Spacelog Apollo 13

And in exchange for that, the surgeon would like to have a rough number of hours each of you slept and a qualitative verb to describe whether it was good, fair, or poor.

Okay. Stand by.

Okay, Houston. We had an average of around 5 or …

Jim, Houston. Your COMM got pretty garbled there just as you started to talk.

Okay. Houston, Apollo 13.

Okay, 13. You're loud and clear again.

We averaged about 5-1/2 hours' sleep apiece, and we are estimating that the sleep was good.

Okay. Copy that. Let's see what else we have for you, Jim. Midcourse-2 looks like about 23 feet per second, approximately retrograde and on time. And it's holding real firm now. For your information, and you don't need to copy this down, because it's still pretty soft, but we have an S-IVB impact of about 8.57 south and about 33.9 west, which is a little west and a little south of the flight plan value. We have it at a GET of about 77 plus 51 which is just before AOS, and the LOI pads are a little bit late, and as I say, it's still pretty soft, and we'll be updating you with firm numbers.

That's fine, Joe. Just as long as it doesn't hit Cone Crater.

Okay. And I'll have a consumables update for you in a little while, and I have a small flight plan update for you sometime a little later on when you're ready to copy. There's no big deals in it.

Roger.

And, 13, Houston. We'd like to verify that you cycled the O₂ cryo fans. We saw the H₂, but we didn't see the O₂ get stirred up.

Yes, Joe. We did, and it kind of looked like we might have had a little stratification because right after we put them on, we had a CRYO PRESS light.

Okay. EECOM told me that might happen, and he was right.

Okay, Joe. We're ready to copy a flight plan update and your consumables.

Okay, Jack. The flight plan update has a couple of items in it, and the first one we'd like to do is to update the T_ephem values in the G&C checklist on page G/9-2. These are fairly small changes, but in case you need them, we'd like you to have the exact numbers. Over.

Okay. Just a minute. I'll get it out.

Joe, was that the G&C checklist, page 9-2?

That's affirmative. G&C, page G/9-2.

Okay. Go ahead.

Okay. On that page in line 04, column B, change the number from 03366 to 05253. Over.

— 53.

Okay. And in line 05, column B, change from 11000 to 33661. Over.

33661.

Okay. That's right. The only other thing I've got for you, Jack, is three additional questions for the booster systems debriefing, which is to take place at about 25 hours, and we thought we'd pass these questions up to you early so you can consider them. Over.

Okay. We're ready to copy.

Okay. The first extra is, and let me get the original question because this question says, “More specifically on item 2,” and item 2 says, “Were there any significant changes in the noise vibration level during the single stage of powered flight?” Specifically, describe your observations during the early S-II center engine out-off, and approximately 90 seconds prior to TLI cut-off, you reported a high vibration in the S-IVB. We'd like you to describe the buildup of this vibration and its behavior through cut-off. Over.

Okay. Essentially, what you'd like us to talk about is vibration sequence during the early S-II cut-off of the center engine and also describe the vibrations that we encountered during the S-IVB TLI burn. Is that correct?

That's it. Okay. The second extra question is for you, Jim, and it says, “Comparing this flight with your ride on Apollo 8, were there any significant differences in the powered flight environment?”

Okay. We'll describe a comparison with 8 and 13 as far as powered flight goes.

Roger. And the last additional question is what did the ORDEAL ball look like during TLI? As you know, we passed you an update to that setting, and we'd like to know whether it was riding right on zero or what during the burn. Over.

Okay. Will do. We'll describe the ORDEAL ball.

Okay. That's it, and that's the whole flight plan update. I have a consumables update now if you want to listen to that.

Okay, Joe. We're ready to copy.

Okay. At 23 hours the total RCS is 1121, quad A is 274, quad Bravo is 286, quad Charlie is 274, quad Delta is 287, and the cryos are as follows: H₂ tank 1, 83 percent; H₂ tank 2, 86 percent; O₂ tank 1, 87 percent; O₂ tank 2, 87 percent. Over.

Okay, Joe. We got all those, and how do we compare them with where we should be in the time line?

As I understand it, Jack, you're running slightly ahead of nominal in both those areas.

Houston, 13.

13, Houston. Go ahead.

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

Hello there, Houston; 13.

13, Houston. Go ahead.

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

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.

Maybe we could borrow some.

(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.

…

Go ahead.

I said thank goodness for that.

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?

How do I apply for an extension?

(Laughter)

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.

(Laughter)

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

You're breaking up the room down here.

— because I may be spending time in a —

We'll see —

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

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.

Outstanding.

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?

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

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

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

Okay.

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

(Laughter) Suspicions confirmed.

Should give you very good performance on descent.

We should have a lot more hover time, huh?

That's right.

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.

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

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

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

Okay.

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.

Houston, Apollo 13.

13, Houston. Go.

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

Okay. We copy 02022 on the dosimeter, Jim.

That's affirm.