To locate events in the air/ground transcript, refer to the event timeline in the postmission report (on shelves) for GET (Ground Elapsed Time) of event. Transcript has GET/GMT at top of each page. 3-4 APOLLO 9 TABLE 3-I.- SEQUENCE OF EVENTS Event Time, hr:min:sec Launch Phase Range zero (16:00:00 G.m.t.) Lift-off 0:00:00.7 Maximum dynamic pressure 0:01:25.5 S-IC inboard engine cutoff 0:02:14.3 S-IC outboard engine cutoff 0:02:42.8 S-IC/S-II separation 0:02:43.5 S-II engine ignition commanded 0:02:44.2 Interstage jettison 0:03:13.5 Launch escape tower jettison 0:03:18.3 S-II engine cutoff 0:08:56.2 S-II/S-IVB separation 0:08:57.2 S-IVB engine ignition 0:09:00.8 S-IVB engine cutoff 0:11:04.7 Orbital Phase Orbital insertion 0:11:14.7 Command and service module/S-IVB separation command 2:41:16 Docking 3:01:59.3 Spacecraft ejection from S-IVB 4:08:06 First service propulsion maneuver 5:59:01.1 Second service propulsion maneuver 22:12:04.1 Third service propulsion maneuver 25:17:39.3 Fourth service propulsion maneuver 28:24:41.4 First descent propulsion maneuver 49:41:34.5 Fifth service propulsion maneuver 54:26:12.3 Lunar module hatch open for extravehicular activity 72:53:00 Lunar module hatch closed after extravehicular activity 73:49:00 3-5 APOLLO 9 TABLE 3-I.- SEQUENCE OF EVENTS - Concluded Event Time, hr:min:sec Orbital Phase - concluded First undocking 92:39:36 Command and service module/lunar module separation 93:02:54 Descent propulsion phasing maneuver 93:47:35.4 Descent propulsion insertion maneuver 95:39:08.1 Coelliptic sequence initiation maneuver 96:16:06.5 Constant delta height maneuver (first ascent propulsion) 96:58:15 Terminal phase initiation 97:57:59 Docking 99:02:26 Lunar module jettison 101:22:45 Ascent propulsion firing to depletion 101:53:15.4 Sixth service propulsion maneuver 123:25:07 Seventh service propulsion maneuver 169:39:00.4 Eighth service propulsion maneuver (deorbit) 240:31:14.9 Entry Phase Command module/service module separation 240:36:03.8 Entry interface (400 000 feet altitude) 240:44:10.2 Begin blackout 240:47:01 End blackout 240:50:43 Drogue deployment 240:55:07.8 Main parachute deployment 240:55:59.0 Landing 241:00:54 APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, T-59, CST 9:0la 1/1 PAO This is Apollo/Saturn Launch Control at T-59 minutes and counting, T-59 on the Apollo 9 count. We are go for the mission at this time. Just a matter of some 2 or 3 minutes ago, the Vice-President of the United States, Mr. Agnew, arrived here in the Launch Control Center. The Vice-President, who is of course the chairman of the Space Council, here to observe the final 60 minutes or so of the count for Apollo 9. When the Vice-President arrived, he did meet some of the crews for the upcoming launches, the complete crew for Apollo 10, astronauts Tom Stafford, John Young, and Gene Cernan, and two of the members of the Apollo 11 crew, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Mike Collins. In the meantime, the three astronauts in the Apollo 9 space- craft, Jim McDivitt, Dave Scott, Rusty Schweickart are con- tinuing to work on their final checks for this flight. McDivitt and Schweickart at this time are performing some final checks of the stabilization and control system. In the meantime, we are starting to bring up radio frequency and telemetry checks with the launch vehicle. All still going well at 58 minutes and counting. Our countdown picked up following a 6-hour built in hold at 2 a.m. Eastern stand- ard time this morning and has run very smoothly since that time. We've now been in progress a little more than 8 hours with the count. The first 5 hours or so of our final phases of the countdown list are devoted to the propellant load- ing of the three stages of the Saturn V launch vehicle. During this period, we brought in close to 3/4 of a million gallons of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen into the stages of the Saturn V. We now have all our propellants aboard, we have a vehicle on the pad that weighs some 6.4 million pounds. The propellants are all aboard at this time, and the flightcrew going through their final checks in the spacecraft. During these 8 hours or so that we've been in the final count, all aspects of the mission have gone very well. We had one questionable item, that was a regulator for helium pressure in the third stage of the Saturn V. We ran several verification tests and were able to determine that a pneumatic control module in the third stage is ca- pable of performing its intended functions and we are able to proceed. This module plays a part in preparations for the second burn, particularly on the S-IVB, the third stage of the Saturn V. Other than that one minor aspect, which was verified by some tests during the count, all other aspects of the mission have gone very well. The flight- crew in Apollo 9 was alerted in their countdown, as planned, at 5:45 a.m. Eastern standard time this morning. They APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, T-59, CBT 9:0la 1/2 PAO then went down the hall from their crew quarters at the Kennedy Space Center and had a final physi- cal. They were declared in good physical condition and flight ready by Dr. Charles A. Berry and a team of physicians giv- ing the final examination. Dr. Berry commented that the throats of the astronauts really looked good this morning. Astronaut Rusty Schweickart, the lunar module pilot, did request to take a motion sickness pill and he did take that while he was suiting up a little later in the morning. Fol- lowing their medical examinations, the astronauts sat down for breakfast in the crew quarters, the usual astronaut menu on launch day of scrambled eggs, steak, toast, orange juice, and coffee. They had some seven guests with them at break- fast. The crew then went to the suit room where they donned their space suits and then were called to the pad some 10 minutes late, as we were a little bit behind on bringing the propellants on board. The crew departed from the crew quar- ters at 8:05 a.m. Eastern standard time this morning and started to board the spacecraft at 8:29. The first member of the crew across the sill was the commander, astronaut Jim McDivitt. He came across at 8:29 a.m. He was followed by the lunar module pilot, Rusty Schweickart, who sits in the right-hand seat, some 5 minutes later, at 8:34, and the final member, command module Dave Scott, who sits in the center seat, came aboard at 8:40 a.m. Eastern standard time. The backup command module pilot, astronaut Richard Gordon, was in the spacecraft during this period aiding all three astronauts in coming aboard. Our countdown continuing at this time, T-54 minutes 20 seconds. The Vice-President now being briefed here in the Control Center by Dr. Kurt Debus, who is director of the Kennedy Space Center. The Vice- President is accompanied by Dr. Thomas Payne, the adminiis- trator[sic], the acting administrator of NASA, Dr. Robert C. Seamans, the Secretary of the Air Force and former deputy administrator of the space agency, and astronaut Frank Bor- man, who was the commander for the Apollo 8 mission. Those are some of the key people in the Vice-President's party. Our countdown proceeding at this time, all going well. Weather is GO for the mission also. We have a forecast of overcast in the Cape Kennedy, the complex 39 area, but it is acceptable for launch. The hatch was closed on the Apollo 9 spacecraft at about 9:20 a.m. this morning, and our count has proceeded well since that time. We will go on automatic sequence in the countdown at about 3 minutes and 6 seconds, and from that point on down, all phases of the count will be automatic, leading up to ignition of the five engines and the first stage of the Saturn V vehicle at the 8.9 APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, T-59, CST 9:0la 1/3 PAO second mark in the count. This will be ignition sequence start, it will take some 8 seconds or so to build up the proper thrust in those five engines to give us our planned 7.7 million pounds of thrust at liftoff. All engines should be running at the 2 second and we should get commit and liftoff at zero in the count. We are now at T-52 minutes 40 seconds in counting, this is Launch Control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, 9:11 a (T-49) 2/1 PAO This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control, T minus 49 minutes and counting. T minus 49; we are proceeding satisfactorily at this time. At this point the Apollo access arm, sling arm number 9 is being removed from the spacecraft, being taken to its stand by position some 8 or 10 feet away; it will remain in this position until we get to the 5 minute mark in the count. In the meantime we are arming the pyro-technic devices aboard the spacecraft at this time, particularly the launch escape tower, which could be used these final moments of the count once the swingarm is taken away. All aspects of the mission still going well at this time and into a planned liftoff time on the hour. T minus 48 minutes, 18 seconds and counting; this is Launch Control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, 9:16 am 3/1 PAO This is Apollo/Saturn Launch Control at T-44 minutes and counting, T-44, we are GO with the Apollo 9 mission at this time. Vice-president Agnew now has taken his seat here in the control center and is monitoring the countdown with a crew of some 450 people here in the Launch Control Center, another 50 or so are back in the Spacecraft Operations here at KSC and continue to work the countdown at this time. Standing by in Houston, of course, and participating in the count are the various teams there at the Mission Control Center under the flight director. Our countdown now, some - running a little ahead, especially on the spacecraft portion, and with the launch vehicle they are coming up on one of our final major checks - final checks of the destruct system aboard the three stages of the Saturn V launch vehicle. These are checks with the Air Force Eastern Test Range to assure that the destruct system aboard the vehicle would be operable if it were required in flight. Of course, before taking destruct action, the astronauts would go through an abort sequence with their Apollo spacecraft to separate from the vehicle. Our countdown proceeding satisfactorily, T-42 minutes 50 seconds, and counting. This is Launch Control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, CST 9:21am 4/1 PAO This is Apollo Saturn launch control T-39 minutes in counting. T-39 all aspects of the mission still GO at this time. A capsule communicator here in the launch control center at firing room 2 - Jack Lousma who is a member of the support crew - the astronaut support crew for the Apollo 9 mission - now in some communication checks from his console with the pilots onboard the space- craft. Coming up shortly - spacecraft wise, in about 5 min- utes or so, will be pressurization of the reaction control system for the service module of the spacecraft. These are those quad thrusters - 100 pound thrusters in four quadrants around the service module that are used for maneuvers in space - orbital maneuvers in the case of this particular flight. On the launch vehichle [sic] side we're gearing up for some final checks of the power system aboard the three stages an in- strument unit of the Saturn V - a power transfer test where we check the flight batteries that then return to internal power - correction - return to external power in order to conserve those batteries down to the final moments of the count. T-37 minutes 51 seconds in counting - this is launch control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, T-34 (9:26a) 5/1 PAO This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control, T minus 34 minutes and counting. T minus 34; still proceed- ing satisfactorily with the count at this time. We now have just completed our pyro-transfer test; this is a test of the flight batteries in the 3 stages of the Saturn V and the instrument unit. Early indications are that the test went well. We will now remain on external power till the 50 second mark of the count when we finally go internal for good in the countdown. The astronauts still preparing for the pressurization of their reaction control system aboard the Apollo 9 spacecraft. We have the access arm, the swing arm that enables entry to the spacecraft located some 12 degrees from the spacecraft in a standby position. For safety purposes, we have 2 high speed elevators locked at the 320 foot level; that swing arm could be brought back in rapid fashion if required. It will remain in this position and not go back to its fully retracted position until the 5 minute mark in the count. We have now passed the 33 minute mark; we are at 32 minutes, 54 seconds and counting. This is Launch Control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, 9:31 am 6/1 PAO This is Apollo/Saturn Launch Control T-29 minutes and counting, T-29. WE are GO for a planned liftoff for Apollo 9 at this time. The Lunar Module, which will be tested for the first time with a crew aboard in orbit on this flight, now has gone on internal power. It is on the power of its own flight batteries at this time and will remain in this mode through the remainder of the countdown. The crew here in the Control Center is continuing to monitor the status of the propellants aboard in the Saturn V. We have now close to a million gallons of propellants, the vehicle weighing some 6.4 million pounds on the launch pad. The astronauts aboard the spacecraft are going through the pressurization sequences concerned with their reaction control system, those are the thrusters on the service module that will be used for maneuvers inorbit. Participating, primarily, Jim McDivitt and the Lunar Module pilot, Rusty Schweickart. We're still GO and we approach the 28 minute mark. Mark, T-28 minutes and counting, this is Launch Control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, T-24 (9:36a) 7/1 PAO This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control at T minus 24 minutes and counting. T minus 24; the crew a little ahead with their work on the spacecraft at the 320 foot level. At this time, Rusty Schweickart, the Lunar Module Pilot, de- cided he had time to ask on how the Lunar Module was doing, the Lunar Module located beneath them now in the stack. The spacecraft test conductors came on the circuit and reported that the Lunar Module also is GO and on internal power. The astronauts have completed their pressurization and checks of the reaction control system on the spacecraft service module; our countdown proceeding smoothly at this time. 23 minutes, 20 seconds and counting; this is Launch Control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, 9:41 am 8/1 PAO This is Apollo/Saturn Launch Control T-19 minutes and counting, T-19. We are bringing up our water supply now for the launch pad in preparation for the ignition, which will come some 18 minutes 47 seconds from this time. We have also completed readouts on the C-Band tracking beacons which are located in the instrument unit and our checkout still continues to go satisfactorily at this time. Despite the overcast that we have, the visibility is good, the ceiling is acceptable, we are GO as far as weather is concerned on our launch attempt for Apollo 9. We now have 2 complete follow-on crews also observing the launch, the complete crew for Apollo 10 and now Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the Lunar Module pilot for Apollo 11, has joined his two fellow pilots, so we have both complete crews here along with the Vice-president and the dignitaries accompanying him. WE are coming up toward the 18 minute mark, a GO for Apollo 9, this is Launch Control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, CST 9:46a 9/1 PAO This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control T-14 minutes and counting, We are still proceding - all aspects of the mission GO at this time. The Apollo command module now has gone on a full internal power - this is on the full power of the fuel cells aboard. Actually the command and service module, of course, the complete space- craft now on the power of its fuel cells. Up to this time it had been sharing the load with an external power source. Also at this time, the crew in the spacecraft giving some readouts on the various power systems - checking some final switch settings and arming those rotational hand controllers that enable them to drive the vehicle in orbit in the space mission itself. All aspects of the mission still GO. Thirteen minutes 15 seconds and counting - this is Launch Control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, 9:5la (T-09) 10/1 PAO This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control, T minus 9 minutes and counting, T minus 9; we are still GO for our planned liftoff on Apollo 9. In progress at the present time - there have been some final communication checks by some key individuals here at the control center, as well as the flight director, Gene Kranz and the Capsule communicator Astronaut Stu Roosa in Houston. We have made some final checks on what is known as the astro-launch circuit; this is a special circuit which is several key people talk to the flight crew aboard the spacecraft over the final few minutes of the count. The crew switches to astro-launch at the 4 minute mark in the count. Just a handfull of people and key people talking to them from that time on for the re- mainder of the count; it will be the spacecraft conductor, his name is Skip Sheldon, the launch operations manager, Paul Donley, and the Capsule Communicator here in the Control Center, the backup support astronaut, a member of the support team, Astronaut Jack Lousma. The flight director in Houston also has the capability to talk to the astornauts [sic], We are now past the 8 minute mark in the count; spacecraft test conductor Skip Sheldon going through a final status check of all of his systems, the report coming back GO at this time. As we proceed, T minus 7 minutes 45 seconds and counting; this is Launch Control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, 9:56 am 11/1 PAO This is Apollo/Saturn Launch Control T-5 minutes and counting, T-5, and the order has been given for the Apollo Access Arm to come to its fullest retracted position and now swing arm number 9 coming back to its fully retracted position. Just before this order was given, we went through a final status check. This spacecraft is GO, we also got a GO for launch from Mission Director George Hage in Houston, and finally Launch Director Rocco Petrone, here in firing room 2. Our status board shows launch support preparations are complete, and the ready lights are ON for the instrument unit, the spacecraft, and the emmergency [sic] detection system. We are GO at T-4 minutes, 21 seconds and counting. This is Launch Control. PAO This is Apollo/Saturn Launch Control coming up on 3 minutes 50 seconds, MARK, T-3 minutes 50 seconds and counting, we are GO for launch. The countdown now turned over to the control of the launch vehicle conductor for the last 4 minutes of the count. We will go on an automatic sequence starting at 3 minutes 7 seconds. Final communications checks now in progress between the spacecraft test conductor and the crew aboard the spacecraft. Some final checks in progress at this time. We have the report that we are clear for firing command, that is the automatic sequencer that should come in in about 15 seconds. From that time on down, all aspects of the mission will be automatically monitored by the computers here at the control center and at the pad. At 3 minutes 10 seconds, we have firing command. Launch sequence started, the computer is in, the sequence is in at this time. Mark, T-3 minutes, T-3 minutes and counting. Our preparations are now complete, our ready lights are on here in the Control Center. During this period the various propellant tanks aboard the three stages of the Saturn V will be pressurizing. Primarily we use helium on the ground to pressurize these tanks. The various vent valves will close, as the countdown proceeds. We are now past 2 minutes 35 seconds, and counting, all still going well. 2 minutes 30 seconds, we should be getting an indication on pressurization of the third stage. We have it, here in the Control Center 2 minutes 20 seconds and counting, the third stage now is pressurized. We will be looking toward those 5 engines in the first stage of the Saturn V, the ignition sequence to start at the 8.9 second mark in the countdown. We are now coming up on the 2 minute mark, MARK T-2, all aspects of the misstion [sic] still GO at this time, The Apollo 9 crew standing by in the spacecraft. 1 minute 50 seconds and counting. Once the ignition sequence does begin with the 5 engines it will take some 9 seconds or so to build up the proper thrust. The computers will automatically sample those engines and assure ourselves that we have APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, 9:56 am 11/2 PAO 95 percent of the thrust. We will get a commitment at that time, and the 4 hold-on arms will come back. We are now 90 seconds and counting, 90 seconds and counting. Vice-president Agnew now has come up to the window of the Launch Control Center, along with members of the party to view the launch. 1 minute 20 seconds and counting. All indications are we are still GO at this time. Third stage propellant tanks have been pressurized. Final check of several panels by Lunar Module Pilot Rusty Schweickart, second stage tanks now pressurized. Schweickart confirms that he has the proper readings. 1 minute and counting. T-55 seconds and counting. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, T-O1, CST lO:OOa 12/1 PAO - T-55 seconds and counting. All going well, we are coming up on the power transfer. Mark 50 sec- onds and counting, we're now on internal power with the three stages and instrument unit of the Saturn V. All pro- pellant tanks in the second stage now pressurized. 35 sec- onds and counting, the vehicle now completly pressurized, the vents closed, we are GO, 30 seconds and counting. T-25 seconds and counting, all aspects still GO at this time as the computer monitors. Twenty seconds, guidance release, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, we have ignition sequence start, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, zero. All engines running. Commit, lift- off. We have liftoff at 11 a.m. Eastern standard time. PAO Plus 17 seconds, the roll and pitch pro- gram are in now to put Apollo 9 on the proper flight azimuth and attitude. Half a mile high, roll is complete. PAO Apollo 9 a mile and a half high now. Velocity 1,597 feet per second. One minute, cabin release relieving. One mile downrange, 4-1/2 miles high, velocity 2,500 feet per second in the region of maximum dynamic pres- sure. PAO Flight Director Gene Kranz taking his status check now. Apollo 9 is GO for staging. Plus 2 min- utes 15 seconds and GO. Inboards out. PAO Outboards out. S-II ignition, thrust is GO on the second stage. Down range 70 miles now, 42 miles high, 9,300 feet per second velocity. Standing by for tower jettison now, the launch escape tower. Tower jet confirmed. Guidance has been initiated on the second stage. Gene Kranz taking another status check with the controllers now. CAPCOM Apollo 9, you are GO all the way. Every- thing looks good. SC Roger. SC Houston, did you read comment that our SPS helium pressure went to zero, indicated zero at liftoff. PAO The cabin is stable at 6.1 pounds per square inch. SC Be advised our SPS helium pressure went to zero at liftoff. CAPCOM Roger, copy. SC Okay. You got any -- PAO Jim McDivitt reports the SPS helium pres- sure on board went to zero at liftoff; however, we are re- porting GO here at the Mission Control Center. 