Spacelog Apollo 13

Okay. Let us talk it over a second, and we'll tell you what to do.

Jim, is the battery light kind of flickering?

Yes. That's affirm, Jack.

Yes. The battery light's flickering, and it triggers off the MASTER ALARM.

Okay. Well, that—temperature sensor on battery 2 is kind of cycling back and forth and every time it does, it triggers a MASTER ALARM, Jim.

Okay. Same old problem, huh?

Yes.

And, Jim, finally on the P52, we're considering using the—the Moon and then the Sun for the fine aline.

Okay. The Moon and the Sun for the fine aline. Understand. We'll go through this again here …

Okay, Jack. Once—Once I get the spacecraft at the proper attitude …

Jim, I didn't copy your last question due to background noise.

Okay. Once—Once you get the AGS ball alined … command module …

After we do the body axis aline on the AGS, we can tell you what attitude on the AGS ball to fly to in order to point the CSM optics at the Moon or at some star. And then we can, knowing where the optics are pointed, give you an equivalent set of CDU angles to put in NOUN 20 to torque the platform.

Okay. I see.

That's the current thinking. It may change between now and tomorrow, but right now, that's the way it looks, Jim. It'll probably be some take-off on that anyway.

Okay. Are they planning on a G&N entry or using another system, like EMS or something like that?

It will be a G&N entry.

Nothing like going first class.

Jim, are you broken into the food locker in the LM yet?

That's affirm, Jack. I sure have. … away.

You say you did find everything in order in there, huh?

Yes, everything was great.

Okay. I'll pass it.

I had a question about that earlier.

Right.

Houston, Aquarius.

Go ahead.

I understand that one of your reasons for a suited entry is the fact that the command module hatch … hasn't been good. It doesn't seem to be any different, but in the other … our hatch is no better than other spacecraft.

No, the situation, Jim, is that your hatch is as good as any other hatch but that we won't have a chance to verify it until so late in the game, like 1 hour before entry interface, in this case; whereas before, why, we had a chance to evaluate it in lunar orbit. Over.

Oh, okay.

And that might make your time line a little too crowded, getting your suits on there at the last minute; say, less than an hour before entry interface.

Okay.

Jim, the next action item we want to pursue is transferring some LM power up to the command module MAIN B so we can start charging battery, and I guess what we ought to do is start on that one when somebody else gets up to help you there. So, when you decide to get the other guys up, or to have someone help, why, let us know and we'll start working on that.

Okay. I'll let you have Jack, and Fred's … When in the time line …?

Say again, Jim. I didn't catch that.

When in our time—What's the GET do you plan on …

Jim, I didn't catch all of what you said, but I think you wanted to know when the procedures [on] entry are going to be available and read up to you. If that's the case, why, we're talking about 120 hours or so. As far as the—charging battery A, we want to do that as soon as the other guys get up to help you. We've already passed up some of that procedure, and we have a couple of DELTAs to it.

Roger. Jack's already up. He asked … curious when you wanted to do it. Did you understand that? … Is that correct?

Jim, we're having trouble hearing you. The next order of business is to charge battery A, and when you get somebody to help you there, why, we'll go ahead and get done with it.

Okay. Sounds good.

And, before you start working on it let us know, because we've got some DELTAs to the battery charging procedure.

Roger. I'm putting Jack on the line now to copy down the DELTAs …

…

Aquarius, did you call?

Yes, Jack. I'm on the line. …

Okay. Go ahead now. I can hear better.

… Jack … Hey, Jack; I have for step 3, I have BAT 5 and BAT 6 NORMAL FEED, on. You just want BAT 6?

That's affirmative. Just BAT 6, Jack. And the next line, you had BATTERY 1 and 3. Make that BATTERY 1, 2, 3, and 4. Just add BATs 2 and 4. All four descent BATs. And then the next two lines about waiting 30 minutes, cross that out. And the next line about BATTERIES 2 and 4 OFF/RESET, cross that out, too.

And, Jack, the —

Okay. Let me read -

Go ahead.

Let me read you all the steps as I've got them, Jack, and make sure we've got them right. … ASCENT ECA, two, closed. Step 2 will now be BAT 6, NORMAL FEED, on. Step 3, BATS 1, 2, 3, and 4, OFF/RESET.

Okay. That part's all right, Jack. And we had—about 11 or 12 steps for the command module. They go as is with no change. And then we had a couple of more procedures for the LM. Stand by 1.

Okay. Jack, let me read you command module procedures just to make sure I have them right, also.

Okay. Go ahead with the command module procedures.

Okay. Connect LM and CSM umbilicals. Step 2, panel 5: LM POWER 1 AC and 2 AC, closed, circuit breakers. Step 3, panel 5: EPS SENSOR SIGNAL, MAIN B, closed. Step 4, panel … closed. Then there's step 5: MAIN B BAT BUS B, closed. Verify MAIN BUS voltage, then switch the LM power to CSM. Step 7: CB MAIN B BAT BUS B, open. And on panel 250, BAT POWER ENTRY and POSTLANDING, open. Verify MAIN BUS voltage.

Okay, Jack. The CSM procedure's okay, and then we had to go back to the LM and do something. And the first line is okay, cross out “BAT 5 and 6 OFF,” delete that. And delete the next line also, that says “Panel 11 to 16 ASCENT ECA CONTROL, open.” Then we had a couple of notes which remain the same. Go ahead.

Okay. I didn't get the notes, but I'll read you the steps as I have them now. One step, BAT 1, 2, 3, and 4 … and at this point should have BATTERIES 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 ON. Is that affirmative?

