as soon as I finish maneuvering to left JETT attitude, I'll scramble up and close the LM hatch, making sure the vent valve is open, and then we'll vent it—or jettison it with the tunnel pressurized.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

That's affirmative. And Deke says don't forget to close the command module hatch on your way in.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

I'm already scared that Jack will have it closed before I get up there.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Okay, Jim. I think that's about all we have for you right now. Whenever you feel like you don't have any more questions at the moment, we'd like you to reconfigure for down voice backup and we'd like you to do that to move the VOICE FUNCTION switch to DOWNVOICE BACKUP as usual, but instead of pulling the circuit breaker, we'd like you to throw the POWER AMP switch to off.