225 miles downrange, 75 miles high, 11,700 feet per second. CAPCOM And Apollo 9, it's 5 minutes and every- body is as happy as clam here. Looking good. SC So are we. APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, T-01, CST lO:OOa 12/2 PAO Mark S-IVB to orbit capability. If the second stage shuts down prematurely, we do have the capability to put the spacecraft into orbit with the S-IVB. We are estimating cut-off of the S-II stage at 8 minutes 55 seconds. We are at 630 now, still GO, 430 miles down- range, 90-1/2 miles high, and 15,300 feet per second veloc- ity. SC And the rookie says that looks beauti- ful. CAPCOM And rookie, at 7 minutes, everything is going real great. SC Roger. PAO A little word from rookie Schweickart there. PAO 18,000 feet per second velocity now, 590 miles downrange, 96 miles high. CAPCOM Apollo 9, at 8 minutes everything here is GO. SC Roger, everything looks fine here too. CAPCOM Very good. The comm is beautiful, Jim. You are really coming through to us. SC Roger, your comm is nice and clear and loud, Smoky. We had no trouble with comm on launch at all. PAO Apollo 9 has a GO for staging now. Looking for S-II cut-off about 8 + 55. Retro reports were right on ground track. S-II cut-off, staging is complete, S-IVB ignition. Thrust is good on the S-IVB. 920 miles downrange, 101 miles high, 23,000 feet per second velocity. CAPCOM Apollo 9, you have mode 4 capability and everything is GO. You are real solid. SC Roger. What time did the engine shut down? CAPCOM We will have that for you in a flash, Apollo 9. SC Okay. PAO Guidance does not have a cut-off time yet. We expect it shortly. SC My onboard FIDO here says we are doing okay. CAPCOM Yes, everything is looking good here, Apollo 9. SC Okay. CAPCOM We will try to have your cut-off time shortly. SC Better hurry, I'm going to cut-off first. CAPCOM Roger. APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, T-01, CST 10:O0a 12/3 PAO 1,241 miles downrange, 102 miles high, 25,256 feet per second. Plus 11 minutes, looking good. CAPCOM Roger, shutdown. SC Okay. Houston, we've got 103 by 89.5. CAPCOM Roger, Apollo 9, copy. PAO That was Dave Scott giving the onboard orbital parameters, 103 by 89.5. We will refine those later through tracking. FIDO says GO. CAPCOM 9, you are GO in the orbit. SC Roger. CAPCOM And your CMC is GO, it is valid. SC Okay. CAPCOM And Apollo 9, the S-IVB has been safed. SC Roger, safe. Do you have our apogee and perigee? CAPCOM Not yet, Apollo 9. Stand by. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET 1200, CST lO:12a 13/1 [sic] CAPCOM And Apollo 9 S-IVB has been safed. SC Roger, safed. Do you have our apogee and perigee? CAPCOM Not yet, Apollo 9, standby. [sic] SC Okay. CAPCOM Apollo 9 the S-IVB has been configured for orbit. It's looking real good and your SPS helium is solid as a rock. SC Roger. We copy. Thanks a lot. CAPCOM Roger. PAO That's Astronaut Stu Roosa, the CAPCOM from the Houston Control Center talking to the crew. PAO Apollo 9 out over the Atlantic now in contact with the tracking ship Vanguard. We're going to want it tracked Apollo 9 for a while before we come up with a fine tuned orbital parameter 103 by 89.5 was the onboard readout from the command module computer. PAO This is Apollo Control at 17 minutes. Apollo 9 - now coming into contact at the Canary Island station. We'll stay up live. CAPCOM Nine, Houston. SC Roger. Let's go ahead with it. CAPCOM Roger. We've got Canaries here. You can configure 10 plus alpha. CAPCOM Apollo 9 Houston. Did you copy? CAPCOM Apollo 9 Houston. Do you read? SC Roger, Houston. Five by. How us? CAPCOM Okay, you're coming in five square. We switched over allright I guess and everything, looks good. SC Roger. What kind of weather [sic] did you get us in? CAPCOM We don't have it yet, Apollo 9. We are still running it through the computers. SC Okay. PAO This is Apollo Control at 18 minutes 32 seconds. We've got the lift off heart rates for the crew now from the Flight Surgeon Dr. Hawkins. He says they are within the range the medical officers expected, with Schweickart running a little lower than they expected. Jim McDivitt - 135, Dave Scott 120, Rusty Schweickart 72. Rusty normally runs in the mid to low 60's, Dave Scott in the high 60's to low 70's and McDivitt in the 70's to high 80's. - to all 80's rather. CAPCOM Two point 9 is the first cut. SC Roger, 107 98.9. CAPCOM And we are continuing to massage this Apollo 9 and we will keep you updated. SC Roger. Understand. APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET 1200, CST 10:12a 13/2 PAO The first cut at the orbit from the ground shows 107 by 98.9. This - we haven't had too much tracking yet on this - we'll continue tracking. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET: 22:00 (10:22a) 14/1 CC Apollo 9, we've got 1 minute with you at Canaries and we will see you over Tananarive at 37. SC Roger. Tananarive at 37, thank you. CC Roger that. PAO This is Apollo Control at 23 minutes. We've had tracking through the Canaries now and we've refined the orbital parameters better. We are now showing an orbit of 103 by 102.3 nautical miles, very close to what we were shooting for; we were shooting for 103 circular. We've had LOS at Canaries now; Tananarive will be the next station, in approximately 15 minutes. We have the tape of the entire powered portion of the flight; we'll play that for you now. SC Yes clock's going. SC There's out [sic] Roll program, we read you loud and clear. Just have one problem. CC Apollo 9, you are GO for staging. And you are mode 1 Charlie. SC Affirmative. SC (garble) CC Apollo 9, Houston. Your thrust looks good. Apollo 9, you are GO for tower jet. SC Yes. Tower has jettisoned. It's looking good here, I've got the power off. CC Apollo 9, we are showing guidance initiate everything looks good. Apollo 9, you are GO all the way; everything looks good. SC Roger. Houston, did you read our comment that our SPS helium pressure went to zero? Indicated zero at liftoff? CC Apollo 9, this is Houston. I did not copy. SC Roger. Be advised that our SPS helium pressure went to zero at liftoff. CC Roger; copy. SC If you get any good words on that, why don't you give them to me when you can. CC Roger; it is GO here Apollo 9. SC Very good. CC And Apollo 9 at 5 minutes, everybody's happy as a clam here; looking good. SC So are we. CC Apollo 9_ you have SIVB to orbit capability. SC Thank you. Roger here. CC Your level temp [sic] arm time is 8 plus 21, predicted S2 cutoff, 8 plus 56. SC 8 plus 21, and 8 56; roger, and we got S band omni to Delta. CC Copy. Omni Delta, thank you. SC And a rookie says that looks beautiful. CC And rookie, at 7 minutes everything is going real great. SC Roger. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET 32:00, CST 10:32 am 15/1 CC Apollo 9, at 8 minutes, everything is GO. SC Roger, everything looks fine here, too. CC Very good. The COMM is beautiful, Jim, you're really coming through good. SC Roger, I read you nice and clear and loud, too, Smokey. We had no trouble with comm on launch at all. CC Roger, copy that Apollo 9, and you are GO for staging. SC Roger. SC We're getting a little vibration at about 8 -- staging complete and it's the best S-IVB that's running. CC Roger, we copy staging complete, we're showing a good thrust on the S-IVB, everything is GO. SC We're guiding now. CC Apollo 9, you have mode 4 capability, and everything is GO, you are real solid. SC Roger, What time do you think we can shut down? CC Roger, we'll have that for you in a flash, Apollo 9. SC Okay. SC My onboard computer here says we're doing okay. CC Yes, everything is looking good here, Apollo 9. SC Okay. CC We'll have your cutoff time shortly. SC Better hurry, I'm going to cut off soon. CC Roger. SC Shutdown, enter. CC Roger, shutdown. SC Check. SC Houston, we've got 103 by 89.5. CC Roger, Apollo 9, copy. CC And Apollo 9, you are GO in the orbit. SC Roger. CC And your CMC is GO, it is valid. SC Okay. CC And Apollo 9, the S-IVB has been safed. SC Roger, safe. Do you have our apogee and perigee? CC Not yet, Apollo 9, standby. SC Okay. PAO This is Apollo Control at 36 minutes. We have AOS at Tananarive, now, we'll standby live through this pass. APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69 GET 32:00 CST lO:32am 15/2 CC Apollo 9, Houston, through Tananarive. CC Apollo 9, this is Houston through Tananarive. SC Go ahead, Houston. CC Roger, Apollo 9, our Canary data shows your orbit at 103.9 by 102.3. SC Roger, understand 103.9 by 102.3. CC That is affirmative, and that changes slightly as the S-IVB vents, but that was a pretty good hack at it on Canary. And we'll have you here at Tananarive for about another 5 minutes. SC Roger. It looks good huh? SC Houston, Apollo 9. Do you copy our parking angles? CC We have no data here at Tananarive, Dave, you will have to read them to me. SC Very well. GET was 3900 plus 00116 minus 00032 minus 00108. CC Roger, Apollo 9, this is Houston. I copied the time and the angles. Thank you. SC Works like a charm. CC Roger, looks like the platform was right there. And that was a nice speedy job on that 52. SC Good old auto optics. CC I see, copy. CC And Apollo 9, this is Houston. We are going to lose you here at Tananarive in about 45 seconds, and we'll see you over Carnarvon at 52. SC Roger, 52 at Carnarvon. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET 4200, CST 10:42a 16/1 PAO Tananarive has lost the signal now. The next station to acquire will be Carnarvon at 52 minutes 11 seconds. At Carnarvon is the GO/NO-GO decision point for six revolutions. At 43 minutes 11 seconds, this is Mission Control Houston. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET: 36:00 (10:36a) 17/1 CC Apollo 9, Houston. We've got 1 minute with you at Canaries and we will see you over Tananarive at 37. SC Roger; Tananarive at 37. Thank you. CC Roger that. CC Hello Apollo 9, do you read? END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET 5200, CST 10:52a 18/1 PAO This is Apollo Control at 52 minutes into the mission of Apollo 9. Apollo 9 coming up on Carnarvon right now. We will stand by through Carnarvon and Honey- suckle. SC Hey Houston, how do you read, Apollo 9. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston. Reading you loud and clear through Carnarvon. SC Okay. I'm presently in a backup comm check. Thus far, they are on LMP 1 dash 2 and I'm on line 5. I got the initial contact and I got my S-band volume up. CAPCOM Roger, understand you are in step 5 and stand by one here. SC Roger. And I'm standing by for a GO for the backup voice check. CAPCOM Roger, we will give you a GO on that in about 30 seconds hers. SC Okey-dokey. CAPCOM Okay, Apollo 9, this is Houston. We are standingby for your voice check on S-band. Let her rip. CAPCOM Okay, Apollo 9, this is Houston, I did not copy anything.. I got one blast in there sounded like you keyed and that was all. CAPCOM Apollo 9, this is Houston on VHF. Do you read? CAPCOM Apollo9, Apollo 9, this is Houston via the VHF.Do you read me? SC Roger, Houston,We read you on VHF. I gave youa call on data wave backup and evidently you are not reading on it; however, I'm reading you upon the S- band. CAPCOM Okay, and we can confirm with the site that we did not get an S-band downlink on that one, Rusty, SC Roger. We will be standing by for sug- gestions. Let me just give you my configuration here, if you want to copy that. CAPCOM Go. SC Okay. I'm on the primary transponder and I'm reading you okay, everything else is in normal there. Going across, I've got the ranging switch off, I've got the S-band off tape in downvoice backup, the power PMP back up to normal, and everything else is vanilla. CAPCOM Roger, I copy that, Apollo 9, Let us mull that over. We are going to have you here about another minute at Carnarvon and then weare going to pick up over APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET 5200, CST 10:52a 18/2 CAPCOM Honeysuckle at about 50, it will be just about on the hour, so have your S-band volumes up at that time. SC Roger. And be advised, we are rushing on through all our checklist here and we've got most every- thing done. The fuel cell purge check is checked out okay. CAPCOM Roger. Sounds great and Apollo 9, you are GO for 6 dash 4. SC Roger, GO for 6 dash 4. SC And Houston, be advised that I'm going to go out of this backup comm check configuration here and go back to normal. CAPCOM Roger. Let's meet you over Honeysuckle in normal configuration just about on the hour. SC Roger. PAO Carnarvon has had loss of signal now. We've got about a minute and a half gap between Carnarvon and Honeysuckle. We will come back up at acquisition at Honeysuckle. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET: 59:50 (11:00a) 19/1 PAO This is Apollo Control. Honeysuckle has acquired the Apollo 9; we will stand by for conversation through that station. CC Apollo 9,thorugh Houston through Honey- suckle. PAO This is Apollo Control. We are showing cabin temperature 70 degrees F, cabin pressure 5.5 pounds per square inch. SC You're 5 square on S band Apollo, or Houston. CC Roger, you're ... that's really great Rusty. You're coming in, and if you went to try this back- up com check again, we can support it; it's dealer's choice. And if there's ... we were leaving Canarvon, the down length [sic] appeared to be coming through on the backup. SC Okay. Why don't we forego it right now, and we'll try to check that at some quiet period. CC Roger. We concur. And Apollo 9, this is Houston, we are going to loose you here at Honeysuckle in about 40 seconds, and we will see you over Huntsville in about 3 minutes. SC Roger. PAO This is Apollo Control, 1 hour, 5 minutes and we have had LOS at Honeysuckle. To summarize briefly, Apollo 9 was inserted into an orbit very near what we were shooting at; we were shooting at 103 circular. Tracking through the Canaries showed the insertion orbit to be 103.9 102.3; that's changing a little bit due to venting from the SIVB, but that was expected; we are well within where we want to be to continue this mission. Apollo 9 has been given a GO for 6 revolutions. We are now showing cabin pressure 5.4 pounds per square inch, temperature 67 degrees F, and at 1 hour, 6 minutes, this is Mission Control Houston. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET 20200, CST 12:02p 20/1 PAO This is Apollo Control at 2 hours 2 minutes into the mission. Apollo 9 is in its second revolution over the continent of Africa - its status is GO. We have not yet identified whether there is a problem in the command module computer. The computer was about 4 tenths of a second late on lift-off. Over Bermuda in this first stateside pass we did successfully update a state vector - that is the ground told the command module computer the spacecraft's position and velocity in reference to the earth at that particular time. So we do have a good state vector aboard the spacecraft. The Guidance Officer is continuing to watch the computer - and will for some time yet before he is able to say whether there is a problem or there is not. To date we have not identified a problem. Just at the end of the Canaries pass a few minutes ago Dave Scott extended the docking probe for the first time. His comments were: "We've got a good one. It's just like in the cham- ber." He reported the crew could hear the docking probe extend. We're still reading good - H2 tank - the pressure is on the ground in that tank that was reading zero onboard. Ground telemetry shows the pressures are good there. We had a caution warning light on in the number one H2 tank. Briefly, however, just within a second the heater came on and the light went out. It has been determined that the limits are probably set a little too high on that caution and warning light in that parameter and that there is no problem. We had the tape of all the air-ground starting at the tracking ship Huntsville through the states and ending at Canary. We'll play that for you now. CAPCOM Apollo 9 to Houston through Honeysuckle. CAPCOM Apollo 9 this is Houston through Honey- suckle. SC You are fine and square on S-band, Hous- ton. CAPCOM Roger. That's really great, Rusty, You are coming in and if you want to try thisbackup communications check again we can support it. It's dealers choice. And just as we were leaving Carnarvon the downlink appeared to be coming through on the backup. SC Okay. Why don't we forego it right now. We'll try to check that at some quiet period. CAPCOM Roger. We concur. CAPCOM And Apollo 9, this is Houston. We're going to lose you here at Honeysuckle in about 40 seconds. And we'll see you over Huntsville in about 3 minutes. SC Roger. CAPCOM And Apollo 9, this is Houston through Huntsville. APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 13/3/69, GET 20200, CST 12:02p 20/2 SC Cannot maintain valid two-way range, so we lost signal bearing in the negative. CAPCOM Hello, Apollo 9, this is Houston. We read through the Huntsville. SC Huntsville at valid and (garbled). CAPCOM And Apollo 9, this is Houston through the Huntsville. SC Roger. SC Houston, Apollo 9, you're coming through. CAPCOM Okay, Apollo 9, this is Houston. You're breaking up pretty badly. We don't have much to pass you here - we're only going to have you for about another min- ute and a half and we'll talk to you as you come across the states and pass the data to you then. SC Roger. CAPCOM And Apollo 9, this is Houston if you can read me. We'll see you over the Redstone at about two- four. SC Roger. CAPCOM Huntsville LOS. CAPCOM Apollo 9, this is Houston through the Redstone standingby. CAPCOM Apollo 9, this is Houston through the Redstone. SC Roger, Houston. CAPCOM Oh, you're clear as a bell, Apollo 9 - this is Houston. SC Roger. CAPCOM And Apollo 9, we'd like to confirm that you are in omni Baker and primary S-band transpondent [sic]. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston. SC Go ahead. CAPCOM Roger. It may be a coincidence, but we lost data just about the time I gave you that transmission to clarify that omni Baker. Did you change configuration then? SC That's affirmative. We were on Delta and I just switched it to omni for you. CAPCOM I understand you did go from Delta to Baker and the primary transpondent [sic] was ON. You didn't need to change that, did you? SC That's a negative. The primary was OFF. SC How are you doing down there, Smokey? CAPCOM Oh, we're pressing along, Jim. And (garbled) we'll probably have a state vector we want to up- link over Bermuda or Vanguard -oh, in five or ten minutes and for Rusty's benefit the backup COM check over Carnarvon was 5 square. It came in - we had a momentary dropout there, APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET 20200, CST 12:02p 20/3 but we got it real good. SC Oh, goody. We'll write that one off then. Okay, we have got all of the checklist done except the glycol loop and some things that I am going to do right now. And we haven't taken the bias check either. I guess you guys went to do that. CAPCOM Roger. We have no data right now, Nine. CAPCOM And Apollo 9, this is Houston. For your info we do have our data coming in now solid. And Jim, for the bias check. We really will geta good one on you after TD&E. It's not going to do us much good on the booster here. SC Okay. SC Houston - Apollo 9. CAPCOM GO, Apollo 9. SC Roger. We just got a master alarm cyro pressure on the number one H2 tank - just off the lower limit here. You might want to take a look at that. CAPCOM Roger, Apollo 9, we copy. See what we can do for you. SC Okay. And the heater just came ON and it's going back up again. And it looks like it's just ticklling [sic] the (garbled) around there before it decides to heat up. CAPCOM Roger, Apollo 9. Copy. CAPCOM And Apollo 9 - Houston. That's probably Sym Soup [sic] just playing with the tolerances a little bit. SC Yeah. Could be. CAPCOM Apollo 9, this is Houston through Ber- muda. SC Roger. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 COMMENTARY, 3/3/69 GET: 2:12:00 (12:12p) 21/1 CC Apollo 9, this is Houston through Bermuda. SC Roger, Houston through Bermuda. Go ahead. CC Roger. We'd like to appoint [sic] you a state vector there Apollo 9. There is a discrepancy between your vector and ours; we don't have a real good story for you at this time; there was sorta a slow diversion trend that we would like to slip it in - there were some funnies about the liftoff time and everything that we are working on. But at this time we would like to give you a new vector. SC Okay, understand you want to give us a new vector, and let me see ... stand by. SC (garble) through [sic] and accept; you got it. CC Roger, we'll go to work on it; thank you. SC This is Apollo 9. CC Go Apollo 9. SC Roger. I checked the O2 purge before I noticed I didn't check the H2 so I got the purge 2 heater on for awhile, and I'm gonna check the H2 purge ... on that. CC Roger; you're going to be checking H2 purge and Apollo 9, I have a nav check to go along with the state vector when you are ready to copy. SC Oh Roger. Stand by on the purge and stand by on the nav check. CC Roger. At your convenience. And Apollo 9, this is Houston, the computer is yours, the vector has been transferred, and it looks good. SC (garble) and ready to copy on the nav. CC Roger. Reading the nav check. Time ... 002, 29 all zeros, minus 3081 plus 11622. 1067. End of update. SC Roger, read back. 002 29 all zips. Minus 3081 plus 11622. 1067. CC Roger. Houston confirms the update. SC Okay. CC And Apollo 9, Houston, we copy your DSKY on the ground. Apollo 9, Houston. SC Go ahead Houston. CC Just for your info here, we'll be sending a command into the IU just to verify our response and this will have no affect on you and we are just trying to trouble- shoot our LVDC data, and we don't want you to move the IU accept switch; leave it in block. SC This is Apollo 9. CC Go Apollo 9. SC Roger Houston, Apollo 9. Do you ... we are are now ready to terminate cabin pressure [sic], is that okay with you? CC Stand by 1 Apollo 9. Apollo 9, this is Houston, we concur. Go ahead and terminate. CC Thank you. APOLLO 9 COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET: 2:12:00 (12:12p) 21/2 SC Didn't work. CC Roger; copy. SC Houston, this is Apollo 9. CC Go Apollo 9. SC (garble) docking affirm [sic]. Are you ready? CC Oh boy,weare all ears down here; please let us see how that goes. SC (garble) CC Roger. SC We got a good one. CC Roger; copy. That makes us all happy. SC Roger. Works just like a champion; we are here to throw out (garble) couple three tenths of a second. CC Roger; copy. And Apollo 9, this is Houston, we'll fall off at Canaries here in about another minute and we'll see you over Tananarive around 09. SC (garble) AOS CC Apollo 9, this is Houston through Tananarives. Apollo 9 through Tananarive. CC And Apollo 9, this is Houston; we'll have you over Tanarive for about the next 5 minutes; we are standing by; I have not heard any transmissions from you here. SC (garble) CC Apollo 9, Houston; I heard just the first part of that; I'll just stand by here. Apollo 9 this is Houston; we'll lose you in Tanarive [sic] here in about 1 minute; if you tried to call me, I haven't received anything but we'll see you over Carnarvon at 26. And Apollo 9, that will be Carnarvon at 26. PAO This is Apollo Control, at 2 hours, 17 minutes into the mission of Apollo 9. Apollo 9 out of range at Tananarive now, out over the Indian Ocean. Next station to acquire will be Carnarvon in about 8 minutes. This is Mission Control, Houston. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET 022500, CST 1225a 22/1 PAO This is Apollo Control at 2 hours 25 min- utes into the mission. Apollo 9 coming up the tracking sta- tion Carnarvon. During the Carnarvon pass, the S-IVB instru- ment unit will be enabled for command and about halfway be- tween Carnarvon and the tracking ship Huntsville, the S-IVB will maneuver to transposition and docking attitude. We should have ARIA aircraft in that area which may be able to pick it up. Here is Apollo 9 at Carnarvon now. CAPCOM - want to take a look at you and we will give you a GO on that shortly. We would like to have you go ahead and arm the logic at this time. SC Roger. CAPCOM And would you confirm, up telemetry, are you enabled? SC Negative. Up telemetry IU is in block. Do you want to go to up telemetry IU in accept? CAPCOM That is affirmative. We would like to have up telemetry IU to accept. SC In accept. CAPCOM Understand, CAPCOM And Apollo 9, this is Houston. We would like to have you have the up telemetry IU switched to block. SC Up telemetry IU to block. CAPCOM Very good, thank you. SC And Houston, the logic on my mark 321 mark, 2 logic. CAPCOM Roger, we copy. Stand by one. CAPCOM Apollo 9, this is Houston. You are GO for pyro arm. SC Roger, understand GO for pyro arm, thank you. CAPCOM That is affirmative. CAPCOM Apollo 9, this is Houston. You are GO for TD and E. SC Roger, understand. GO for TD and E. SC Houston, what time do we come into day- light? CAPCOM Do you mean on this pass or for the ejec- tion pass? SC This pass. CAPCOM Okay, standby. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston. SC Go ahead. CAPCOM Roger. You will come into daylight on this one at about 2 + 39 + 21. SC Roger, thank you. APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 2/3/69, GET 022500, CST 1225p 22/2 CAPCOM Here I was all primed for your ejection sunrise time. You faked me out on this one. SC Next time I'll ask. CAPCOM Roger. SC Houston, Apollo 9. CAPCOM Go, Apollo 9. SC We have a rather consistent behavior on this number 1 H2 tank. It appears to light the cryo warn- ing light every time it gets down there before the heater comes on. You might think about how we're going to handle that for the sleep period because it keeps setting off the master alarm. CAPCOM Roger, Apollo 9, copy and that is in work. SC Okay, thank you. CAPCOM And Apollo 9, this is Houston. We will go right on through ARIA as soon as we come up off of Car- narvon on this one in about 20 seconds. CAPCOM Apollo 9, this is Houston through an honest-to-goodness ARIA. How do you read me? SC (garble) I get it? CAPCOM Roger on the wawas, Apollo 9. SC We are going to come into (garble) in about 6 or 8 seconds. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET 2:35:00 CST 12:35p 23/1 SC (garbled) we're just about there. PAO This is Apollo Control. We aren't having too much success in voice communications through this ARIA aircraft. We'll be at the Huntsville in about 2 minutes. Standby. SC Hello. CC Apollo 9, this is Houston, did you call HTV Huntsville AOS. HTV Huntsville valid two-way lock. PAO This is Apollo Control. Command and Service Module separation from the third stage is scheduled near the end of this Huntsville pass. Separation and turn around. We will have an ARIA aircraft between the Huntsville and Hawaii for that maneuver, too. PAO This is Apollo Control. The crew is very busy at this time preparing for its separation. CC This is Houston. SC Roger, it's out there and we're turned around and proceeding with the station keeping and docking. CC Tremendous, Apollo 9, thank you. PAO Command and Service module has separated from the third stage, is turned around and is now station keeping. SC (garbled) CC Roger copy that. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET 24500, CST 12:45p 24/1 PAO This is Apollo Control. Apollo 9 sched- uled to continue station keeping for about another 15 minutes, docking is scheduled over the Goldstone, California, station at about 3 hours even. CAPCOM Apollo 9, this is Houston. We're going to lose you here in about 45 seconds. We'll see you over Hawaii in about 5 minutes at 51. SC Roger. CAPCOM And we may have ARIA in here, but if it is like the last one, we won't hear much out of you. SC Just a minute. As a matter of fact, we would be better without it. CAPCOM Okay. We will see you at 51. PAO This is Apollo Control at 2 hours 47 min- utes. Huntsville has loss of signal now. During this pass, the command and service modules did separate from the S-IVB, the third stage of the launch vehicle. The spacecraft has turned around and the crew is now inspecting the lunar mod- ule, which is still inside the spacecraft LM adapter attached to the S-IVB. They will continue this station keeping for another 10 or 12 minutes. Docking is scheduled just about 3 hours over the Goldstone station. We will come back up at Hawaii, scheduled at 2 hours 50 minutes. This is Mission Control Houston. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET 2:50:00, CST 12:51p 25/1 PAO This is Apollo Control at 2 hours 50 minutes. Hawaii has acquisition now. We'll stand by. CC Apollo 9, this is Houston. We should have you through Hawaii, standing by. SC Roger. PAO This is Apollo Control. The booster engineer reports the attitude rates on the S-IVB look very good. PAO This is Apollo Control at 2 hours 57 minutes. The Redstone has acquired the Apollo 9 now. There has been no air-to-ground conversation as the crew is busy station keeping and visually inspecting the Lunar Module and the SLA. We'll continue to standby for any conversation. CC Apollo 9, Houston. We've got you through the Redstone, standing by. SC Roger, Houston. We are about 25 feet now and closing (garbled) CC Copy. PAO Apollo 9 is free to dock whenever the crew feels like they want to. They will not have to await a GO from the ground. The flight schedule shows it about 3 hours over California, but the crew is free to dock when they desire to. SC Alright, Houston, we're hard docked. CC Roger, Apollo 9, understand hard dock. SC Good show. PAO Reported hard dock at 3:02:08. SC Hello Houston, Apollo 9. We had a master alarm on the - when we did the docking when we made the contact there. And we had some problems with our RCS thrusters we'll tell you about later. CC Apollo 9, this is Houston. Understand you got a master alarm just as you docked and I didn't copy about the RCS. SC We'll talk to you later, Just a minute. CC Roger. SC Houston, Apollo 9. CC Go Apollo 9. SC We'll give you a quick rundown here. How much time do we have with you? CC We've got you for a long time here. We're coming across the states here, you're just over California now. SC Okay, I've got it. We came out just right, the angles were all just right, and we got turned off, turned around, and lined up, and didn't have any left translation for some reason. CC Roger, copy, no left translation. SC Would you check Service Module RCS for us? APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET 2:50;00, CST 12:51p 25/2 CC Stand by a second, Apollo 9. CC Apollo 9, this is Houston. It looks okay to us. Do you have a quesiton? SC Roger. It just had a light on it and it's difficult to tell with the helmets on whether we have any adjustment on it or not. Didn't see any motion, just wanted you to check. CC Roger, Apollo 9, copy. SC The pressures all look good up here. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET 30600, CST 106p 26/1 SC Houston, our package temp on the quad A is running about 200. What do you have down there? CAPCOM Stand by one and let's check it. SC Houston, 9. Do you want to go on with the recap? CAPCOM That affirmative, Apollo 9. Let's press ahead and your comm sort of cycles in and out. You are a little weak at times. We do confirm the temperature here however, and we will have some more words on that in a min- ute. And we are standing by for the rest of your recap. SC Okay. When we got off we were in pretty good shape and then we noticed -- after we got that sorted out and probably used up quite a bit of gas putting us squared away, but the docking was smooth, the capture latches worked just right, there were no operations after we cap- tured, we lined it up and did the retract and it took about 10 seconds and it sounded like we got a good solid line. CAPCOM Roger, Apollo 9. Copied all that real good. CAPCOM And Apollo 9, this is Houston. We will have another state vector for you over Bermuda. SC Roger. CAPCOM You will be coming just about overhead Apollo 9. You ought to be over Texas. SC Roger. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston. SC Go ahead, Houston. CAPCOM Roger. Could you give us P00 in ac- cept, please? We have a state vector for you and I have a nav check when you are ready to copy. And we would also like to have your opinion on do you think you will have any problems continuing on the timeline through ejection with this situation. SC Okay, you have got P00 in accept. CAPCOM Rog. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET 3:16:00, CST l:16p 27/1 CC Apollo 9, this is Houston. The computer is yours, and that quad A temp has dropped about 8 degrees now coming across the states, and we're keeping an eye on it. SC Okay, Houston. Standby, we're briefing. CC Apollo 9, Houston. We've got you for about another minute. We'll see you over Ascension, around 28. We would like to have you to go BLOCK on your command module telemetry, and you don't have to slip a nav check, we've checked your vector and it's good. CC Apollo 9, Houston, you're way down in the mud. Try again. PAO This is Apollo Control at 3 hours 21 minutes into the mission. Apollo 9 beyond the range of the Vanguard now. During - right at the start of this long pass over the United States, the command and service module docked to the lunar module. The crew reported they were hard docked at 3 hours 2 minutes 8 seconds. Dave Scott, in recapping the events, said that the command and service modules came off of the S-IVB stage with no problems. During the turn around they discovered they had no left translation from the service module reaction control system. In trouble shooting that they found some isolation valves closed to one of the RCS quads. They corrected that, came on in and docked, reported the docking was smooth, without oscillation, the capture latches worked as advertised, so we now have the command and service modules docked to the lunar module, which is still within the SLA attached to the third stage of the launch vehicle. The crew is extremely busy now, preparing for the ejection of the entire spacecraft from the third stage. They are checking tunnell[sic] intregrity[sic] between the two spacecraft, checking the docking latches connecting some umbilicals, some power umbilicals that provide power into the LM from the command module. Ejection of the combined service and lunar module is scheduled at sunrise just past LOS at Carnarvon. We may be in communication right at the tail end of that pass, but we may not be in communication at ejection. The crew was somewhat concerned about the temperature of one of the service module RCS quads, reported that at 200 degrees. We confirmed that on the ground, but during this pass over the states, the temperature has started down and the controllers here in the Mission Control Center do not believe we'll have a problem with that quad. Next station to acquire will be Ascension at 3 hours 28 minutes. At 3 hours 24 minutes this is Mission Control, Houston. end of tape APOLLO 9 COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET: 3:28:00 (1:28p) 28/1 PAO This is Apollo Control at 3 hours and 28 minutes into the mission. We are showing orbital para- meters now at 2 revs of SIVB venting and the maneuvers of 107 by 110 nautical miles. SC Roger, we are making the umbilical right now , CC Roger, understand you are connecting the umbilicals. Apollo 9, this is Houston, we are going to have you for about another minute here at Ascension and then we'll see you over Tananarive at about 44 and we would like to know the time of when you transfer to the CSM power and I have a sunlight time any time you want it. SC Roger, we transferred to CSM power at 3 hours, 33 minutes and zero seconds. CC Very good; thank you. SC Houston, we are also reading on the systems test meter through the LM tower to about a half a volt to sometimes up to 3 volts. It's in slow oscillation maybe every 10 seconds or so. CC Roger, copy it's varying from a half to 3 volts slowly; thank you. SC Roger. Tops open and tops back down. Sometimes for two. There is some small oscillation at a period of about every second. At about 2 or 3 tenths of a volt. CC Roger. Copy small oscillations 2 tenths to 3 tenths; thank you. And we'll see you over Tananarive 4.4 [sic]. SC Roger, And what was the sunrise time Houston? CC Sunrise time is 4 plus 08. SC Roger. 4 plus 08. PAO This is Apollo Control at 3 hours, 34 minutes. Ascension has LOS. During this pass the crew re- ported they had brought up CSM power and attached it to the LM at 3 hours, 33 minutes. We are showing an orbit for the combined spacecraft, the SIVB combination, of 107 by 110 nautical miles now. Passed up, a sunrise time of 4 hours, 8 minutes. Ejection of the spacecraft from the SIVB scheduled at sunrise. This sunrise time is a couple of minutes past Carnarvon LOS, however there will be an ARIA aircraft in the area, so we may be able to pick up the voice communications during the ejection maneuver. Tananarive will acquire at 3 hours, 44 minutes. This is Mission Control Houston. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET 22400, CST 12:24p 29/1 CAPCOM Apollo 9, this is Houston through Car- narvon. SC Roger, Houston. Go ahead. CAPCOM Roger. We read you loud and clear. We would like to have the up telemetry IU switched to accept. SC Go for the pyro arm anytime you want to run through it. CAPCOM Roger. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET 3:43:00, CST 1:43p 30/1 PAO This is Apollo Control at 3 hours 43 minutes into the mission. Tananarive is acquiring now. CC Apollo 9, Houston, through Tananarive. CC Apollo 9, Houston, through Tananarive, standing by. SC (garbled) CC Okay, Apollo 9, I heard you answer me, but it's unreadable at this time. SC Roger, the tunnell[sic] is closed out, the hatch clears, we are preparing for ejection. CC Roger, copy the hatch is closed out and your are pressurizing. CC Apollo 9, this is Houston. We're losing you here at Tananarive. We'll see you over Carnarvon at about 59. PAO Apollo Control at 3 hours 48 minutes. Tananarive has LOS. During this pass the crew reported the tunnell[sic] was closed out, the hatch has been installed, and the LM was being pressurized. The guidance officer continues to monitor the command module computer, and reports it is GO, he does not see a problem in it. However, he says he will continue to monitor. It is GO at this time. Next station to acquire will be Carnarvon, at 3 hours 58 minutes. At 3 hours 49 minutes, this is Mission Control, Houston. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET 35800, CST 158p 31/1 PAO This is Apollo Control at 3 hours 58 min- utes. Carnarvon is acquiring Apollo 9 now. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston through Carnarvon. SC Go, Houston, Apollo 9. CAPCOM Roger. We have got you now in good voice contact. We will be giving you your GO here shortly and take a look at you. SC Okay, very good. CAPCOM And Apollo 9, we would like to have you arm logic busses. SC Roger, Houston, you ready? CAPCOM That's firm [sic] SC ... logic coming on now. 2 logic on. CAPCOM Copying, stand by one. And Apollo 9, you are GO for pyro arm. SC Roger, understood and understand the injection at 4 hour 11 minutes, is that correct? CAPCOM That's a - negative. We - I gave you the sunrise time as 4 + 08. SC Roger. You want us to go on sunrise or at 411? CAPCOM Apollo 9, this is Houston. We would like to have you go at sunrise. SC Roger, understand. CAPCOM And Apollo 9, Houston. That will put your evasive maneuver at 4 + 11. SC Roger. SC Houston, 9. CAPCOM Go, Apollo 9. SC Listen, if you concur, we would sort of like to wait until we have good sunlight before we come off of that. CAPCOM Roger, we concur with that. Use your judgment. SC Okay, thank you. CAPCOM And Apollo 9, we're still showing your command module telemetry switch in accept. We would like to have you go block on that. SC Roger. CAPCOM Roger, thank you. CAPCOM Apollo 9, this is Houston. You are GO for ejection. SC Roger, GO for ejection. PAO This is Apollo Control. The ejection will be accomplished by the use of springs to which the LM is attached, They will be activated pyrotechnically. They will give the spacecraft slightly over 1 foot per APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET 35800, CST 158p 31/2 second velocity and then a few minutes later, the spacecraft will make a slight evasive maneuver with RCS thrusters, slightly under 1 foot per second. Total of the ejection and evasive maneuver about 2 feet per second. This is to place the CSM and LM on a trajectory that will go below and behind the S-IVB for the first S-IVB ignition. We will continue to stand by for air to ground. CAPCOM Apollo 9, this is Houston. You are coming off of Carnarvon here but we will be monitoring your ejection through an ARIA. SC Roger. Those ARIA's make an awful lot of noise, Houston. We have trouble hearing each other. CAPCOM Rog, copy. SC AIRA is making all kinds of noise and - CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston. Say again. SC Houston, Apollo 9. We are making very much noise in VHF and it would be better if we do not show (garble). CAPCOM Roger, understand that you want the ARIA down. Is that affirmative? SC I think that would be better if the ARIA is out of it. CAPCOM Okay, copy. PAO This is Apollo Control at 4 hours 8 min- utes. Communications from the ARIA aircraft are just too noisy for the crew. They have asked that we not keep the ARIA's up here. The aircraft will continue to stand by and if the need arises, we will ask them to go remote again, but we do not anticipate ARIA communication. The next sta- tion where we will be able to have voice contact will be the tracking ship Huntsville at 4 hours 14 minutes. This is Mission Control Houston at 4 hours 9 minutes. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET 42500, CST 2:25pm 32/1 PAO This is Apollo Control at 4 hours 14 min- utes. The Huntsville has acquisition now. SC Houston, Apollo 9. CAPCOM Go, Apollo 9. This is Houston. SC Okay, Houston. You're coming in very weak, but since (garbled) we had a very successful ejection and we are suddenly separating very slowly from the S-IVB. We've got them in site[sic] out of all of the windows. CAPCOM Sounds beautiful. Could you give me your ejection time? SC Okay, Houston. If you can read - the ejection time was 4 hours, 10 minutes and 5 seconds. CAPCOM Say the minutes again please, Apollo 9. Just the minutes. CAPCOM And Apollo 9, this is Houston. If you read - we did copy your transmission of the successful ejec- tion. You are moving away. We did copy the time, but we would like for you to verify the minutes - if you can try it again. SC Houston, this is Apollo 9. Say again, please. CAPCOM Roger. Would you give your ejection time again, please? SC Roger. It was 08 05. CAPCOM Roger. We copy. Thank you and we'll see you over Hawaii at about two-four. SC Roger. CAPCOM And Apollo 9, this is Houston. If you can read me - the S-IVB manuever time is 25 plus 04. SC Roger. Two 5, zero four. CAPCOM Oh, very good. We're talking to each other again. PAO Huntsville has LOS now. Crew reported the successful ejection of the combined spacecraft from the S-IVB. At four hours, 8 minutes, 5 seconds (that's five seconds after sunrise) they had performed the evasive ma- nuever. They report Apollo 9 is separating slowly from the S-IVB and the S-IVB is in sightout[sic] of all windows of the spacecraft. Apollo 9 will go below and behind the S-IVB now on this trajectory. The minimum distance at S-IVB re- light is 500 feet and pulling away. However, we expect with this manuever to be between 3,000 and 4,000 feet at the time the S-IVB is reignited. The S-IVB is scheduled to manuever 211, burn attitude at 4 hours, 25 minutes. The ground will release the reignition inhibit at 4 hours, 36 minutes and we are presently planning the second reignition of the S-IVB at 4 hours, 46 minutes into this mission. That would put it over the Merrit Island tracking station in Florida. APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET 42500 CST 2:25pm 32/2 Hawaii will acquire Apollo 9 at 4 hours, 23 minutes. This is Mission Control Houston. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET; 4:25:00 (2:25p) 33/1 PAO This is Apollo Control, at 4 hours, 24 minutes; we are standing by for Hawaii. CC Apollo 9, Houston, through Hawaii. PAO The engineer reports the SIVB is maneuvering. CC Apollo 9, Houston through Hawaii. SC Roger, Houston. We've been sitting here watching the SIVB maneuver, and he's just about 90 degrees to our line of sight now. CC Roger. The comm is beautiful now Apollo 9; we have (garble) SOR with delay. And I would like to pass you the ignition time for the SIVB. SC Roger; go ahead. CC Alright, stand by 1 here, we might get a better one. Apollo 9, Houston SC Go ahead Houston. CC Roger; we are showing the SIVB restart at 4 plus 45 plus 56. SC 4 45 56. CC That's affirmative. PAO Booster engineer reports SIVB is at local horizontal now. CC Apollo 9, this is Houston. The SIVB has completed its maneuver and we would like to have a GO from you to release the maneuvering (garble). CC Say that again, Houston, Apollo 9. SC Roger; the SIVB has completed its maneuver and we are standing by for its ignition with (garble} GO from you to (garble) restart inhibit. SC Roger Houston, Apollo 9 here, we've just announced that we are (garble) to the rear (garble) and want a GO for restart inhibit. CC Roger, Apollo 9, Houston, cut. SC This is Apollo 9. CC Apollo 9, this is Houston. Stand by about a minute and we'll pick you up later. PAO We've had LOS Hawaii but we'll pick up at the Redstone momentarily. We'll continue to stand by. SC Houston, this is Apollo 9. CC And Apollo 9, this is Houston, we've got you now through the Redstone and you were faded out on your last transmission there. SC Roger, you have a GO to release and to restart and inhibit. CC Roger Apollo 9, We copy that; thank you. SC Houston, Apollo 9, do you read me? CC You are a little weaker than Rusty, Jim. Go ahead. SC Okay, I just was wondering; you weren't answering some of my transmissions. We are quartering behind (garble) at the present time and you do have that GO. CC Okay, thank you Jim. We got it. You APOLLO 9 COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET: 4:25:00 (2:25p) 33/2 transmission was a ARIA at LOS coming off the Y there; we had about a 40 second break here. SC Alright. CC I've got you real good now. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, CST 14:35:00 34/1 PAO The restart has been enabled, the booster systems engineer reports. CC Apollo 9, this is Houston. If you got the time could you give me a guess at the range from the S-IVB? SC It's a pretty tough question. CC Okay, I thought it might be, I was just curious for a guess on it. SC It's at a couple thousand feet or so, I'd guess. CC Okay, thank you. SC Looks like it's going to be right down the tail pipe. CC That ought to be a good view. PAO This is Apollo Control. The program duration of this S-IVB burn is 1 minute 2 seconds. We anticipate an apogee of 1722 miles. SC (garbled) CC Did you say that it was smoggy, Apollo 9? SC Doesn't look like it, looks pretty clear. CC Oh, very good. SC (garbled) CC I missed what Jim said there. SC Houston, we're down like, it looks like about 1000 feet or so. CC Understand you are now at 1000 feet, is that affirmative? Does it look like you are closing? SC Well, just climbing up above. He's just crossing the horizon with respect to us, so he's going to get up above us again and then come back around us. SC Houston, we're going to be just about down his tail pipe. It looks like about 1000 feet or so. CC Roger, copy, right down to tail pipe and about 1000 feet. SC Does that look like a good place? CC Stand by one. It's better than being right off the nose, but let's see what somebody says. CC Okay, Apollo 9, this is Houston. It's our understanding that the places not to be are directly above or below inside of 500 feet, so with that criteria sounds like you are doing okay, SC Alright. SC Houston, against the black sky you can really see the aps firing away. CC Roger, copy. CC And Apollo 9, when your lead cuts in its afterburner you're expected to keep up. SC No thanks. CC Okay. SC Give us about an hour. APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, CST 14:35:00 34/2 PAO Six minutes away from the burn now. We are looking for an apogee of 17 hundred 22 miles, a parigee[sic] of one hundred and nine miles at the conclusion of this S4B burn. PAO Velocity should increase from about 25 thousand 500 feet per second to 27 thousand 800. PAO Telemetry shows the present S4B[sic] orbit at 111 by 106 nautical miles. (Pause.) Booster reports the S4B[sic] looking good at 3 minutes. (Pause.) SC Houston, Apollo 9, it looks like we have slid down enough below them now so they can be thrusting right at us with the engine. CC Roge. Understand youall[sic] are a little below and I will wait until after this burn of course but I do have your SPS 1 pad when you get squared away after this burn. Okay. SC Houston, what time should we begin to see the ullaging of the venting. CC Stand by apollo 9. (Pause.) Apollo 9 this is Houston. You should see it starting in about 15 seconds from right now. SC Okay, thank you. CC Roger. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET 44500, CST 2:45p 35/1 CAPCOM Apollo 9, this is Houston. You should see it start in about 15 seconds from right now. SC Okay, thank you. CAPCOM Rog. CAPCOM All the way down[sic], Apollo 9. SC Roger, understand, overdrawn[sic] and we don't see any change yet. CAPCOM Rog. CAPCOM Mark 1 minute to ignition. PAO Ignition reported. CAPCOM Ignition on the S-IVB. SC It's on the way. SC It's just like a great star disappear- ing into the distance. CAPCOM What is there, quite a bit of debris kicked out there, Apollo? SC Looked like a real clean burn. You could see alot of stuff coming out when he just started up but then it just went into a nice bright light. CAPCOM Thank you, SC We got some movies but I'm not sure they're going to be too good. He's pretty far out there. PAO Apogee is 1200 miles now. Shut down. Normal shutdown. CAPCOM And the S-IVB has shut down, Apollo 9. SC Roger, he's just a speck in the dis- tance right now. CAPCOM Okay, now that we've got him out of the way, back with the business at hand. I'm ready to read SPS 1 pad any time. SC Okay, stand by just a minute. CAPCOM Apollo 9, this is Houston. Could we have computer in ACCEPT; we'd like to start you up target load. SC Rog, you got it. CAPCOM Understand we got it. SC Rog. SC Okay, Houston. Ready to copy the P-30. CAPCOM Rog. Starting with the P-30 and there will be about a minute delay on the target load. We're going to switch stations starting now on the maneuver pad. SPS 1, 005 59 all zips plus 00368, all zips, all zips, 00368, 00324, 0051 58840 plus 100 minus 020 1713. SC Houston, Apollo 9. CAPCOM Go Apollo 9. APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET 445, CST 2:45p 35/2 SC Roger, you cut out very badly in that. I got TIG and I got DELTA VX and DELTA VR and DELTA VC and that's all I got. CAPCOM Okay, we'll try you again. Now are you reading me okay? SC Roger, reading you okay now. Stand by just one minute. Okay, go ahead again. CAPCOM Say again Apollo 9. SC Roger, go ahead with your pad. CAPCOM Okay, I won't read the TIG again. That's 55900, and reading the DELTA VX, plus 00368 and are you with us? SC Yes I am and that's as far as we got last time. CAPCOM Okay, all zeros for DELTA VY, all zeros. 00368, 00324, 0051, 58840 plus 100 minus 020 171352033100. SC Houston, Apollo 9. CAPCOM Go, Apollo 9. SC Roger, the last thing I got was 937; you got any more? CAPCOM Rog, we'll try you again here. Stand by one here. CAPCOM Okay, Apollo 9, Houston. How do you read? SC Reading you five square, Houston. CAPCOM Okay, you're coming in a little weak. Understand you got up through CSM weight; is that affirma- tive? SC That's affirmative. CAPCOM Okay, reading PIPSTRAN[sic]. Plus 100 minus 020, 171352033100, end of the pad. SC Roger, reading back. 00559 all zips. Plus 00368, all zips, all zips. 00368 00324 005158840 plus 100 minus 020 171352033100. CAPCOM Houston confirms the pad. I would also now like to give you your gimbal angles used in the pad- ress max[sic] for SPS 1. SC Go. CAPCOM Rog. It's roll 00, pitch 359, yaw 001. SC Roger, understand 000 359 001 CAPCOM And this is affirmative; Houston con- firms. SC Roger, and is the computer ours? Did you get the P-27 in? CAPCOM The computer is yours, Apollo 9. SC Roger, thank you. APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET 445, CST 2:45p 35/3 PAO This is Apollo Control at 4 hours, 54 minutes. Antigua has LOS now. The next station will be Ascension in about 6 minutes... END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 COMMENTARY, 3/3/69 GET: 4:55:40 (14:55p) 36/1 PAO This is Apollo Control at 4 hours, 54 minutes. Antigua has LOS now. Next station will be Ascension. In about 6 minutes. You heard the crew's reaction to the SIVB restart during this pass. An initial look at telemetry on this SIVB burn, this second burn of the SIVB in this mission shows an apogee of 1 680 nautical miles, perigee of 108 nautical miles; very early readout on it. We had predicted 1 722 by 109. A preliminary velocity achieved, 27 763 total; we were about 25 5 when we started the burn. Preburn we had expected something a total velocity of about 27 800. We passed up the maneuver updates for the first service propulsion system burn in the docked configuration. This will come at 5 hours, 59 minutes into the mission; DeltaV at 36.8 feet per second, dur- ation of the burn, 5.1 seconds. The second SIVB restart will come within 7 or 8 minutes after this first SPS burn. At 4 hours, 56 minutes, this is Mission Control Houston. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET: 503 CST: (15:03p) 37/1 PAO This is Apollo Control, we are at Ascension now. CAPCOM Repeat your state vector again, if you could give us through [sic] and accept. SC Roger, your are through [sic] and accept. CAPCOM Roger, and a couple of items. There is a bias in your x pipa and we are taking a look at this and the only steps we would like to do at this time would be to recommend that you stay in Average G as little time as possible. We are estimating that during the SPS 1 burn, there will be an error of about a foot and a half. So the only thing we will do at this time is you just come out of average G as soon as possible and we will talk about this later after the burn. SC Okay, and we have another problem here. On the O2 (garble) highlight continues to come on and we seem to have a steady space flow on the on the (garble) PIPS - - - lbs per hour. We don't have the vent open yet. There is a little bit in the waste management vent, but we do have the LM pressurization on, and I'm wondering if you could you give us a clue as to whether you think we have a leaky LM or not. CAPCOM Roger, we copied the transmission, Apollo 9. Stand by for some words of wisdom on that. SC We're getting the master alarm light on every few minutes here. You can send the CRYO generator O2 flow high. It is almost like the simulator. CAPCOM Roger, that is a shame. Apollo 9, Houston. SC Go ahead. CAPCOM Roger, we like to have the fans in H2 tank 1 turned on manually at this time and just leave it on. We will leave it on for a while and take a look at it. SC Okay, we'll turn the fan on. CAPCOM Okay, and we would like to know if you can see the docking angle index when you were up in the tunnel. SC Negative, I didn't look. CAPCOM Okay. CAPCOM Apollo 9, this is Houston. The computer is yours and I have a NAV check to go along with that state vector. SC Roger, stand by. SC Okay Houston, ready to copy your NAV check. CAPCOM Roger. Disregard, we have checked it here on the ground and unless you want it, I won't read it to you. Apollo 9, did you copy? SC We won't need it. CAPCOM Okay we won't read it. We are going to have you for about another minute at Ascension and then we will see you over Tananarive at 19. SC Roger. APOLLO 9 COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, Gi_T: 1503 (5:03p) 37/2 CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston. SC Go ahead Houston. CAPCOM Roger, we would like to have you turn off the LM pressurization valve to see if that takes care of the O2 high flow. SC Roger, we will check that in a few minutes and advise you. CAPCOM Okay. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston. We want you to go back to P30, P40 again, to recompute that restmat [sic] after this up link. PAO This is Apollo Control at 5 hours, 8 minutes. We have loss of signal at Ascension. During this pass the crew reported the oxygen flow high light on. Indicating that they were getting high rate flow from the oxygen tanks. The E COM officer, the environmental officer here on the ground is monitoring this and we just advised the crew to turn the LM pressurization valve off to see whether this will help the situation. This valve has been on to pressurize the LM, using the CSM oxygen. We have a report here now, on some activities following this third S4B burn which will put the S4B into an escape trajectory. This burn will be followed by a propellant dump about 4000 miles above the Pacific Ocean. This is expected to create a cloud that may be visible from dark portions of the Earth. If the dump is started at its scheduled time, about 5:12 pm Eastern Standard Time. The cloud will build up in size until it is about 1000 kilometers in diameter. This should make it visible from the darkened East Coast of the United States between 6 and 8:30 pm Eastern Standard Time. On the East Coast the cloud should be about the size of a full moon from 20 to 35 degrees above the western horizon. Binoculars would be helpful. Next station to acquire will be Tananarive at 5 hours, 19 minutes into the mission. This is Mission Control at 5 hours, 10 minutes. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET 519 38/1 PAO This is apollo control at 5 hours, 19 minute. We're coming up on a short pass at Tananarive now. We'll stand by. CAPCOM Hello, Apollo 9, this is Houston, through Tananarive. CAPCOM Apollo 9, this is Houston, if you read me, we'll see you over Carnarvon at 3:02. PAO This is Apollo Control, 5 hours, 21 minutes. We've had loss of signal at Tananarive now. Went through that short pass without conversation. Next station acquired will be Carnarvon, at 5 hours, 32 minutes. At 5 hours, 21 minutes, this is mission control, Houston. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69 GET 532, CST 15:32 p39/1 PAO Apollo Control at 5 hours, 32 minutes and Carnarvon is acquiring Apollo 9. We'll stand by. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston. Through Carnarvon. sc Roger, Houston. CAPCOM Now we're reading you loud and clear. SC Signal if you are ready to copy. CAPCOM Go ahead. SC ... GET observe 5, 1830, plus 00153 plus 00333, minus 00638. CAPCOM Roger. Apollo 9, I copy that. CAP COM Hello, Apollo 9, this is Houston. You are go SPS1. SC Ready here to go for SPS1. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston. SC Houston, Apollo 9. Go ahead. CAPCOM Roger. Just a word of info to close out that item on the power going into the LM, that duty cycle has now settled down and is exactly the same as the duty cycle was prior to launch. So, everything is good on the LM power. And it's 5 on and 28 off. SC (Garbled) CAPCOM Roger. PAO This is Apollo Control at 5 hours, 37 minutes, Carnarvon has had LOS. During this pass, we just passed up the information on the LM heater. You recall sometime ago, Jim McDivitt asked about the needle hopping around and he was wondering about that. We have confirmed now that this heater is on the same duty cycle that it showed prelaunch. It's 5 seconds on and 28 seconds off. So, there is no problem there with the heater. We're now in the orbits - we are on revolution 4 and were in the orbits that are getting up farther north, so we'll pick up Guam this time. It's the next station to acquire at 5 hours, 43 minutes. This is mission control, Houston, at 5 hours, 38 minutes. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, CST 15:43 GET:5:43 40/1 PAO This is Apollo Control at 5 hours 43 minutes. We are standing by at GWM for aquisition [sic] of Apollo 9. CC Apollo 9 this is Houston through GWM standing by. SC Roger Houston, ... to do a check with you. CC Apollo 9, Houston. I will have you here for about another 2 and a half minutes. I have got a couple of words of wisdom on your attitude on this burn, why you are going to be off a couple of degrees in PITCH and a couple of degrees in YAWS if you want me to give them to you. SC Go ahead. CC Okay. Your restmat is off slightly and we think this may have come about by the order in which you loaded the dap in relation to the P52. However we have taken a look at this and we are saying at burn attitude you are going to have zero roll, a pitch of 358 and a yaw of about 002, and this will give you the right burn if you wont [sic] be at 000 on the ball. SC Roger, Houston. Thank you very much. CC Roge. SC Houston, this is Apollo 9. CC Go Apollo 9. SC Okay, we seem to have our O2 thing in hand now. We have closed the frontal..... ... the return valve and one of us had our helmet off for just a moment there and that was ..... so it looks like we have the O2 problem in hand. CC Roger, we copy that some of it was dropped out. I am about to loose you here. We will see you over Hawaii at 57. PAO This is Apollo Control at 5 hours 50 minutes GWM has loss of signal. This first service propulsion system burn scheduled in 8 minutes now over Hawaii just after we acquire Hawaii. The third S4B burn is now 16 minutes away, it will be performed over Guaymas tracking station in Mexico. This SPS burn will be posigrade, very short burn low Delta V 36.8 feet per second. But it will give us a good look at the interface between the two spacecraft. The docking ring and the dynamics between the Lunar Module and the Command and Service Modules during a big engine firing. We will come back up just prior to Hawaii aquisition. At 5 hours 52 minutes this is mission control, Houston. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET 557, CST 1557 41/1 PAO Apollo Control at 5 hours, 57 minutes. Apollo 9 coming up on Guam acquisition now and we're a min- ute, 20 seconds away from the SPS burn. CAPCOM Apollo 9, this is Houston. Standing by for your burn. SC Roger, Houston, Apollo 9. A minute, 10 seconds ready to go. CAPCOM Roger. PAO Ignition confirm. Cutoff. SC Burn complete. CAPCOM Roger, copy. Burn complete. CAPCOM And Apollo 9, Houston. I copy your residuals, plus 1.8 plus .5 minus .2. SC Roger, Affirmative and the EMS was minus 4.2. CAPCOM Roger, minus 4.2. PAO Guidance Officer says a preliminary look indicates that it was a good burn. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston. In about 30 seconds we'll lose you off Hawaii and have you back at Redstone about a minute later. They'll be a break in there and then we'll pick you up for a long pass. PAO We're 4 minutes away from the third S-IVB restart. The spacecraft will be over Guaymas but the S-IVB will be over Guam during this burn. We're showing through tracking now an S-IVB velocity of about 20,500 feet per sec- ond. We expect to get a total velocity of 37,730 feet per second as a result of this burn. We'll burn to escape tra- jectory. PAO Showing the S-IVB in an orbit right now of 1671 nautical miles apogee, 115 and a half perigee. CAPCOM Through Redstone, we ought to have you now on a long stateside pass. PAO And the duration of this burn will be 4 minutes. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston through Redstone. How do you read? SC Houston, Apollo 9. Are you reading? CAPCOM You're down a little bit, Dave, but I'm reading you okay. We've got you through the Redstone now and it should be a nice long pass. SC Apollo 9, how do you read me? CAPCOM Rog, you're about the same. Stand by one here. I think we'll get better here in a couple of minutes. PAO S-IVB ignition. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET 5:08, CST 16:08 42/1 PAO ... 4B ignition. Apogee just hit 3,000 miles. Velocity is up to 24,000 feet per second. 4,000 mile apogee, now. 5,000 mile apogee, now. 6,000 mile apogee. Still burning and apogee has hit 8,000 miles. 10,000 mile apogee, now. And, we've lost data here on the S4B. CAPCOM Apollo 9, this is Houston, how do you read now? CAPCOM Apollo 9, this is Houston. Trying again - how do you read? PAO Flight Dynamics reports picking up a vector on the S4B which indicates a 53,000 mile apogee. Cut off. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston, do you read? CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston, through Texas, how do you read? SC Roger, Houston, Apollo 9, we read you loud and clear, how about us? CAPCOM Oh, we're reading you loud and clear. We just sent the S4B hyperbolic and got it out of your way. SC Roger. Very Good. We were reading you all along there; guess you just weren't reading us. CAPCOM Roger. Guess we had some of our receivers tuned in on the S4B there, that I didn't know they had taken away from me. SC Okay. CAPCOM When you get squared away after the burn, I've got your star count update for you. SC Okay. SC Okay, Houston, go ahead with the uptake [sic]. CAPCOM Roger. Star count update. 006494500. 068029113302. End of update. SC Roger, understand. 006494500 0680291 3302. CAPCOM That's afirmative. Houston confirms the update and would like to have you go ahead and open up the LM pressurization valve, if you concur. SC Roger. We tried to get ahold of you before to tell you we're going to do it, so we'll do it at this time. CAPCOM Okay. APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET 5:08, CST 16:08 42/2 SC Houston, Apollo 9. CAPCOM Go, Apollo 9. SC How are we making out on RCS as opposed to manual. What I'm wondering about is whether or not we should do the star count. CAPCOM Roger, stand by one minute. capcom Apollo 9, Houston. SC Go ahead. CAPCOM Roger. We're down a little bit, but we've got an excellent margin and nobody is sweating it at all. We recommend that you go ahead and do this star check. SC Okay. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET: 1618 (5:18p) 43/1 SC Houston, Apollo 9. CAPCOM Go, Houston. SC Let me give you an up on the SPS Pu system there. Following the burn, reading 89.2 percent in oxidizer and 93.7 in fuel and an unbalanced peg on the decrease side. CAPCOM Roger, copy 89.2, 93.7, and the unbalanced pegged on the decreased side. SC Roger, and for your information, the fuel vent, SPS injector valve A1 opens slower than A2. CAPCOM Roger, copy. A1 is slower than A2. CAPCOM Apollo 9, this is Houston. We are about to lose you here. We will pick you up over Tananarive at 51. SC Roger, Tananarive at 51. PAO This is Apollo Control at 6 hours, 26 minutes into the mission. Antigua has LOS. Next station to acquire will be Tananarive at 6 hours, 51 minutes. During this last pass we have the first Service Propulsion System burn, with the spacecraft in the docked configuration. Guidance Officer says his data indicates that it was a good burn. We should have a valid orbital parameters very shortly. We will come back up as soon as we have those. That burn was performed at 5 hours, 59 minutes over Hawaii. That is 6 hours, 7 minutes, 18 seconds, while the spacecraft was over Guaymas and the S4B was over Guam. We had the third S4B restart. We lost data about half way into this burn and picked up one vector and lost data again, however all indications are that the S4B did go hypergolic and now is in an escape trajectory. We will come back up just as soon as we have some good orbital parameters on Apollo 9. At 6 hours, 27 minutes this is Mission Control Houston. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET 650, CST 1650 44/1 PAO This is Apollo Control at 6 hours, 50 minutes into the mission. We have the current orbital parameters now. They are 125.6 nautical miles apogee by 108.3 nautical miles perigee. We were predicting as a re- sult of the SPS burn, 126 by 108. We had targeted that burn for a duration of 5.l seconds; we actually got 5.0 seconds. We were looking for a DELTA V of 36.8 feet per second; we got 34.1 feet per second. So we're very close to what we had projected prior to the burn. We're coming up on Tanana- rive now, should have acquisition within a few seconds. We'll stand by. PAO Our parameters prior to that burn were 108.7 by 106.5. CAPCOM Do you read? CAPCOM Okay, Apollo 9, this is Houston through Tananarive. We're probably not getting you here. We got about another minute and a half and if you can read me we'll see you over Guam at about 17. SC Roger, Houston. This is Apollo 9 and we're reading you loud and clear through Tananarive. We'll look for you over Guam. How do you read me? CAPCOM Oh, we're getting you in here now. I didn't read you at all the first time through. SC Okay, I heard your call (garble) but we just weren't getting down to you. CAPCOM Rog. It hasn't been too stern here off Tananarive today. SC Okay, We're just taking a little time out to eat here right now. We haven't had anything to eat yet (garble). CAPCOM Okay, our plan is that as we come over Guam and back across the states, why, we'll discuss all that distance stuff and so forth before you go to sleep tonight. SC Roger. CAPCOM And we say Sayonara over Tananarive; see you over Guam. SC Roger. PAO This is Apollo Control at 6 hours, 56 min- utes. Tananarive has loss of signal. Communications not too good over the Tananarive station. The crew did report that they were having a meal, taking a little time out to eat. They'll be updated on the few minor problems that exist over Guam prior to their rest period. The white team is in the process of handing over now to the gold team headed by Flight Director, Jerry Griffin. The next station to acquire will be Guam at 7 hours, 17 minutes. This is Mission Control Houston at 6 hours, 57 minutes. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, CST 17:08 GET 7:08 45/1 PAO This is Apollo control at 7 hours 8 minutes ground elapsed time. We have had a shift change the gold team of course has replaced the white. Jerry Griffin is the flight director on this shift that is coming up and the capcom that is the voice that you will hear talking to the crew is that of astronaut Stu Roosa. At 7 hours 9 minutes ground elapsed time this is Apollo Control, END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, CST 17:15 46/1 PAO This is Apollo control at 7 hours 15 minutes, ground elapsed time. Apollo 9 is in the fifth revolution at the present time. Flying over the Philippine Islands approaching the tracking site at GWM. On this the fifth revolution of the flight:, controllers here at MCC will pass up permission for 14 more revs, that is the go no go for 14 more revs. Apollo 9 will be acquired by the GWM tracking site at 7 hours 17 minutes into the flight or a little less than a minute from now. And at that particular time the flight manual called for discussion of open items, the go no go decision and of course an MCC update state vector. In about 15 more seconds we should have acquisition. Let's monitor for a while and hear any conversation between the crew and the ground. CAPCOM Apollo 9 this is Houston through gwm. SC Hello Houghton, Apollo 9 here. CC Roger, we would like to have two and accept please we are going to give you state vector. SC Roger you have two and accept. CC And Apollo 9 this is Houston. Can you talk a few minutes here we are going to have you over gwm for about 5 minutes. SC Sure go ahead. What shall we talk about? CC Okay, stand by would you. SC What I want to talk about is that extra PIPA bias. CC Okay we will take that one first. We are showing an error in that x step up of about .04 feet per second squared. The plan is to not do anything with that tonight and we will update that tomorrow prior to the first burn. SC Okay is it within the tolerance of which you can update? CC Yes it is, That is affirmative. SC Okay very good. CC Okay that takes care of that. I would just like to ask a fast question. You haven't mentioned it I assume that you have no reading on that SCS Helium pressure thats still gone. SC That is affirmative and still reading full scale low. CC Okay very good. Another item on this master alarm on the hard docking. We don't have you a good explanation, however we do have some info in from the cape that this was found on spacecraft 106 when they docked and they hadn't found out why but they did get an unexplained master alarm when they docked down there with 106. SC Okay. APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET 715,CST 1715, 46/2 CC And we are going to replay the data when you dock to see if we can get anything out of it but we can not close the loop on that one at this time. SC Okay do you have any idea what could have caused our primary second and propellant valves to go closed. CC I think you must, be looking at my sheet here Jim because that was my exact item comming up next. I would like to ask you. We feel that two explinations [sic], one was a stray electrical current there that actually did it or do you feel that you could have bumped the switches when you were changing seats? SC No I don't think so because, I dont think we could have bumped them because we did a RCS check after that and it was dark in here but I looked through all of the quads and I looked at all the talk backs. The talk backs looked okay. It is possible but not very probable that I missed all three of those talk backs. I was wondering if we couldn't have had the jolt from the seperation between the service module and the sla cause them to go closed. I can't imagine that we would only have one of the talk backs on the D-Quad go closed for any other reason. CC Okay that was something we wanted to verify that the talk back that was closed on Quad Delta was the secondary propellant. SC Roger C and primary and secondary closed, D or Delta .. just the secondary closed. CC Okay we copy that and we agree with you we are really at a loss how the secondary propellant only talk back could have gotten in that condition, SC Okay. CC So that is something that we will have to think about here over night. SC Alright, be advised of one other thing, sortof keep track of the venting cabin vent. We didn't go back to waste the vent overboard until 715, we didn't get that open again until then. CC Roger copy. SC And you know when we closed it it was just prior to the docking. CC Roger. Okay and that is okay. Next item is I would just like to, we are closing this one out about that LM power-cycling that is running, as I mentioned before just exactly on the cycle that we would expect and the way it was doing on the pad. SC Okay fine. APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET 715, CST 1715, 46/3 CC Okay we have got some other things. We will pick them up here over Hawaii at about 3 2. I have a minute left and I have a nav check to go with this state vector we just passed you. SC Standby one we are going to have to sort through the food bags for a piece of paper. CC Okay understand and the computer is yours. SC Okay Houston go ahead with the nav check. CC Okay time 00810 all 0's -2719 +02980 1256 end of update. SC Roger understand, 00810 all zips 92719 +02980. CC Okay Apollo 9 you went over the hill with everything confirmed except the altitude and we will see you over Hawaii. PAO At 6 hours and 40 minutes some time ago there was to have been an S4B lox and hydrogen dump. The flight controllers here at MCC applied power to the system but there was no indication of a dump, and as yet we don't know why there was no indication of a dump. So there was no lox and hydrogen dump as was planned, The spacecraft has moved beyond range of the gwm tracking site. We will pick it up again at Hawaii in about 8 more minutes. In the mean time at 7 hours 25 minutes ground elapse time this is Apollo control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, CST: 1731, GET: 7:31 pm 47/1 PAO This is Apollo Control at 7 hours, 31 minutes into the flight of Apollo 9. We expect that the crew will get its decision GO/NO-GO for 19-1 on this pass when the Hawaii tracking station acquires. There will also be some information passed up to the crew regarding the light housekeeping and preparation for the rest cycle which will be due very shortly. We estimate that the change of shift briefing involving the participants on the white team will take place here in Houston, at approximately 5:45 Central Standard Time. We should have acquisition very shortly. Let's monitor the conversation between the ground here in Houston and the Apollo 9. CAPCOM Greetings Apollo 9, this is Houston through Hawaii. SC Roger, Houston, Apollo 9. CAPCOM Roger, I didn't get a confirm on your NAV checkout. If you run it, you have probably discovered the sign was wrong on the longtitude [sic]. SC (garble) CAPCOM Say again Apollo 9. SC Roger, we discovered that. CAPCOM Roger, and did the rest of it go okay? SC Roger. CAPCOM Alright, and are you free to talk now? SC Roger, go ahead. CAPCOM First, is this cryo tank. What we would like to have you do at this time is turn off fans and heater in both H2 tanks. Let the pressure drop down to 200 and then have you manually maintain that at 200 until you power down. After you have powered down, just before sacking out, we are going to turn on the fan in H2 tank 1, and the estimates on this one is that it will slowly build up the pressure and when you wake up in the morning it will have built back up to 235 and it will keep the master alarm from coming on through the night. SC Okay. CAPCOM Okay, are we squared away on that, Apollo 9? SC Okay, you want us to turn the heaters and fans off on both the H2 tanks, and when do you want us to do that now. CAPCOM You can do that right now. SC Okay fine. CAPCOM Okay, very good. We would also - have you started a charge on battery B. SC Negative, we weren't going to start the charge until we went to sleep. (garble) charge on battery B. CAPCOM Okay, we will go ahead and agree with that Apollo 9. SC Okay, we will turn it on right before we go to sleep. APOLLO 9 COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET 731, CST 1731, 47/2 CAPCOM Okay. CAPCOM Apollo 9, this is Houston. You are GO for 19-1. SC Roger, understand we are GO for 19-1. CAPCOM Okay, and this O2 flow high readings you were getting, we consider that a closed item. How do you feel on this one Apollo 9. SC I think it is a closed item also. CAPCOM Okay, and on Rusty's comment on SPS 1, our data shows that both ball valves opened right on the money, opened together. SC Okay fine, we may have just had a sticky gage in the cockpit. How about PICON valves that we have on the quantity gage. CAPCOM Okay, this one we will have to look at some more. We don't believe that it is a valid reading at this time, Apollo 9. On that short of burn we feel that the pugs worked for such a short time, and that it probably didn't get a valid reading and we don't believe that. SC Yes, that seems logical. CAPCOM Okay, and on SPS 1 everything uh it was a mominal burn. G and C is real happy, the PC and everything else looks real good, so it looks like we are in fine shape on it. SC Okay, very good. CAPCOM Okay, we are about to lose you here for about a couple of minutes and we will see you over the Redstone about 38. PAO Now, we have lost the contact with the spacecraft. We will pick it up in another minute or so, over the tracking ship Redstone. At 7 hours, 37 minutes into the flight of Apollo 9, this is Apollo Control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69 GET 819, CST 1819 48/1 PAO This is Apollo control. During the change of shift press conference the spacecraft was acquired by the tracking sbip Redstone and the station at Guaymas and a portion of the Texas station. We recorded the air to ground between Houston and the 9 crew and are prepared to play that for you at this time. CC Okay Apollo 9 this is Houston we should have you through to Redstone now. CC Apollo 9 this is Houston through Redstone How do you read? SC You are weak but clear Houston. Go ahead [sic] CC Oh you are coming in clear here. Okay we would like to have you go back to BLOCK on your cm telemetry. SC Roger. BLOCK. Let me ask you a question about the other H2 tank. If we run them both down to 200 and we turn the fan on in H2 tank number 1 what are we going to do with tank number 2? CC We expect it will... SC I didn't get that answer. CC Apollo 9 this is Houston I copied that would you stand by. SC Roger. CC Apollo 9 houston. SC Go ahead. CC Okay. Copy your question and what we are saying is that the pressure will stay equil [sic] in tank 2 just due to the heat leak even though we are feeding primarily out of tank one, but that pressure should come up right along with tank one. SC Okay. CC And also we would like -- Could you verify that the surge tank is on the line. SC Roger the surge tank is. CC Okay very good we just noticed that coming up a little slow. SC Yea it sure is coming up slow isn't it. CC Stand by. And Apollo 9 we are showing you about 60 degree yaw now, just wanted to mention that. SC Roger. CC And Apollo 9 this is Houston. That just about closes out my list here unless you have any questions about my comments on that 2 degree pitch and yaw on the attitude for the CS1. SC What was your comment about 6 degree yaw. CC Say again Apollo 9. APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69 GET 819, CST 1819 48/2 SC (Garble) CC Boy you are really coming in scratchy here on this one. SC Okay I think we understand what you said. CC Okay and that cleans us up here Apollo 9 have you got anything you would like to toss in here across this pad. This is about the last time we plan on doing much talking to you. SC No I guess it is just the general comment we were pretty well crowded today to get all of these things in so we shouldn't have missed much. CC Roger I understand you were really humping up there, pretty busy day. CC And Apollo 9 Houston would like to verify the canister change at 6:30. SC It's in now. CC Roger copy. Apollo 9 Houston. Apollo 9 Houston. Apollo 9 Houston how do you read? SC Apollo 9, we are reading you loud and clear. CC Okay we have got you in here now. Two other items. We would like to get an E memory dump from you to give us some homework here tonight if you can give us a mark and take that ... SC Garble [sic] CC Wait stand by Apollo 9 our telemetry just dropped out. SC Okay we would like to know when you would like us to start charging the battery. CC Okay you can start it any time prior to sacking out. We are going to lose you here in about another minute and the only other time we will talk with you before sack time will be over Tananarive which will hit there at 24. So you can start anytime you want. SC Okay fine do you want that E memory dump now or do you want to just skip it. CC No we are standing by now go ahead and let her run. SC Okay stand by. SC Houston the E memory dump is on the way. CC Okay roger copy. And one other item over Tananarive if you can, we would like to have a PRD read out from each one of you. And we will see you over Tananarive at about 24 or 25. SC Roger, Thank you and we will get a PRD report as soon as we figure out what it is. And charging battery D right now for you. APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69 GET 819, CST 1819 48/3 CC Okay and that is a dosimeter reading over tananarive, Apollo 9 this is Houston through Tananarive. SC Apollo 9. CC Roger I am not reading you very good at all but are you reading me well enough to take your BLOCK data. I am ready to send that if you can read it. SC Roger stand by just one. CC Okay, SC Okay Houston go ahead. CC Roger reading BLOCK data number 2. 009 3 bravo + 256 + 1450. Zero 131431 2918 010. Okay charley charley -195 -1617 015 3 bravo, SC Okay roger ready to continue. CC Okay continuing on, 012 alpha charley +101 -0321 0171349. 29 28 0132 Alpha +250 -0264 01850 55 77 29 28 and the last one 014 alpha charley +308 -0279 0202440 2928, That is the end of the BLOCK data and your SPS trim angles for this pitch -133 yaw +135. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET 829, CST 1829, 49/1 CAPCOM I have 133 yaw plus 135 and that is the end of the BLOCK data, Before you start to read back, there are a couple of other comments for you. SC Okay, go ahead. CAPCOM Roger. We'd like to have you verify that you will do a waste water dump down to 25 percent prior to the rest period? SC Roger. Waste water dump down to 25 percent prior to rest period. CAPCOM That is, affirmative, and we'd like to have a dosimeter reading if you've got it. SC Roger, stand by. SC Okay, the LMP dosimeter is 8001. CAPCOM Roger. 80..... SC Roger. CAPCOM Go ahead. SC 001 CAPCOM Roger. I copy LMP 8001. Say the next one. SC CDR is 3102. CAPCOM Roger and CMP. SC CMP is all sacked up. CAPCOM Roger. Stop the no reading for the CMP. Thank you. We've only got about 20 seconds here before we leave. On this surge tank coming up, we say that if you would bring the repress back on the line and give us a reading on that, it might help us trouble shoot that. SC ..... CAPCOM We're going to lose you here, Apollo 9 at the end of the pass, The next pass is scheduled over Hawaii at 05 which is right at the beginning of your rest period. PAO The Apollo 9 spacecraft apparently has moved out of range of the Tananarive Tracking Station. We should pick them up again in about 32 minutes at the by the Hawaiian Tracking Site. At that time, the crew should be entering its rest period. The plan here is to limit the conversation, keep the conversation to a minimum with the crew. At 8 hours, 33 minutes into the flight of Apollo 9, this is Apollo Control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET 904, CST 1904 50/1 PAO This is Apollo Control at 9 hours, 4 min- utes ground elapsed time. Apollo 9 is in the sixth revolution at the present time approaching the tracking station Hawaii. About an hour ago during the Change of Shift Press Conference Mission Control here in Houston concluded S-IVB tracking and they turned that over - the balance of the tracking over to Goddard. That was about 815 GET. At that time the TM data coming back from the S-IVB stage indicated that it was tumbl- ing. The crew at the present time, according to the flight plan, is in the process of powering down the spacecraft prior to going into drifting flight. This is done prior to the rest cycle. The crew plans to power down the spacecraft and go into that mode of flight identified as drifting flight. This is not new; it was used during the Mercury flights and again in Gemini. During that power down phase, the crew will reduce the power to the inertial measuring unit to the command module computer and to those other systems using electrical power. Generally, this power load is kept as low as possible with almost everything off or down except the environment control system. At 9 hours and 6 minutes into the flight, we have acquisition by the Hawaii tracking [sic] tation. Let's monitor any air-to-ground that might trans- [sic] ire between Houston and the Apollo 9 crew. PAO We're standing by to monitor any poten- tial conversation between the crew and MSC. PAO Evidently we're not going to have any commentary over this pass so we'll take the lines down and continue to monitor and if we have anything transpire we'll pick it up later. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET 921, CST 1929 51/1 PAO This is Apollo Control at 9 hours, 21 minutes into the flight of Apollo 9. The spacecraft has moved just out of range of the tracking ship Redstone at the present time on the sixth - still on the sixth revolu- tion. During this last pass there was about 40 to 45 seconds of air-to-ground between the Center here in Houston and the Apollo 9 crew. Let's play that back for you at the present time. CAPCOM Apollo 7, Houston. About one minute to LOS. Looks like the last time we'll be talking to you this evening. SC Roger, that's Apollo 9. CAPCOM Sorry about that. SC That's alright. New guys are that way. CAPCOM Okay. SC Roger, and Houston, we are purging. Is that what you want? CAPCOM That's affirmative. SC We're presently in the process of purging O2 fuel cells. CAPCOM Affirmative. And is your H2 tank 1 fan on at this time? SC We'll bring it on now. We noticed it's 200. CAPCOM Okay. PAO That was conversation between the Apollo 9 crew and Astronaut Ron Evans, who is the new CAPCOM at the present time. Reference was made during that pass to fuel cell purges there. There are actually two kinds of purges, one of course is an oxygen; and the other is a hydrogen purge. In this case, the crew did an O2 purge, an oxygen purge. What this was essentially was cleaning out the chem- ical impurities from the cells. Purging is merely forcing oxygen into the fuel cells and thereby forcing the unwanted chemicals out. The Apollo 9 crew is pretty much bedded down on their rest cycle at the present time and as the spacecraft heads over the Pacific, at 9 hours, 24 minutes into the flight of Apollo 9, this is Apollo Control, END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET 956, CST 1956 52/1 PAO This is Apollo Control at 9 hours, 56 min- utes into the flight of Apollo 9. During the last pass over Hawaii at about 905 GET, the Flight Surgeon, Dr. John Ziegel- schmidt, reported the following mean heart rates on the crew. He said that the Commander was registering 80 beats per min- ute, the command module pilot registered 80 beats per minute, while the lunar module pilot registered 68 beats per minute. The respiration rates were as follows: 20 breaths per min- ute for the Commander, 16 for the command module pilot and 12 for the lunar module pilot. The astronauts at that time were not yet resting. They were still doing some minor housekeeping duties in preparation for the rest cycle. In the meantime here at MSC we're maintaining a radio silence to give the crew the maximum opportunity for rest. In the area of the spacecraft systems, all of them are looking okay and they're being monitored by the Flight Controllers here in Houston. No anomalies occurring whatsoever. At 9 hours, 57 minutes into the flight with the spacecraft now heading across the tip of Africa, the lower part of Africa, on the seventh revolution, this is Apollo Control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69, GET 1051, CST 2051 53/1 PAO This is Apollo Control at 10 hours, 51 minutes into the flight of Apollo 9. The spacecraft has moved out of range of the Hawaii tracking station. During that pass over Hawaii the Flight Surgeon was monitoring the astro-bioenvironmental tab as they call it, the vital signs and rates of the crew, and noted that all of their vital signs appeared to be within the tolerable limits. The Com- mander, for example, was indicating between 80 and 84 beats per minute. The command module pilot showing approximately 60 beats per minute, and about 10 respirations per minute. Flight Surgeon assumes that the astronauts are still resting, perhaps another hour or so will be required before they can lapse into a sound sleep. Meantime, all of the systems on the spacecraft are reported operating well. Aa far as we're able to determine, the Commander and the command module pilot are resting in the couches and the LM, the lunar module pilot, evidently is in the sleep station. We assume that since we receive no biomedical data from the LM, the lunar module pilot, on this pass. Incidentally, at approximately 10 hours, and 42 minutes, some 9 minutes or so ago, Dave Scott doubled his total flight time in space. He was a member of the Gem- ini 8 crew that had to reenter in the Pacific on March 16, 1966, after some 10 hours and 41 minutes of flight. He now [sic] as 10 hours, 54 minutes of flight. All systems seem to be working well. The astronauts are in their rest cycle and this is Apollo Control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69 GET 1150, CST 2150, 54/1 PAO This is Apollo Control at 11 hours, 50 minutes, into the flight of Apollo 9. At the present time the spacecraft is flying over India on the 8th revolution. A little earlier when the spacecraft was in range of Pretoria Tracking Station, the digital chart indicated that the astronauts were flying following parameters. Apogee was 126.6 nautical miles and the perigee or low point was 108.1 nautical miles. The altitude was about the same as earlier altutudes following the first SPS burn. Spacecraft speed at that particular time was in the neighborhood of 25,500 plus feet per second. At the present time the spacecraft systems are powered down, they still register okay here at mission control. Spacecraft cabin pressure is maintaining stability at 4.9 PSIA at 11 hours, 51 minutes into the flight of Apollo 9, this is Apollo Control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/3/69 GET1250, CST 2250 55/1 PAO This is Apollo control at 12 hours 50 minutes ground elapsed time. During the Hawaii pass some 30 minutes ago the gold team flight surgeon reported receiving data on the lunar module pilot. Apparently astronaut Schweickart had moved from his sleep station into one of the couches. The LM pilots [sic] mean heart beat registered 50 beats per minute and his mean respiration registered 10 breaths per minute leading the surgeon to conclude that he is dozing or beginning to sleep. No data was received on the commender or the command module pilot during the Hawaii pass. Chances are they disconnected their biomed instrumentation according to the flight surgeon. Cabin temperature is 68 degrees fahrenheit a very comfortable 68 degrees. Meanwhile the count down clock shows 5 hours 36 minutes plus, indicating that that's the time left in the rest cycle for the Apollo 9 crew. The spacecraft at the present time is over the Atlantic Ocean east of South America coming up on the ascension tracking station on this 9th revolution all systems still seem to be functioning very well. At 12 hours 52 minutes into the flight of Apollo 9 this is Apollo control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 13/3/69, CST 2354, 56/1 PAO This is Apollo Control. Spider and Gumdrop, that's the code name for the Apollo 9 spacecraft, are over the Pacific Ocean on this, the 9th rev. Apollo 9 moved out of the range of the Guam tracking station about 10 minutes ago, and it will be acquired by the tracking ship Mercury shortly. However, since the crew is resting, no attempt will be made to talk with them. During a recent pass the flight surgeon reported that TM data on astronaut Schweickhart [sic] indicates that he is sleeping soundly. The countdown clock indicates that some 4 hours and 37 minutes of rest remain before the crew will be awakened in preparation for the second day's activities. Meanwhile, the flight controllers here at MCC in Houston monitoring the spacecraft report the systems appear to be functioning nor- mally. At 13 hours 51 minutes GET, this is Apollo Control. END OF TAPE A/9, Mission Commentary, 3/4/69, CST 12:50am 57/1 PAO This is Apollo control 14 hours 50 minutes ground elapse time. Here in mission control we've recently had a change of shift to the orange team of flight controlers headed up by flight director Pete Frank. Apollo 9 fifteen minutes ago crossed over the Ascension Island tracking station in the South Atlantic at which time pulses of the system were felt on the ground so to speak by telemetry and all the systems are in pretty good shape. Flight surgeon John Zeigleschmidt reported that LM pilot Rusty Schweickhart [sic] was not apparently sleeping very soundly because his heart rate fluctuated some what during the past indicating that he was staring [sic] in his sleep. Cabin pressure at the present time is holding at 4.9 pounds per square inch, with a the cabin temperature is 66 degrees fahrenheit. The Apollo 9 space craft will cross over the tracking station at Guam at 8 minutes past the hour. At 14 hours 51 minutes ground elapse time this is Apollo control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, CST 01:50 am 58/1 PAO This is Apollo Control 15 hours 50 min- utes ground elapsed time. Apollo 9 is just crossing the West Coast of the southern portion of South America at this time and should be beginning the eleventh revolution as it crosses the meridian of longitude of the launch point of Cape Kennedy. We have some two hours thirty-eight minutes until the Apollo 9 crew is awakened to begin the next day's activities. Among these activities will be service propul- sion system burn number two which is scheduled at 22 hours 12 minutes and 03 seconds. This 850 foot-per-second burn will be primarily out of plane however it will raise apogee by some 64 nautical miles. The out of plane component of the burn will shift the orbital plane back to the East to improve tracking for the activities later in the mission, such as EVA and rendezvous. Most of these SPS burns as a matter of fact are out of plane for this reason and also to lessen the gross weight or mass of the spacecraft to improve the RCS LM rescue capability and for RCS de-orbit at the end of the mission. Here in the Mission Control Center, there's a cardboard mounted cartoon behind Pete Frank's console, the Orange Team flight director, It was drawn by Ed Pavelka who is the Gold Team flight dynamics officer. The cartoon says welcome to Manned Spaceflight to a Tenderfoot meaning flight director Pete Frank; this is his first time out as a flight director. We are coming up in approximately 12 minutes on the Ascension Island Tracking Station. Our present orbital measurements show a perigee of 108 nautical miles, apogee of 126.3 nautical miles, total weight of Gumdrop and Spider, the command and service module and the docked lunar module, is now calculated at 