That's affirmative. So now we have BAT 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6, ON, and I got two notes. Number 1 is: your circuit breaker protection limits—your circuit breaker protection—limits the current to 15 amps. Number 2 note is: now the umbilical between the LM and the command module is hot. And the MAIN BUS voltage can be monitored by selecting MAIN B.

Okay, Jack. These notes are: circuit breaker protection limits current to 15 amps. The tube, the umbilical between the CSM and LM is hot. I can monitor MAIN B for the bus voltage.

That's affirm, Jack.

Okay, Jack. One question here. If we transfer power like this, we're not going to cut us short on power remaining in the CSM …, are we …?

Say it again, Jack. I didn't get it.

Okay. Stand by. If we configure the CSM for powering up the LM, we aren't going to cut it short on LM power requirements to get us back in the entry interface, are we?

That's a negative, Jack. According to the latest update, we've got ampere-hours out to 203 hours.

Stand by. …

Okay, Jack. One question from Jim is, he wants to know whether the procedure has been tried …

Okay. Try it again, now, Jack. What did Jim want to know?

Okay. He would like to know whether the procedure has been tried and whether it has been found to be okay; and there's no danger of shorting out any of our batteries or anything we have on board the LM now.

Okay, Jack. This procedure has not been tried out as such; however, the hardware paths through which the current flows are the same ones which we used during translunar trajectory, and there's not a problem with shorting out a descent battery. Over.

Okay. I'll relay that to Jim.

Jack, of course, the reason for all of this is that we see we're 20 amp-hours short on one of the entry batteries, and we've got to juice that up to get you home with.

Okay.

Okay. What we owe you from here on out is the actual battery A charge procedure, and then a procedure to turn this all around, again.

Okay. Do you have it there, and how long is it …

Okay, Jack. I have the procedure in front of me. It's about 18 steps, and the reason it's so long is because we're starting from this basic configuration which we gave you earlier. It concerns a charge on battery A, of course, which is our low one. So, when you're ready to copy it, let me know.

Okay. Let's go at it.

Okay. Are you ready to read—copy it?

Go ahead.

Okay. On panel 250, circuit breaker BAT A, POWER ENTRY/POSTLANDING, close; on panel 275, circuit breaker INVERTER POWER 2, MAIN B, close. Next several circuit breakers are on panel 5; circuit breaker BAT RELAY BUS, BAT A, close; circuit breaker EPS SENSOR UNIT, AC BUS 2, close; CB EPS SENSOR SIGNAL, AC2, close; CB BATTERY CHARGER, MAIN B, close. Are you still with me?

Okay, Jack. I'll read back those steps you gave me so far. Panel 250 CB BAT A, POWER ENTRY/POSTLANDING, close, panel 275, CB INVERTER POWER 2, MAIN B, close; panel 5, CB BAT RELAY BUS, BAT A, close; CB EPS SENSOR UNIT, AC BUS 2, close; CB EPS SENSOR SIGNAL, AC2, close, CB BAT CHARGER, MAIN B, close.

Okay. Good readback, Jack. The only one is number 1—number 4. I didn't get your readback, but it's EPS SENSOR UNIT AC BUS 2, close. You got that?

Yes. I read that back CB EPS SENSOR UNIT, close.

Okay. To continue—to continue on—the same panel, panel 5: circuit breaker, BATTERY CHARGER, AC POWER, close; circuit breaker BATTERY CHARGER, BAT A CHARGE, close; circuit breaker INVERTER CONTROL 2, close; circuit breaker INVERTER CONTROL 3, close; I've got a switch for you, MAIN BUS TIE, BAT A/C, OFF; and another switch, BATTERY CHARGE to AC2. Read those back.

Okay, Jack. CB BAT CHARGER to AC POWER, close. Stand by. Okay. I had to get a light here. CB BAT CHARGER, BAT A CHARGE, close; CB INVERTER CONTROL 2, close; CB INVERTER CONTROL 3, close; the two switches, MAIN BUS TIE, BAT A/C, OFF; and the second one, BAT CHARGER TO AC2.

How about reaching over there on your right-hand side and turning the BIOMED off? See if we can improve the COMM a little bit.

Okay. How do you read, now?

Okay. I'm reading you real good now, and I want to verify that the main bus tie that we switched OFF was BAT Alfa Charlie.

That's verified; MAIN BUS TIE, BAT Alfa Charlie, OFF. And that should …

Okay. And in panel 3, I've got a switch for you. AC INVERTER 2 to MAIN B.

Okay. AC INVERTER 2 to MAIN B.

Okay. And switch INVERTER 2, AC BUS 2 to on; and another switch, AC BUS 2 RESET, to reset and center; switch BATTERY CHARGE to Alfa; switch DC INDICATOR select BAT CHARGER; and then what we want you to do is to report the charger current and voltage to MSFN every 10 minutes for the first half hour, and then once every 30 minutes after that. And that'll be on our call, Jack. Read back the switches that I just gave you.

Okay, Jack. It's panel 3, AC INVERTER 2, MAIN B; INVERTER 2, AC BUS 2, on; AC BUS 2 RESET to reset and center; BAT CHARGER to A, AC INDICATOR select to BAT CHARGER. Report amps and volts to MSFN every 10 minutes for the first 30 minutes, and then every 30 minutes on a MSFN call.

Okay. That's a good readback, Jack. Now the only thing we owe you is a turnaround from this, which we will have.

Okay. Let me ask one question, here. About how long do you think it'll take to charge these batteries?