Phase 1: Launch

Launch Control

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, —

Launch Control

IGNITION —

Launch Control

4, 3, 2, 1, 0 —

Launch Control

LIFT-OFF.

Launch Control

Clear the tower.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Yaw complete. Roll program.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

13, Houston. GO at 30 seconds.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Roll complete, and we are pitching.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Roger that. Stand by for mode I Bravo.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

13, Houston. GO at 1. We show the cabin relieving.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

13, Houston. Stand by for mode I Charlie.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

And, 13, you are GO for staging.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

GO for staging. Roger. We're EDS MANUAL.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

We confirm inboard out, 13. You're looking good.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

13, Houston. Trajectory is good; thrust is good.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Skirt SEP … tower JETT.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

We confirm skirt SEP. Roger. Tower JETT; mode II, Jim. Looking good.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

13, Houston. Guidance is good, and the CMC is GO.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

13, Houston. You are GO at 4 minutes. The little red lines are right on the little white lines down here.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

13, Houston. Coming up 5 minutes. You're looking perfect. Over.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Key moment The inboard engine cuts out two minutes early: Inboard.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Roger. We confirm inboard out.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

13, Houston. Stand by for S-IVB to COI capability.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Roger. You've got it now, Jim.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

We've got S-IVB to COI.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

You're GO at 6 minutes, 13.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

And, Houston, what's the story on engine 5?

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Jim, Houston. We don't have the story on why the inboard out was early, but the other engines are GO and you are GO.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

13, Houston. Still looking good. Your gimbals are good; trim is good.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

13, Houston. Level sense arm time 8 plus 38 nominal; S-II cut-off time 9 plus 48. Over.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Roger. Nominal on the level sense arm, 9:48 on the S-II cut-off.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

That's affirmative, and stand by for S-IVB to orbit.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

You have S-IVB to orbit, Jim.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Roger. We have S-IVB to orbit.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

13, Houston. Looking good at 8 minutes.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Apollo 13, Houston. Mark level sense arm.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Mark level sense arm. Roger.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Apollo 13, Houston. At 9 minutes, you are GO; the CMC is GO.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

13, Houston. You are GO for staging.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

13; Roger. GO for staging.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Apollo 13, Houston. Stand by for mode IV capability.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Mode IV. Roger. Staging.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

And S-IVB ignition, Houston.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Roger that, Jim. Thrust looks good.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

13, Houston. You're looking good. Trajectory, guidance, CMC are all GO.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

13, Houston. At 11 minutes, you're GO. Predicted cut-off on the S-IVB is 12 plus 34. Over.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Apollo 13, Houston. You're GO at 11-1/2, and predicted cut-off time is 12 plus 34. Over.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Understand; 12 plus 34 predicted cut-off time.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Copy SECO, Jim. We're looking at the DSKY.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Apollo 13, Houston. You have a GO orbit all sources, and the booster is safe. Over.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

GO orbit and the booster is safe. Thank you, Joe.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

13, Houston. We copy your NOUN 44.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Apollo 13, Houston. Your preliminary orbit down here is 102.5 times 100.3, and everything is looking good.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Roger, Houston. And it looks good to be up here again.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

13, Houston. I have your Z torquing angles. You ready?

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Jack is ready to copy, Joe.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Okay. It's plus 0.26. Over.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Okay. Couple minutes to LOS, Jim. Everything is looking real good. Your AOS time at Carnarvon will be 52:36, and we don't have too much of a handle on why the inboard cut off early except that it apparently was an engine problem and not a switch-select function. But we are certain that you'll be able to make TLI based on what we are looking at now.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Roger. There's nothing like an interesting launch.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Apollo 13, Houston. Canary LOS in 30 seconds. Request COMMAND RESET, please.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Roger. COMMAND RESET coming on.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Apollo 13, Houston. Request LOW BIT RATE, please. Over.

Expand selection down Contract selection up

Spoken on April 11, 1970, 7:16 p.m. UTC (54 years, 6 months ago). Link to this transcript range is: Tweet

Jack Swigert (CMP)

Houston, how do you read 13?

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

13, Houston. Loud and clear.

Jack Swigert (CMP)

Okay, Joe. Everything's going good. We're proceeding on the time line in good fashion. I've got a P52 done. I can give you the torquing angles.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

I'm ready for them, Jack.

Jack Swigert (CMP)

Okay. Use NOUN 26; stars 26 and 33. The star angle difference was all balls. NOUN 93: minus 067, minus all balls, plus 0.162. The time of torquing was 45 minutes 35 seconds.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Well, that sounds marginally acceptable.

Jack Swigert (CMP)

For a new CMP, it ain't too bad.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Yes. Okay, 13. We've got nothing for you at the moment. Everything's looking good. We're looking at your data now.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Apollo 13, Houston. LOS Carnarvon in about 30 seconds. Honeysuckle on the hour, and verify your S-band is up for Honeysuckle. Over.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

And, Houston, we're beginning to see a beautiful sunrise here.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

13, Houston through Honeysuckle.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Apollo 13, Houston through Honeysuckle.

Jim Lovell (CDR)

Roger, Houston; 13 here. Reading you loud and clear.

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Okay. S-band sounds good, Jim.

Fred Haise (LMP)

Would it be okay if I crank up the FM … …?

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

You're coming in weak. I didn't quite copy it.

Fred Haise (LMP)

Would it be okay, Joe, if we crank up the FM after we leave Honeysuckle here?

Joe Kerwin (CAPCOM)

Oh. Stand by on that one.