90 569 pounds. At 15 hours 52 minutes ground elapsed time, this is Apollo Control. END OF TAPE A/9, MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, 1:35, CST: 02:50 59/1 PAO This is Apollo control 16 hours 50 minutes GET. Apollo 9 is presently over the island of New Guinea in the South Pacific and is within seconds of being acquired by the tracking ship Huntsville which is hove to just east of New Guinea. Earlier this revolution over the Acension Island pass Doctor Ken Beers reported that the biomedical telemetry beamed down from the spacecraft showed that Schweickhart [sic] apparently was in a sound sleep. The command module pilot and the commander are in the sleep stations underneath the couches, the sleeping bags, where there's no telemetry available because of the way the biomedical instrumentation cabling is arranged, however the command module pilot Rusty Schweickhart [sic] is in the couch with biomedical telemetry available. It is likely that the two passes over the ship huntsville and Mercury which almost overlap here in this 11th revolution will be simply system status passes and no commentary or conversation with the crew is anticipated since it is likely that they are all still asleep. At 16 hours 51 minutes GET this is Apollo control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, CST 0350 am, 60/1 PAO This is Apollo Control 17 hours 50 min- utes GET. The crew of Apollo 9 has less than an hour of their sleep period remaining. The countdown clock showing the wake time - one might call it the alarm clock - shows some 38 minutes remaining in the sleep period. Apollo 9, at the present time, is over the northern portion of Africa, approximately Libya or Tunisia at the start of the 12th rev- olution. All three crewmen apparently are still sleeping soundly. We've had no conversation with the crew in the recent passes over Canary Island station or the Mercury earlier in the preceding revolution. After the crew wakes up, the first order of business, of course, will be breakfast. The eat period is scheduled for about an hour after the wakeup. The spacecraft will be powered up during the pass over the tracking ship Vanguard during this next revolution. The Mission Control Center or the spacecraft communicator here in Mission Control will confer with the crew on the flight plan update for the upcoming day's activities and also coordinate the - all the numbers and values of the consumables remaining onboard the spacecraft. There will be also a fuel call oxygen purge. The inertial measurement unit - inertial measuring unit on the command module will be alined [sic]. [sic] e - over the tracking station at Antigua one revolution later, there will be what is called the maneuver pad or the all the numbers and necessary information passed up to the crew for service propulsion system burn number 2, which is now scheduled at some 22 hours 13 minutes into the flight. The GO-NO GO for this burn will be given over the tracking ship Mercury at 21 hours 45 minutes. There are some three burns scheduled in today's activities: SPS burns 2, 3, and 4. At 17 hours 52 minutes GET, this is Apollo Control. END OF TAPE. APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, CST 0430 am, 61/1 PAO This is Apollo Control 18 hours 33 min- utes GET. Within the next few seconds, we'll be having acquisition of signal at the tracking ship Mercury in the South Pacific. We're some two-thirds of the way through revolution number 12. At this time the crew is scheduled to be awakened, The spacecraft communicator, Ron Evans, likely will put through a call to the crew remoting through the tracking ship Mercury. We'll stand by to monitor any conversation, Until we do hear Ron Evans put through a call, perhaps we could review some of the items coming up in the flight plan. We have service propulsion system burn number 2 at 22 hours 12 minutes GET. This will involve a test of the digital auto pilot set at the 40-percent ampli- tude stroking of the engine. It will be primarily an out- of-plane burn, but will raise the apogee [sic] some 190 nautical miles. Two other burns of the SPS are scheduled later in the day. Further details on those will be generated later in the day and passed up to the crew in what is called a maneuver pad. These are not expected to be changed too drastically from the prelaunch flight plan. We're continuing to monitor the air-ground loop for any call through the Mercury, We should have had acquisition signal a minute and half ago. Still standing by here. Spacecraft communicator Ron Evans is now standing up leaning over to look at the displays in the flight surgeon's console to see if lunar module pilot Schweickhart [sic] is awake. He's putting in a call. Let's eavesdrop, CAPCOM Good morning, Apollo 9, Houston. SC Good morning Houston. This is Apollo 9. CAPCOM Rog. Loud and clear. Looks like the night was in good shape. We didn't notice any anomalies. SC Very good. I guess we have to wake up now, huh? CAPCOM Yeah. It's about that time. CAPCOM 9, Houston. We've got about 2 minutes left here of Mercury, and then we'll pick you up at Antigua at 02. If you feel like talking, I've got a couple of com- ments for you. SC Okay. You say. we'll be at Antigua at 02. Did you have anything you wanted to tell us, Ron? CAPCOM No. I was just going to remind you in your power up there in the cryo stratification, when you cycle your fans just to note the pressures on them. SC Okay, You want us to break the fans out one at a time, is that right? CAPCOM That's affirmative. And to note the pressures as you bring them up. SC Roger. PAO Apparently, we have had loss of signal APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, CST 0430 AM, 61/2 PAO from the tracking ship Mercury after a brief exchange between Apollo 9 and spacecraft communicator, Ron Evans, here in Mission Control. The crew will next break out their breakfast meals, and begin powering up the space craft for the day's activities. We'll be coming upon the tracking station Antigua followed by Vanguard and Canary. The acquisition time for Antigua will be 1 minute past the hour. At 18 hours 40 minutes GET, this is Apollo Control. END OF TAPE. A/9, Mission Commentary, 3-4-69, GET 10:00, CST 5:01 am, 62/1 PAO This is Apollo control. 19 hours 1 minute ground elapse time. Within seconds we should be coming over the tracking station at Antigua, The acquisition time table shows 19 hour's 1 minute and 52 seconds. Mark 52 seconds we should have acquisition, We'll stand by until spacecraft communicator Ron Evans makes a call to the crew through Antigua. Between the Antigua loss of signal and Vanguard acquisition of signal there's a drop out of some two minutes and again between Vanguard loss of signal and Canary Island loss of signal there's approximately one minute drop out, we'll continue to stay on the line though and get these three stations in a semi-continuous fashion. Still waiting now for the conversation to begin. He's putting in a call now. SC Alright. Houston, Apollo 9. CAP COM Alright. I read you loud and clear. I've got a bunch of up dates if you're ready to copy some of them. Ah flight plan consumeable from the block data. SC Roger. Stand by. SC Houston, Apollo 9. Go over the flight plan. CAP COM Roger, Time 24 plus 44, page 3-15 deleate [sic] MCC go, no go for 33-1. SC Alright. 24, 44 315 deleate [sic] MCC go, no go for 33-1. CAP COM Affirmative. At time 23 plus 34 page 3-14 add MCC go, no go 433-1 [sic]. SC Roger. 23 34 page 314 add the MCC go, no go for 33-1. CAP COM Affirmative. And that's the flight plan up date SC Roger. What's your next. CAP COM Roger. Your consumables. SC OK, go ahead with the consumables. CAP COM GET is 018 8130 8440 8840 8636 564 48 31 36 39, now Houston over. SC Roger. Copy 018 8130 8440 8840 8636 564 4831 36 39. CAP COM Apollo 9 Houston read back correct. SC Roger and ready for your block data. CAP COM Roger, Our area is 0151 bravo plus 267 minus 0670 021 5249 3671 0161 bravo plus 324 minus 0670 0232803 3670 0171 bravo plus 335 minus 0670 0250225 3668 0181 bravo plus 318 minus 0663 0263758 3627. PAO Apparently we've had loss of signal at Antigua. Should be acquiring at Vanguard in less than a minute. Ron Evans will be standing by to continue the block up date of contingency landing times and deorbit times and so on so that the crew will have this data aboard in case they're out of touch with the ground at any particular time and for some reason we'd have to go into any of these areas These are routine updates that are passed up to the crew APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, CST 05:11 63/1 CAP COM Apollo 9, Houston through Canaries. SC On the 018 dash 1 Bravo block data I got down through the TAGE [sic] and then module if you wanna go from there. CAP COM Roger, the TAGE [sic] is 0263758, the Delta VC is 3627, area 0191 Bravo plus 258 minus 0692 028 11 50 3627 020 4 Alpha plus 332 minus 1655 031 07 17 3620 and I have some trim angles if you want 'em. SC Rog, stand by. Go ahead with the trim angles. CAP COM Roger. Area 15 pitch minus 134 yaw plus 135, the next four - the next four areas pitch minus 080 yaw plus 130. Look for area 20, pitch minus 090 yaw minus 071. SC Roger. Copy that. Drop one bit on the 017 dash one Bravo TAGE the last digit. CAP COM Roger. 25 seconds. SC Okay, you ready for the readback? CAP COM Affirmative. Go. SC Okay 015 dash one Bravo plus 267 minus 0670 0215249 3671 0161 Bravo plus 324 minus 0670 0232803 3670 017 Bravo plus 335 Minus 0670 0250225 3668 0181 Bravo plus 318 minus 0663 0263758 3627 0191 Bravo plus 258 minus 0692 0281150 3627 0204 Alpha plus 332 minus 1655 0310717 3620. And for the trim angles vary of 15 pitch minus 134 yaw plus 135, area 16 through 19 pitch minus 080 yaw plus 130, for area 20 pitch 090 yaw minus 071. CAP COM Apollo 9, Houston, Your readback is correct. I got about two minutes left here, we're missing a little data from the power down last night. SC Roger, What would you like we got that. CAP COM Ah -- SC Take it Houston. CAP COM Okay. What we need is your command module RCS injector temperatures and your pyro A and B batteries and BATT C voltage. Before you give that though we'd like to configure your H2 tanks here. SC Roger. How would you like them? CAP COM Okay, H2 tank two heater in AUTO and H2 tank one heater OFF and both fans OFF. SC Roger. H2 tank one fan OFF, tank 2 fan to AUTO, H2 fans both OFF. CAP COM Negative. That's H2 tank two heater in AUTO and both fans OFF and tank one heater OFF. SC Roger. I just read it backwards to you. H2 heaters number two in AUTO and number one OFF and the fans are both OFF. CAP COM Rog. APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, CST 05:11 63/2 SC And ah-- CAP COM Apollo 9, Houston, S-band up. SC -- the injector temperature if you want it. CAP COM Roger, Go. Apollo 9, Houston through Madrid, S-band. Apollo 9, Houston through Madrid, S- band volume up. SC Rog, Houston, 9 looks like we have a good lock now. Did you get the battery readings. CAP COM Negative. SC Okay, BATT C was 37 Pyro A was 37, Pyro B was 37 and that was on the power down last night. CAP COM Ah -- Roger and I didn't get your injector temp, command module temp either. SC Okay, the injector temps I give you sys- tems test meter readout. CAP COM Affirmative. SC All of 'em was full scale high except six C and that was reading 5 volts. CAP COM Roger, six Charlie with 5 volts. SC That's correct. CAP COM Okay, next thing is on your cryo surge tank pressure, as you noticed it took a long time to come up and then all of a sudden it came on up. Did you jiggle any valves or anything. SC Yeah. (static - cut out) END OF TAPE A/9, MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, CST: 05:21a, 64/1 PAO Apparently we have had lost of signal from the Madrid, Spain tracking station. Had a little problem there getting lock on between the spacecraft antennas and the ground, antenna at Madrid. At 49 past the hour the spacecraft will be coming up on the Carnarvon, Australia tracking station. At 19 hours 22 minutes GET this is Apollo Control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, CST 05:49 am, 65/1 PAO This is Apollo Control 19 hours 49 min- utes GET. Expecting acquisition of Apollo 9 by the tracking station at Carnarvon, Australia in a few seconds now. Apollo 9 is midway through the 13th revolution. The crew should be ending their breakfast meal about this time. At the end of the pass at Carnarvon there will be some 2-1/2 minutes of drop-out until the Honeysuckle Creek station in Australia acquires the spacecraft. We'll stand by now as we wait for spacecraft communicator Ron Evans to put a call in to the spacecraft. This is a fairly low elevation angle pass over Carnarvon - some 2.7 degrees. Somewhat higher over Honeysuckle - 10.7 degrees. CAP COM through carnarvon. SC Rog Houston, Apollo 9. Stand by one. SC Houston, 9, Go. CAPCOM Rog. We listened to your OJT during P-52 last night, but didn't copy any gyro torqueing angles. Would you give those, if you copied them down? SC Oh, very well. Stand by. SC Okay, Houston, 9; Are you ready to copy? CAPCOM 9 go - or Houston, go. SC Roger. GT is 082430 plus 00110 plus 00002 minus 00108. CAPCOM Houston, Roger, copy. SC And I'll give you a rundown on the H2 and O2 cryo pressures when we ran the fans if you've got a pencil. CAPCOM Houston, go. SC Okay. H2-1, when we turned the fan off, it was 228 for the pressure and right now it's about 228. CAPCOM Roger. SC H2-2, when we turned the fan on, it was 242. After 3 minutes of fans it was 242. CAPCOM Roger. Sounds good. SC O2-1, When we started out with the H2, it was 816 by the time we got to the O2 and it was 890 when the fans were turned on, it was 880 when the fans were turned off. CAPCOM Roger, copy. 890 to 880. SC That's correct, and O2-2, when the fans were turned on it was 880, and when they were turned off, it was 870. CAPCOM Roger, 880 to 870, and S-band volume up at 56. SC Roger. It's up now. SC And Houston, 9, we're down through the CMC sub-tests and getting ready for a P-51 and do you want those CMC sub-tests numbers or on the DSKY? APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, CST 05:49 am, 65/2 CAPCOM Roger, we have them. PAO Apparently, we've had loss of signal at Carnarvon. We'll continue to monitor the air-to-ground circuit until the tracking station at Honeysuckle Creek acquires Apollo 9. CAPCOM Apollo 9 Houston through Honeysuckle. SC Roger Hoston, Apollo 9, loud and clear. CAPCOM Roger, same. we never did get what you did on those cryo valves, I'd like to get that first tank up. SC Oh, all I did was move the surge tank valve back and forth a little bit on the console, here, and then I went to bed. And I think thatJmay have done it. CAPCOM Rog. That did it. SC And did it come up pretty fast after that, Ron? CAPCOM Affirmative, yeah, SC Okay. Well, we never did get our plus tank filled, so we're going to be filling that here along the - along the way today. It only has about 200 or 300 psi in it. CAPCOM Roger. We understand. SC Houston, Apollo 9. CAPCOM Houston, go. SC Roger. We're still charging Battery B. What's the status of that? Do you want us to continue or stop END OF TAPE. A/9, MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, CST: 05:59, 66/1 SC Houston, Apollo 9. CAP COM Houston. Go. SC Roger, We're still charging battery B, what is the status of that. Do you want us to continue or stop or look at the forecaster? CAPCOM Affirmative. Go ahead and continue on it. We estimate there will probable be up to charge at about 22 hours or just before SPS number 2 burns and we'll tell you at that time to turn it off. SC Okay, very good. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston. Thirty seconds LOS Mercury at 08. SC Roger. PAO Apparently we have had loss of signal at Honeysuckle tracking station. Meanwhile here in the control center the space flight meteorology group based here in the control center has issued a forecast for the Apollo 9 mission weather. Weather conditions for the flight of Apollo 9 will be satisfactory in most landing areas for the next 24 hours, and the primary landing area in the West Atlantic centered about 800 miles east of Jacksonville, skies will be mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Winds will be southerly at 20 to 25 knots, with seas 5 to 8 feet and temperatures ranging between 64 1/4 and 70 1/4. In the Mid-Pacific landing zone, centered about 600 miles northwest of Honolulu weather will be mostly cloudy with a few showers. Winds will be southerly about 25 knots, seas 8 feet and temperature 63 1/4. In the West Pacific landing zone centered about 400 miles southeast of Tokyo skies will be partly cloudy. Winds will be northwesterly 15 to 25 knots, seas 5 to 8 feet, and temperature, near 54 1/4. In the East Atlantic landing zone centered about 500 miles southwest of the Canary Island the weather will be partly cloudy with easterly winds 10 to 15 knots and seas 4 to 5 feet. Temper- atures will be about 70 1/4. The next station to acquire Apollo 9 will be the Mercury tracking ship. The acquisition table shows that 07 past the hour, some 3 minutes from now we'll come back up at that time and go live with the Mercury pass. At 20 hours 4 minutes GET this is Apollo Control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, CST 06:07 am 67/1 PAO This is Apollo Control 20 hours 07 min- utes ground elapsed time; we're soma 40 seconds away from acquisition at the tracking ship Mercury. Just passed midway of the 13th revolution. At this time the spacecraft crew is alining [sic] or orienting the inertial measuring unit as part of the procedures for getting the spacecraft ready for the days [sic] activities and maneuvers. We'll continue to stand by here as the spacecraft comes in range. The tracking map at the front of the Control Center has shown that the Mercury has acquired signal, the little spacecraft that's projected on the big screen changes color when the acquisition time comes in. That doesn't necessarily mean that we have voice con- tact but merely the time in which the spacecraft comes over the hill. The spacecraft communicator will wait a few sec- onds before making the call to assure that the lockon is solid. Spacecraft Communicator Ron Evans' replacement for the next 12 hours, Stu Roosa, has come into the Control Room and Evans is now briefing him on the nights [sic] activities and what is coming up in the next days activities. We'll leave the line open and await any call from the Spacecraft Communi- cator console to Apollo 9 through Mercury. PAO This is Apollo Control again. Stu Rooa [sic] and Ron Evans are still in a hand-over type huddle down there at the spacecraft communicators console; apparently there are no plans to contact the crew through Mercury. We'll continue to leave the air-to-ground line active here and eavesdrop on any conversation that might take place. CAP COM Apollo 9, Houston through Mercury stand- ing by. SC Roger, Houston. CAP COM Roger. Apollo 9, Houston. We indicate you're right close to gimbal lock. SC That's affirmative. PAO This is Apollo Control. We've had loss of signal at Mercury, very brief conversation there just a standing by and advisory from spacecraft communicator Ron Evans that the Apollo 9 was approaching gimbal lock, this has to do with the attitude of the spacecraft relative to the inertial measuring unit and the guidance system. We'll be coming up on Antigua with acquistion at 34 minutes past the hour. During that pass the Mission Control Center will pass up to the crew the so called maneuver pad, the velocity and the time of the ignition and all the other data the crew needs onboard for the service propulsion system burn number two which is now scheduled for 22 hours 12 minutes ground elapsed time. At 20 hours 15 minutes ground elapsed time, this is Apollo Control. END OF TAPE A/9, Mission Commentary, 3/4/69, CST 6:34a.m. 68/1 PAO This is Apollo control. 20 hours 34 min- utes ground elapsed time. We should be picking up the Apollo 9 spacecraft through the Antigua tracking station in some 6 sec- onds from now. The Antigua and the Vanguard tracking ship, the Canary Island and the Madrid pass all overlap this time. We should have a solid 20 minutes of tracking and possibilities for a conversation between the ground and Apollo 9. Space- craft communicator Stu Roosa has releaved [sic] Ron Evans at the spacecraft communicators console. We're standing by now for Stu Roosa to make his call. Lets [sic] eavesdrop. PAO This is Apollo control again. Flight director Pete Frank and Stu Roosa are having a huddle here over the console before Stu Roosa makes his call to Apollo 9. We'll leave the circuit open here and stand by for any conver- sation. CAP COM Apollo 9, Houston to Antigua... dead air... Apollo 9,this is Houston to Antigua. SC Roger, Houston, Apollo 9. How do you read? CAP COM Oh. I read you loud and clear. Good morning. SC Good morning. We were wondering whether maybe you want to give us the updates first or whether you want an E memory dump first. CAP COM Ah, we do not need an E memory dump. SC OK. OK, we're ready to accept your up- date then anytime Houston. CAP COM Roger. Stand by one on that I have an SPS2 pad here for you any time you're ready to copy and well [sic] have the loads ready for you in a minute. SC Stand by he's getting it. SC OK, go ahead and read your copy. CAP COM Roger. SPS2 022 12 03 00 plus 00 niner niner 3 minus 08 446 plus 00 176 08 506 08 457 1512 and stand by what?... dead air... Apollo 9 we're ready to up link at this time and then I'll finish the pads there while they're doing that. SC The computer is yours CAP COM OK. We have the computer. And starting again, I finished up on the burn time which is 1512 58 504 plus 100 minus 0 20 21 20 840 13 200 plus 01 23 plus 05 514 16 45 end of up date. SC 08 506 0845 static 504 plus 100 minus 020 212084 013200 plus (static) I beg your pardon 1645. CAP COM Apollo 9, the comm on that was extremely bad. I only got about 3 lines of the whole blooming smear. Let's standby one. I think we are going to hand off here and maybe we can try it again. CAP COM Apollo 9, this is Houston. Do you read? CAP COM Okay, Apollo 9, this is Houston. If you APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, CST 6:34am 68/2 read me. I cannot get you. I can hear that you are transmitting. You are way, way down, besides you are reporting no VHF downlink. You might check that, but I don't understand why our S-band isn't any better either. SC (Too low to understand.) CAPCOM Apollo 9, this is Houston. I can barely read you - I just barely copied it. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, CST 06:44am, 69/1 SC Houston, Apollo 9, how now? CAPCOM Apollo 9, you are very, very weak. I can't get your read-backs, but I'd like to give you the nav check again. The na check I gave you was wrong. We're starting off good today, and I'd like to - if you can copy I'd like to review nav check again, It should be minus 2891 minus 16997 1228. SC Okay, how now? CAPCOM I can just hear you transmitting and that's about all. SC (Cannot hear speaker) SC Houston, Apollo 9, how do you read now? CAPCOM Hello Apollo 9, Houston, do you read now? SC Houston, 9, read you five by. CAPCOM Oh great 1/2 We've got you through Canaries now. Evidently, we couldn't get Vanguard and cabled back through Goddard. Did you copy my correction on the nav check? SC Roger, if you read, I got a minus 2891 minult 16997 122.8. CAPCOM Rog. That ought to check a lot better, and I'm reading you five square now. We've got good comm through Canary here for about the next 5 minutes. SC Roger. Did you read the read-back on the SPS-2 pad? CAPCOM Okay, go ahead. SC Okay. 02212 03 00 plus 00993 minus 08445 plus 00176 08506 08457 1512 58502 plus 100 minus 020 2120840 13200 and you've already got the nav check. CAPCOM Rog. I confirm the update. One small correction. The last number in the CSM weight is 4 vice 2 as you read, but that really doesn't matter. SC Yeah, I guess I wrote it right and read it wrong. CAPCOM Okay. SC 58504. CAPCOM That's affirmative. CAPCOM And Apollo 9, the computer is yours. We have given you a target load, a state vector and a verb 66. SC Roger. Copy. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston, SC Go. SC Roger, Houston, go. CAPCOM Okay. We've got about 3 minutes here. I would like to update that PIPA bias and - if we can have the computer again. SC Okay. The computer is yours, and while APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, CST 06:44am, 69/2 SC you're doing that, I'd like to know what you would like us to do with Battery B. We are still charging it, and it's now down to about .4. CAPCOM Rog. Last word I had was we wanted to run the battery charger, probably runup to almost the time SPS 02. SC Okay, thank you. CAPCOM And we are indicating about .43 or so and we would like to let it run a while and cut it off on our indication. SC Okay. CAPCOM And Apollo 9 we'll be handing over to Madrid, so have S-band volume UP. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston, the computer is yours, the PIPA 5's is in. SC Roger, thank you. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, CST 06:54 am 70/1 CAP COM Apollo 9, this is Houston. We're about 30 seconds from LOS Madrid and we'll see you over Carnarvon at 21. SC Roger. Carnarvon at 21. PAO This is Apollo Control. Apparently we have had loss of signal at Madrid station. During the pass after communications were locked in, we had some problems over the tracking ship Vanguard with some of the return lines coming back through Goddard. During the pass over these stations the spacecraft communicator passed up to the crew the necessary information for the service propulsion system burn number two. The essence of which is burn time of ignition time of 22 hours 12 minutes and 03 seconds with a velocity change of 850.6 feet-per-second. We'll be coming up on the Carnarvon, Australia tracking station at 20 minutes past the hour. At 20 hours 56 minutes ground elapsed time, this is Apollo Control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 217200, CST 0722a 71/1 PAO This it Apollo Control 21 hours 22 min- utes ground elapsed time. Let's join the conversation in progress between the spacecraft communicator and the space- craft Apollo 9 through Carnarvon, Australia. SC Sure is. CAPCOM Stand by for ARIA. SC Houston, here's an interesting sidelight When we woke up this morning and got the B-bands ready, and after drifting all night our highest drift rate was approx- imately 1/10th of a degree per second. CAPCOM Rog, Apollo 9, copy. SC Houston, Apollo 9. CAPCOM Go, Apollo 9. SC Houston, do you want us to cycle our H2 and O2 fans prior to the burn or do you want to just leave them alone? CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston. We do not want them cycled prior to the burn. Just let them go as is. SC Okay, very good, CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston. SC Go ahead. CAPCOM Roger. You can terminate the charge on battery B and for your info, we took 10 amp-hours and put 7 back in. SC Roger. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston. Like to make sure you have your S-band volume up. We will be picking up Honey- suckle in about a minute. SC Roger, END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET: 21:32:00 (07:32) 72/1 PAO This is Apollo Control here; we are still in acquisition through Honeysuckle but apparently the spacecraft communicator doesn't plan to talk. He's punching up now; per- haps he plans to call the spacecraft now before LOS. We'll continue to eavesdrop on the air to ground circuit. CAPCOM Apollo 9, this is Houston, we are one minute to LOS Honeysuckle; we'll see you over Mercury at 41. PAO This is Apollo Control. We are right on loss of signal at Honeysuckle. One of the items that is up- coming is over Mercury will be GO/NO/GO for the SPS burn number 2 and this burn will take place over the States at 22 hours, 12 minutes ground elapsed time, Our present orbit stands at 107.8 nautical mile perigee, about 125.7 nautical mile apogee. The ... we have had LOS at Honeysuckle; flight director Pete Frank just advised the spacecraft communicator Stu Roosa to tell Apollo 9 that they were GO for SPS number 2 burn, however this was in the flight plan to take place over Mercury. As Apollo 9 came over the hill at Carnarvon, they just began talking to MCC through Carnarvon without spacecraft communicator having made a call. We'll go back and play a little catch up on the first several sentences of this transmission so that it'll tie it all together. Let's roll the tape now. SC Interesting side line here Houston, when- ever we give the command module LM combination a positive direct, acceleration command attitude control system, we get a lot of cut-back from pitch to yaw back to pitch. I suspect the stroker test may be fairly safe. CC Roger. I guess it must be a lot more noticeable than the simulator then on it. SC Sure is. PAO This is Apollo Control here, 21 hours, 38 minutes ground elapsed time. We'll be coming up on Mercury Tracking Ship at 41 minutes past the hour. This is Apollo Control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 21:41:00, CST 7:41a 73/1 PAO This is Apollo Control 21 hours 41 minutes, ground elapsed time. Should have acquisition with the tracking ship Mercury of Apollo 9 spacecraft. During this pass Stu Roosa will no doubt go ahead and give the crew the GO decision for the SPS burn number 2 that he attempted to pass up just at loss of signal at Honeysuckle. We'll leave the circuit open now, and listen for any air-to-ground communications through Mercury. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston, through Mercury. SC Alright, Houston, Apollo 9. CAPCOM Oh, sterling, you are loud and clear. SC We are in process of donning our helmets and gloves here for the burn. CAPCOM Roger, got that. CAPCOM And Apollo 9, this is Houston. I believe you went over the hill at Honeysuckle there before I got you, but you are GO for SPS 02. SC Roger, understand we are GO for SPS 02. Thank you. CAPCOM Roger. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston, 1 minute LOS Mercury, and we'll see you over Texas at 04. SC Roger, over Texas at 04. PAO This is Apollo Control. Although we have not had loss of signal at tracking ship Mercury, it is unlikely there will be any further conversation. The crew presently is donning helmets and gloves on their pressure suits for the burn scheduled at 22 hours 12 minutes over the Texas tracking station. This SPS burn number 2 is one of a series of tests to demonstrate the attitude control of the command and service module during the service propulsion system thrusting, when both the CSM and the Lunar Module are docked. These burns are varying durations, are set up where the digital autopilot will damp out the oscillations that are induced by gimbaling the big engine of the service propulsion system, and thereby give a measure of the dynamic response of the spacecraft's structure. Other byproducts of the burns is to reduce the command and service module weight, and also being out-of-plane it drives the orbital plane further back to the east so that it improves tracking later in the mission for the rendezvous and the extravehicular activity. We'll be coming up on the Texas station at 22 hours 04 minutes ground _lapsed time, at 21 hours 49 minutes ground elapsed time, this is Apollo Control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 220400, CST 0804a 74/1 PAO This is Apollo Control at 22 hours 04 minutes ground elapsed time. We are coming up on a state- side pass here, across Texas, Mila, Bermuda, Vanguard, and on over to Canaries, a total time of about 25 minutes. At this time, the command module pilot should be climbing out of the lower equipment bay and on up into the couch and strapped in for the burn. The burn is scheduled for 22 hours 12 minutes and 03 seconds ground elapsed time, some 08 min- utes from now. We will stand by, he is making a call now. SC Roger. PAO This is Apollo Control some 03 minutes 48 seconds away from ignition time. No conversation going on at the presenttime. The guidance reported that the gim- hal motors on the big engine had come on, according to telem- etry. We will continue to monitor the air-to-ground circuit for any conversation between Mission Control and Apollo 9. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston. SC Houston, go. CAPCOM Roger. We are showing your scale in 5-5. SC Roger. Understand 5-5 will shift to 5 and 1 when we get ready to do a stroker. CAPCOM Roger, thank you. FAO Apollo Control here. One minute mark until ignition SPS burn number 2. PAO Five seconds. PAO Apogee is going up. Apparently the burn did go off on time and is still underway. Some 45 seconds into the burn. No conversation from the crew; they are quite busy at this time and will probably read back their residuals at the conclusion of the burn. We will continue to monitor the circuit. PAO We've had confirmation of the end of the burn. Perigee has remained right where it was supposed to; however, apogee is going on up around 187.6 and from the initial tracking, this will be refined somewhat as we get further tracking across the states. Gimbals motors are off on the big engine. These are the motors that actually swivel it in its mount to move the thrust vector. Now showing an apogee of 189.5. Let's listen in. CAPCOM - I've got -0001 + 0007 + 0003. SC Okay, that's pretty good and the delta V counter was -5. -- CAPCOM Say again, -5.? SC -5.1. CAPCOM -5.1. It looked pretty smooth, Apollo 9. And Apollo 9, Houston. Our first catch shows you 189 by 108. APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 220400, CST 0804a 74/2 CAPCOM And I copy your onboard NOUN at 44, Apollo 9. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69,GET 22:17:00,CST 08:17 75/1 CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston, through the Vanguard. How do you read? SC Loud and clear, Houston, how do you read us? CAPCOM That's about a thousand percent improve- ment over the last pass, reading you loud and clear. Our earth-band track now shows you 192 by 107. Looks like we are about to agree with you. SC Roger. How's our PIPA 5's? CAP COM Standby, SC Houston, Apollo 9. CAPCOM Go, Apollo 9. SC Roger. Stroker looks pretty smooth. We had a 40 percent (garbled) about 30 percent of 1 degree, and the MAX rate in pitch was about a tenth of a degree, and there didn't appear to be any trouble in the yaw. It all damped out probably about 5 seconds after the stroker stopped. CAPCOM Roger, Apollo 9, copied. Sounds great. Sc Okay, Houston, Apollo 9 here, SPS PU sensor light came on during the burn because of the large unbalance we had. However, it immediately jumped back down, and we are presently reading 69.25 percent oxidizer, and 69.4 percent fuel, and the unbalance is reading decrease about 30 pounds. CAPCOM Roger, Apollo 9, copied, sounds like things are shaping up. SC We still don't have an indicated helium pressure, though. CAPCOM Well, maybe if you kick that transducer again you'll get that back. SC If you'll tell us where to kick, we'll try it. CAPCOM Roger, in work. And at your convenience I have your gimbal angles for SPS 03 using your SPS 02 ref mat. SC Roger, standby. Okay, ready to copy. CAPCOM Roger, reading roll 024, pitch 001, yaw 353. SC 024, 001, 353. CAPCOM Roger, 353 on the yaw, and let's make sure your S-band volume is UP. We'll be handing over to Honeysuckle in about 3 minutes, 3 or 4 minutes. I meant Madrid - sorry about that. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston. SC Go ahead, Houston. CAPCOM Roger. We're showing PIPA 5's as minus .02 feet per second squared. SC Roger. It looks like we counted up about APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 22:17:00,CST 08:17 75/2 SC almost a foot per second there in that 30 seconds we were waiting for the burn to start. CAPCOM Roger, copy. And Apollo 9, Houston, that looks like it was in tolerance, we checked that. SC Roger, Houston. And be advised the count in R-03 was positive, also there prior to the burn, not negative. CAPCOM Roger, copy. CAPCOM Apollo 9, this is Houston. Fido is real happy with that burn, says it's completely nominal, looks like he won't even have to retarget for SPS 03. You did good work. SC Roger, and I assume you'll give us a GO for the structural demonstration before we get there, right? CAPCOM That's affirmative. SC Okay. SC Houston, Apollo 9. CAPCOM Go. SC Roger. For your information on the clock the burn shut off about 8/10ths of a second early. CAPCOM Roger, copy. PAO This is Apollo Control still standing by on the tail end of this pass. SC I'll call you again in a minute. CAPCOM Say again. SC Hey, Smokey. CAPCOM Go. SC Have you ever been attacked by a band of wild elephants? CAPCOM Negative. SC You ought to see what it looks like here with these six big black hoses. CAPCOM Roger, copy. SC Did you ever dream about octopuses? CAPCOM Hey, speaking of dreaming, how did the night go? SC I guess we did okay for our first cut. CAPCOM Okay, sounds real good. I'm going to lose: you here at Madrid in about 30 seconds and we'll see you over Carnarvon at 54. SC Hey, Stu, one thing we ran into a problem with was a lot of radio jazz coming off the ground. CAPCOM Okay, we'll see if we can stop that tonight. SC (garbled) PAO Apparently we have had Loss of Signal at the Madrid tracking station. The next station to acquire Apollo 9 will be the Carnarvon, Australia tracking station APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 22:17:00, CST 08:17, 75/3 PAO at 53 minutes past the hour. Apollo 9 has just begun the 15th revolution. Service propulsion system burn number 3 is scheduled to take place at 25 hours 17 minutes 38 seconds. It will be a much longer burn and will exercise the digital autopilot in the full stroking of the big engine. The last 45 seconds of SPS burn number 3 will be under manual thrust vector control by the crew. At 22 hours 29 minutes ground elapsed time, this is Apollo Control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET: 22:53:00 (08:53) 76/1 PAO This is Apollo Control, 22 hours, 53 minutes ground elapsed time. We are less than a minute away from ac- quisition at the Carnarvon, Australia tracking station. The refined tracking after the service propulsion system burn num- ber 2 during the last stateside pass has now come up with numbers of 107.7 nautical mile perigee, by 189.6 nautical mile apogee. This is a more refined number than the earlier cuts that were given by the flight dynamics officer after first tracking. We'll stand by here as we come up on the acquisition here; they are putting in a call now. SC Go ahead Houston. CC Roger. You're making it 5 square, standing by. SC Okay, we're chlorinating our water. CC Oh, very good. Very good; you are chlori- nating your water. SC That's a little behind schedule on that, but that's when we did it. CC And Apollo 9, Houston. Remind you on your S band volume, we'll be going over to Honeysuckle in about 2 minutes. SC Roger. CC Apollo 9, Houston. I've got a question for you when you've got time, at your convenience. Apollo 9, do you read? Apollo 9, Houston. How do you read through Honeysuckle? SC Houston, say again. CC Roger. I've got a question for you when you get time. SC Yes, go ahead. CC Okay, Just to ease our mind here to make sure we're working on the same procedures, we're curious about loading the DAP. We'd like to verify that you are doing that prior to the P 30, P 40 program. SC The last time we did it after P 30 but prior to P 40. CC Okay, we would like to have you load the DAP prior to both P 30 and P 40 prior to your P 52. SC Okay, we'll do that. CC Okay, very good. SC I guess we also have a question on when you want us to load the pitch trim and yaw trim you send us up next time which looks like it will be somewhat different from what the DAP ended up with ... on the SPS 2. CC Okay, would you say the first part of your question again Dave. SC Roger. We've looked at the nom SPS 3 pitch trim and yaw trim, the gimbals, and they look somewhat different from what we ended up with after SPS 2, and I guess the question is do you want us to load your numbers or our numbers ... ? APOLLO 9 COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET: 22:53:00 (08:53) 76/2 CC Okay copy; we'll give you that info when I have the pad. SC Okay, stand by. Houston, do you have a pad at this time? CC That's negative Apollo 9. SC Okay. CC And Apollo 9, this is Houston. We're about a minute to LOS at Honeysuckle, and we'll see you over Mercury about 15. SC Roger. PAO This is Apollo Control at 23 hours, 12 minutes. Apollo 9 is out of range at Honeysuckle Creek. The orange team of flight controllers lead by Pete Frank now in the pro- cess of handing over to Gene Kranz and his white team. We're estimating the change of shift news conference for 9:30 CST. This is Mission Control Houston. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 231500, CST 09:15a 77/1 PAO This is Apollo Control at 23 hours, 15 min- utes into the mission. The Mercury tracking ship in the south Pacific is acquiring Apolio 9 now. CAPCOM Apollo 9, this is Houston through the Mercury standingby. SC Roger. Go ahead. CAPCOM Roger. Just checking in, You are com- ing in 5 square. Sounds like the Mercury is working good. SC That's a very (garbled). CAPCOM Roger. SC What's new in Houston, Smokey? CAPCOM Hey, would you believe that there was ice on the windshield this morning. SC No, I wouldn't. CAPCOM Well, I speak with a straight tongue. SC Is the place washed away yet? CAPCOM No, we are keeping all the water out and everything's pretty good, It's just a little chilly? SC Very good. I wish we could say the same. CAPCOM Does that mean you are running hot or you're not dry? SC We're kind of damp on occassion. CAPCOM I also copy. SC There's nothing wrong. Those are human errors. CAPCOM Roger. Smoke understands. SC You've never made one, you've just heard about them. Is that right? CAPCOM Now, that's a negative. CAPCOM Sounds like you all are too relaxed to- day. We'll have to put you to work tomorrow - save it up, SC It's hard enough today just trying to figure out how we eat and sieep. SC Houston, Apollo 9. CAPCOM Go, Apollo 9. SC I get some data here on our little in- teruptions last night. Seems like we were going over some station that was transmitting VHF from a tower clearing people to land and it was daylight when we went over and I have got some times. I doubt if it will do any good, but you can have them anyway. CAPCOM Okay. Go ahead, SC We picked up some at 1018 - 10 hours and 18 minutes. Again at 11:57, again 16:35, again at 18:12. And the first couple sounded somewhat like Chinese. CAPCOM Roger. Understand the first couple was a Navy tower. SC Something like that. I'm not an expert in that paticular branch, but it was strange. APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 231500, CST 09:15am 77/2 SC Hey, I'll give you a clue they've got a runway that's 112 and they have a (garbled) 112. They fly a whole bunch of different kinds of airplanes - Mohawks, and C-47 and 01's. And if you really wanted you could call Green Hornet 35 or Black Hawk 15. CAPCOM Roger. Copy all that. You know I thought you were jesting a while ago when you said about the trans- missions interupting you. SC Bring it in every hour and a half. We had two six or seven minute passes. Chris ought to incor- porate these guys into the network. SC Actually it was one of the better tower operators I've heard. The guy really had a lot of traffic, and he was doing pretty good. CAPCOM Okay, Apollo 9, this is Houston. We'll do a little work on this to see what's going on. Yeah, I didn't realize you had this and it is on the BFC. We'll take a look at it. SC Okay, good. CAPCOM I guess it's all right just as long as you don't have to get clearance through that tower. And I am going to lose you in Mercury in about a minute and we'll see you over Guaymas around three-four. SC Okay. PAO This is Apollo Control at 23 hours 23 min- utes into the mission. Mercuy has LOS of signal now. Very chatty pass. This time crew reporting at least four occas- sions where they have heard VHF communications from control tower at an airfield. Dave Scott complimenting the tower operator for his ability to handle heavy traffic. The net- work controller is now attempting to run a check and see where this traffic may have come from. They identified 4 times - elapsed times 10 hours 18 minutes, 11 hours 57 min- utes, 16 hours 35 minutes, 18 hours 12 minutes. Smokey to whom you have heard reference to several times is Astronaut Stu Roosa. Back in his college days he spent several sum- mers as a smoke jumper with the U.S. Forest Service - para- chuting in to fight forest fires. At 23 hours 24 minutes - this is Mission Control Houston. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISISON COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, 23:50:00, 09:50 78/1 PAO this is Apollo Control at 23 hours 50 minutes, Apollo 9 out over the Atlantic now in it's 16th revolution. It's been a fairly quite pass over the United States. We did pass up the maneuver pad for the third SPS burn. We have the tape of this pass starting with the Guaymus station, we'll play that for you now. CAPCOM Roger, I haven't heard anything. SC Okay, standby, Houston, how do you read Apollo 9? CAPCOM Apollo 9, this is Houston reading you loud and clear. Apollo 9, this is Houston, I read you loud and clear. SC Houston, Apollo 9. CAPCOM Apollo 9, I'm reading you loud and clear. How me? SC Same. Ready to copy. CAPCOM Roger, standby here, don't have yet. Let me give you an estimate of when it's going to come out of the trench. SC Okay. CAPCOM Okay, Apollo 9, Houston, we've got the pad already with the exception of the star data, and we ought to have it for you in another 4 or 5 minutes. We've got you now on a nice long stateside pass here. SC Go ahead Houston. CAPCOM Roger, we would like to give you a state vector and a target load, if you will go crew [sic] in ACCEPT. SC Roger, it's yours. CAPCOM Understand it is ours. SC That's affirmative. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston, I have your SPS 03 pad. SC Roger, Houston, ready to copy. CAPCOM Roger. Reading SPS 03 025173800 plus 00151 minus 25707 minus 00002 25707 25640 4419 51207 plus 118 minus 017 2112010 21600 minus 2145 plus 16867 1610, end of update. SC Okay, are you ready for the readback? CAPCOM Go. SC Roger 05173800 plus 00151 minus 5707 minus 0025707560 4419 51207 plus 118 minus 017 2112010 21600 minus 2145 plus 16867 1610. CAPCOM Roger. I think you got it all there, Rusty, but I want to confirm tough one. Seemed like you were coming out on the 2's on the time, it's 025 DELTA-VY is a minus 25707, and DELTA-VZ minus 00002 and DELTA-ZC 25640. SC Roger. We've got that. CAPCOM Okay, and Apollo 9, the computer is yours, you have your target load, and the state vector in both lots. APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, 23:50:00, 09:50 78/2 SC Roger, did you happen to notice the pitch and yaw trick that we have in the DAP at this time, after the last burn? CAPCOM Roger, it looked like we were running pretty close. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston. SC Go ahead. CAPCOM Roger, just for your info, we did take your values and use them. That's why they checked so well. SC un huh. CAPCOM We're shaping up. SC (garbled) CAPCOM Roger, the data from the SPS 2 burn on the stroker looks real nominal with rigid body results, max rates, and pitch was about 2 seconds after initiation, and peaked out about a minus .15, the yaw was real low, and everything was essentially nominal, and you are GO for a full amplitude on SPS 03. SC Okay, and we'll give you a full structural demonstration. CAPCOM Roger, copy. SC It's sort of interesting. The RCS quads, when they fire, even in the middle of impulse, and particularly when we are moving around in ADAPT, you can feel the whole, thing shake and vibrate. It really feels Just like a (garble) it's pretty solid. CAPCOM Roger, copying. SC Houston, Apollo 9. CAPCOM Go, Apollo 9. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston here, go ahead. CAPCOM Apollo 9, this is Houston, I didn't copy your last transmission. If you will just hang loose for just a couple of minutes we will be over Canary and I'll be able to read you then. SC Roger. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston, through Canary, how do you read? SC Read you 5 by. CAPCOM Roger, Apollo 9, you have a GO for 33-1. SC Roger, understand go for 33-1. CAPCOM And I'm reading you 5 square, and I missed your last tranmission when we were mixed up on the Vanguard there. SC Roger, I was just commenting that the machinery here is very interesting because with the RCS quads, you can feel the whole structure bend and vibrate, just one or two propulsions, yet the SPS seems pretty solid, you can hardly feel any bending at all. CAPCOM Roger, copy, thank you. APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, 23:50:00, 09:50 78/3 SC Houston, Apollo 9. CAPCOM Go, Apollo 9. SC What the time for this burn? We have 25173820 in our computer, and I just have 25:17:38 here. CAPCOM Apollo 9, this is Houston. Go with the time in the computer. SC Okay. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston. SC Go ahead Houston. CAPCOM Roger, we would like to have you confirm this onboard. It appears here that the evaporator appears to be drying out. If this is true we would recommend your shutting it down, not to reservice it at this time. SC Okay, we can confirm that onboard, and I'll go ahead and shut it down. CAPCOM Roger, understand. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston. SC Go ahead. CAPCOM We're about a minute and a half LOS Canaries, and Tananarive is down this pass, we'll see you over Carnarvon at 30. SC Roger, Carnarvon at 30. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 240000, CST 1000a 79/1 SC Houston, do you still read Apollo 9? If you do, we would like to advise you that we did get the secondary water flow control off yesterday. CAPCOM Rog, copy that. And I should be able to copy you for about another 45 seconds or so. SC Okay. PAO This is Apollo Control at 24 hours 2 minutes into the mission. We have had loss of signal at the Canary Islands station. During this pass we passed up information for the third service propulsion system burn. That will come at 25 hours 17 minutes 38 seconds, delta V 2,570.7 feet per second, duration of this burn 4 minutes 41.9 seconds. The biggest component of this delta V will be out of plane. We are expecting a resulting orbit from the third burn in the neighborhood of 270 by 109 nautical miles. We are now at about 189 by 108. The Tananarive station is down as far as the voice is concerned and we will not be in contact at Tananarive during this revolu- tion, the 16th revolution. The next station to acquire will be Carnarvon at 24 hours 29 minutes. This is Mission Control Houston at 24 hours 4 minutes. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET:24:25:00 (10:25a) 80/1 PAO This is Apollo Controlat 24 hours, 25 minutes into the mission. Apollo 9 is in the nightside of the 16th revolution, out over the Indian Ocean, east of Tananarive. Tananarive Station is down; we had no communications during this pass. Command Module pilot Dave Scott should be down in the lower equipment bay at this time at the optics station and the crew should be realigning the inertial measure- ment unit. We are about 4 minutes away from acquisition at Carnarvon; we'll come back up then. This is Mission Control Houston. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET: 24:29:00 (10:29a) 81/1 PAO This is Apollo Control at 24 hours, 29 minutes. We should be acquiring Carnarvon very shortly. This pass will continue right on through the tracking ship Huntsville Just about a 10 second break between the Honeysuckle Station and the Huntsville; we will carry it through live through the Huntsville. CC Apollo 9, Houston through Carnarvon, standing by. SC Roger. SC Houston, are you ready for torquing angle - over? CC Go ahead. SC Plus 232 minus 473, minus 841. 242800. CC Apollo 9, Houston. We copy that. The time 242800. SC Roger. CC Apollo 9, bring up your S band volume; we'll be going over the Honeysuckle in about a minute and a half. SC Roger; S band is up. CC Copy. CC Apollo 9, Houston. SC Go ahead Houston. CC Roger. You are GO for SPS 3. SC Roger; understand. GO for SPS 3. CC And Apollo 9, this is Houston. We are going to lose you here at Honeysuckle in about 30 seconds. The comm through the Huntsville is reported to be a little bad here; if we don't make contact there, we'll see you at the Redstone at 02. PAO This is Apollo Control, 24 hours, 46 minutes and we have had LOS at Honeysuckle. The Huntsville due to acquire within a few seconds; we'll stand by and see what the quality of the communications is there. COMM Huntsville, valid, two-way. CC Say again Apollo 9. CC And Apollo 9, this is Houston. We'll have you through the Huntsville here for about 5 minutes; if the noise gets to blasting you, let us know; we'll just turn it off. SC Roger. (garble) CC You're down in the mud a little bit; I can copy. PAO This is Apollo Control, 24 hours, 50 minutes and it seems very unlikely we are going to have good communi- cations here at the Huntsville and we will not assault your ears with that noise any more. If there is communication, we will come back up and play it for you. We are at 27 minutes and about 10 seconds away from this third SPS burn, which will occur right at the end of the 16th revolution. We'll still be in contact with tha Texas station with overlapping coverage APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 242900, 10:29a 81/2 from Mila. The biggest component of this very long burn, 4 minutes 42 seconds, almost, 4.41.9 and 2,570.7 feet per second, out of plane. Designed for two primary purposes. One, to lower the weight of the command and service module so that when we reach the rendezvous stage, the command module will be in a better posture to use its reaction con- trol system in the event that a rescue maneuver is required. It doesn't need as much thrusting propellant to shove around a lighter spacecraft. Also designed to move the node of the orbit, that's the point at which the ground track of the or- bit crosses the equator. We are driving this node about 10-1/2 degrees east, with this one burn. We launched deliberately on a pitched azimuth of 72 degrees which put the node about 22 degrees west of where we want it to be during the rendezvous and this series of out of plane burns, the docked SPS, and the docked descent propulsion system burn, which comes later in the mission, primarily out of plane to move this node to the east for proper ground track over the tracking stations and also for lighting, to get the proper lighting at the terminal phase and breaking and docking of the two spacecraft. There has been no further communication at Huntsville, we have LOS now. The next station to acquire will be the Redstone. at 25 hours 3 minutes. We are now at 24 hours 53 minutes, this is Mission Control Houston. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 250300, CST ll:03am 82/1 PAO This is Apollo Control at 25 hours 3 min- utes. We are coming up on the Redstone and then we'll go right into the states pass. And we are about 14 and one- half minutes away from the burn. CAPCOM And Apollo 9, this is Houston through the Redstone. Standing by for your burn. SC Roger. PAO Apollo Control. We may not have much conversation. Crew getting busy for this burn. We'll do another stroker test on this third SPS burn. The computer wagging the engine bell on the service module. It's check- ing the digital auto pilot and seeing how quick the auto pilot can steer out the little inaccuracies put in. In some ways it's like checking the play in your steering wheel of your automobile. During the last 45 seconds of this burn the crew will take over manually. Called manual thrust vector - the last 45 seconds. PAO Apollo Control. We are now 7 minutes away from this third SPS burn. PAO Apollo Control. We expect the resulting orbit following this burn to be in the neighborhood of 270 by 109 nautical miles. We are now at 190 by 107. PAO Flight Director Gene Kranz has just taken a status report. All of his controllers report they are GO for this burn. PAO This is Apollo Control. We are two min- utes away from the burn now. PAO Mark one minute. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 251700, CST 1117a 83/1 PAO Fifteen seconds. PAO We have ignition. G&C reports it looks very stable. PAO Still nice and stable. PAO Engine looks good, the rates are low, and very stable burn. Apogee going up slowly as most of this burn is out of plane, approaching 200-mile apogee. Still looking good at the 2-minute 30-second mark into this third SPS burn. PAO Engine and vehicle both still stable. Apogee is up to 225 nautical miles now. PAO Looking for cut-off at 25 hours 22 min- utes 20 seconds. We are 21 minutes 28 seconds now. PAO Crew flying it manually now and it looks good. Cut-off. PAO Initial look at the onboard computer looks like we are right in there close. SC Houston, Apollo 9. CAPCOM Roger, Apollo 9. I copy the residuals at + 26 -21 and -25. SC Roger, that's pretty close and we have a -6.6 on the delta V counter. Burn was nominal, stroker was fine. CAPCOM Roger, copy -6.6 on the delta V and we were monitoring here and it looked real smooth and every- thing looked great. SC In our orbit, Houston, 274.5 by 109.6. CAPCOM Roger, copy that and it's - the burn looks real good here, we will have your onboard readings but it's going to be real nominal. I mean we will have the ground orbit for you shortly. CAPCOM Dave, did you have to do much flying on that MTVC? SC Roger, we had a pretty good transient in roll, but when I switched over I believe because the V mags were caging zero, and we were sitting in the edge, the DAP did bend about 5 degrees over. We were - by the time we got to the switchover our gimbal trim was almost 2 and we trimmed a little over 1 in pitch, which gave a little transient at pitch and we had about 1/2 degree in trim and yaw, which gave a little transient in yaw, but pretty easy to damp out all of A and do just about like the simulator. CAPCOM Roger, thank you. SC Houston, we've got a couple of other system things I want to tell you about here before you go over the hill. CAPCOM Roger, go ahead. We have got several minutes. APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 251700, CST ll17a 83/2 SC Okay, we would like you to take a look at fuel cell 3. At the present time, the fuel cell 3 O2 flow is high, reading .78 in it, and the H2 flow at the same time is .072. We may have a leaky fuel cell O2 purge valve or something. CAPCOM Roger, copy. SC Kind of rambles all over during a burn and we are presently 500 pounds on the increase side. The light must have come on at least 6 or 7 times. I went to auxilliary on it and the light came on and off there also. I switched back to normal and we are presently reading 23.1 and 21.1, oxygen and fuel, respectively. CAPCOM Roger, copy that, 23.1 and 21.1. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 252700, CST ll:27am 84/1 CAPCOM And Apollo 9, Houston. I have your gim- bal angles for SPS4 using REFSMMAT. SC Go ahead. CAPCOM Roger. Roll 017, pitch 001, yaw 355. SC Roger. 017 001 355. CAPCOM That's affirmative, Apollo 9. PAO This is Apollo Control. We are in a keyhole between the Vanguard and the Canaries now. We'll continue to standby live. Flight Dynamics Officer wants to look at tracking for a while before he comes up with refined orbital numbers, but it looks like we are going to be very, very close to nominal - what we were expecting after this burn. PAO The E COMM has been taking a look at this fuel cell number 302 flow-high. He reports its running about 2 tenths of a pound per hour above normal. He says he will continue to watch, but he is not really concerned with it at this time - at that low-rate. PAO And we have the heartrate highs during that long SPS burn. McDivitt - 115, Scott - 108, Rusty Schweickart - 70 - seven zero. PAO This is Mission Control. We still have about 2 minutes left at the Canaries. We'll continue to standby. CAPCOM And Apollo 9 - Houston. We are about a minute from LOS on Canaries and we'll see you over Tanna- rive about four-eight. SC (Garbled) Houston, Apollo 9. SC What's our overages Houston? CAPCOM Roger. Stand by. We haven't got that out of FIDO yet. SC Okay. And also, Houston, you might have some words to say after you look at the data there on the SPSP sensor. Both normal and off have a pretty high increase. I'd like to know if you want to go decrease on the next burn. CAPCOM Roger, Apollo 9. We are going to have some work on the bug for the SPS4. SC Okay. CAPCOM And Apollo 9, Houston. We're losing you here. We'll see you over Tannanarive with a preliminary orbit - I hope. SC Roger. PAO This is Apollo Control - 25 hours, 37 minutes into the mission. Canaries has loss of signal now. FIDO, the Flight Dynamics Officer, expects to have a good look at the orbit by the time Apollo 9 gets to Tannanarive [sic], and we'll pass up the numbers at that time. This long third APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69; GET 252700, CST ll:27am 84/2 SPS burn went essentially as planned, according to all preliminary indications. We will acquire Tannanarive [sic] at 47 minutes 44 seconds. We are now at 25 hours, 38 minutes, 23 seconds. This is Mission Control Houston. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET: 25:47:00 (11:47a) 85/1 PAO This is Apollo Control at 25 hours, 47 minutes. Apollo 9 coming up on Tananarive now; we'll stand by. CC Apollo 9, Houston through Tananarive. SC (garble) (static) CC Okay Apollo 9, Houston. I think you are trying to answer me but you are unreadable. Our orbit is showing you in a 271.8 by 109.5. SC (garble) CC You are essentially unreadable Apollo 9; I can detect you are transmitting. SC (Garble) CC Apollo 9, Houston. We are going to loose you at Tananarive in about a minute and we'll see you over Carnarvon at 05. SC Roger. (garble) now. CC Missed that Apollo 9; say again. SC Are you able to read us now? CC I can make you out now, but barely. Before I couldn't read you at all. SC Okay, we'll see you at 05 at Carnarvon. CC Roger. PAO This is Apollo Control. Apollo 9 is be - yond [sic] Tananarive's range. Next station to acquire will be Carnarvon at 26 hours, 5 minutes. During this pass communi- cations were bad, we did pass up the ground computed orbital parameters based on tracking information through the Canary Islands. We are showing an orbit of 271.8 by 109.5 nautical miles. At 26 hours, this is Mission Control, Houston. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 260400, CST 1204p 86/1 PAO This is Apollo Control at 26 hours minutes. Apollo 9 still in the nightside on this 17th revolution, coming up on Carnarvon now. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston through Carnarvon. SC Roger, Houston, Apollo 9. CAPCOM Roger, you are loud and clear and we've got you here at Carnarvon for about 10 minutes. SC Beautiful. This must be one of those long passes. CAPCOM Roger. I guess you copied the orbit we're showing you in over Tananarive. SC Roger, we did and I'd like to update you on the malfunction procedure. Stand by just one. CAPCOM Roger. SC Okay, we've gone through malfunction 1 golf and we've worked our way through steps 1, 5, and 6 and presently standing by to see if the cryo quantity de- creases abnormally. And be advised our, if you are ready to copy, I've got some data on the purge flow. CAPCOM Rog. I copied malfunction I goss, your steps, and I'm standing by to copy. SC Okay. In step 5 there, when I purged fuel cell 3, the O2 flow increase was much greater than nor- mal, in fact, it went off scale high, so I don't know how much of an increase I got, but the increase went from .65 to off scale high. CAPCOM Roger, copy from .65 to off scale high on the O2 flow, purged fuel cell 3. SC Roger. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston. SC Go ahead, Houston. CAPCOM Rog. Just a couple items on the flight plan. In regards to this subject, at about 2945 there is an O2 purge on the fuel cells shown and we would like to have you do that over a ground station so we could watch it. SC Okay, you want us to purge over a ground station on that 2945 purge. CAPCOM That is affirmative. CAPCOM Go Apollo 9. SC Roger, I beg your pardon. Would you like that over Hawaii? CAPCOM Hawaii will be fine. SC Okay. CAPCOM And one other item on the flight plan. SC Why don't we do that over Carnarvon and that way if you have any good news for us or any instructions APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 260400, CST 1204p 86/2 you can give them to us at Hawaii and not interrupt our rest period. CAPCOM Roger, that's a sterling idea, Apollo 9. SC Okay. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston. SC Go ahead. CAPCOM Roger. One other item on the flight plan. Along in here any time we would like to have you re- service the waterboiler. SC Okay. CAPCOM Okay, and that is to just leave it off, Apollo 9. Just reservice it and leave it off. SC Okay, I understand you want to reservice it and leave it off. CAPCOM That is affirmative and we are also picking up trouble with the DSE voice. We are showing about 4 discrete tones wiping the voice on it and we would like to have you verify your VHF configuration there just as a first cut at it. We have got a handle on the problem. SC Okay. We are in syntax [sic] alpha and every- thing else is off. CAPCOM Roger, copy. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston. Would you bring up your S-band volume. We are going to go over to Honey- suckle in a couple of minutes. SC Roger. CAPCOM And for your info, FIDO tells us that we are within seconds of the proper setup on the rendezvous right now. SC Roger, good news .... we want to fix it before we get there. CAPCOM (laughter) Rog. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, 26:14:00, 12:14 87/1 CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston. SC Houston, Apollo 9. CAPCOM Roger. Could you trip your surge tank for us, please? SC Roger, we're just filling the PLSS tank there. CAPCOM Roger, understand, thank you. SC Houston, we Just filled the PLSS tank up to 600 and we've let the surge tank fill back up again. We want to work that up this time. CAPCOM Roger, copy, we concur, we just wanted to verify our reading here on the third tank. SC Roger. CAPCOM Just viewing over your shoulder. SC Yes, we didn't think you were watching. CAPCOM Big brother is ever watching. SC Good. How about big sister? CAPCOM Negative, just old Smokey. Sc Hey, has old Golden throat made it back yet? CAPCOM I haven't seen or heard from him. SC How about Funny? Is he there? CAPCOM I understand he is in the local area, but I haven't seen him over here yet. SC Tell him we send our love. CAPCOM Alright, sure will. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston, we are about to come off with Honeysuckle and we're going to try the Huntsville again this time through a satellite, so we'll see if the comm has improved any. SC (garbled.) PAO This is Apollo Control at 26 hours 23 minutes. We have acquisition at the Huntsville and we will continue to stand by. CAPCOM Apollo 9, this is Houston, through the Huntsville, how do you read? PAO This is Apollo Control, The Huntsville is very very noisy again this time. We're going to come down off this loop. If there is any air-to-ground over the Huntsville we will come back up. This is Mission Control Houston at 26 hours 24 minutes. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET: 26:25:00 (12:25p) 88/1 PAO This is Apollo Control, at 26 hours, 25 minutes. We've had a little bit of air to ground in with all this noise; we will play that for you. CC Apollo 9, this is Houston. Through the Huntsville. (garble) trying to evaluate the dock pretty noisy to me can you read me at all? CC Apollo 9 This is Houston. We are giving you a short count to maybe help set up your equipment. 12345 54321. Houston out. CC Apollo 9, Houston, do you read? SC I read you clear. CC Okay, understand. Weak but clear, and I copied you about the same on that one. CC 21 ... and Apollo 9, Houston. Just for your info - we're trying these tests ... trying to get some comm set up here looking ahead to rendezvous day. SC I read you now. CC Okay, you are coming through real weak; I can make it out however. SC Same for you. You are coming through clear but very weak. CC Okay, understand. Clear but weak. Are you getting this background static? SC There is some background static, but not tremendous. CC Roger. Copy. CC Apollo 9, this is Houston. We'll have you over Hawaii at about 34 and at that time, we would like to get a long count from you from about 15 seconds while we work some ground comm equipment at that time. I'll give you a GO on your count. SC Roger. Apollo 9. PAO This is Apollo Control at 26 hours, 30 minutes. Huntsville has LOS now. The crew has been running some malfunction procedures on the fuel cell number 3O2 flow, which is still a little higher than it should be, and even more so when they purge. So, comm would like for them to do the next purge over a ground station where he can watch it also; that next purge comes about 29 hours and 45 minutes. They'll delay it a couple of minutes till they get into acquisition at Hawaii; that'll be during the 19th revolution. The DSE voice you beard them refer to, in which the tone is wiping out some of the voices, data storage equipment, is used to store the voice comments when the spacecraft is out of range of a station, and then it can be dumped to the ground at selected stations. We are getting a tone on there which is interfering with the voice quality on the tape, and they are going to take a look at that. Next station to acquire will be Hawaii at 26 hours, 34 minutes, at about 2 minutes from now. We'll be doing some more communication tests over the Hawaii station looking forward to rendezvous day. This is Mission Control, Houston, at 26 hours, 32 minutes. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, 26:34:00, 12:34 89/1 PAO This is Apollo Control 26 hours 34 minutes into the Mission, and we are within range of Hawaii, we'll stand by. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston, through Hawaii. How do you read? SC (garbled) Houston. CAPCOM Apollo 9, say again. SC Roger, you are coming in loud and clear now. CAPCOM Real good. Stand by one here, let me check and see if we are ready for your long count. CAPCOM Okay, Apollo 9, this is Houston. We would like to start in about 30 seconds. What we need is we are trying to get this equipment setup for rendezvous day and we need a long slow count, up to about 15 seconds, and bring it on pretty slow here for us because we will be changing some ground antenna configurations during your count. SC Roger. CAPCOM Okay, Apollo 9, Houston, you can begin the count any time. SC Okay, long count (garbled) starting 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, did I miss any? CAPCOM Roger, we copied all that except for 1, but it was really enlightening down here. We switched some configuration right about 5 and you went from down at a fairly low level, you popped right up to 5 square, and we'd like to repeat this test again in about a minute or minute and a half. SC Okay, we'll choose that 5 square con- figuration for rendezvous. CAPCOM That's affirmative. In fact, we might just do you one better, we might just use that from now on, as well as the rendezvous. SC What did you all do, turn on the receiver? CAPCOM That's about it. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston, we would like to have you repeat that test, please. SC Okay, long count coming 1, 2,3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 9, 7, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, How was that? CAPCOM That was real good, appreciate that, think we got some good data then. SC (garbled) END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET: 26:44:00 (12:44p) 90/1 CC Apollo 9, this is Houston. SC Go ahead Houston. CC Roger. We'd like to uplink your state vector in the target load if you'll give us two and accept. SC Okay, you've got it. CC Okay, and if you'd drag out your pads, I'll have an SPS 4 pad for you in about 1 minute. SC Just say when. CC Okay. Apollo 9, Houston; I have this SPS 4 pad. Apollo 9, Houston, I have SPS 4 pad ready to read. SC Roger, Houston. Apollo 9, how do you read? We are ready to copy. CC Roger. Reading you 5 square. Reading 028244030 minus 00012 minus 03009, all zips, 03009, 02945, 0283, 32743, plus 150 minus 069, 2624560, 25100 minus 1737 plus 13970, 2092, endof update. SC Houston, Apollo 9 - do you have time for the readback? CC That's affirmative; we've got time here, we may have a handoff here to Bermuda, but go ahead, it should bring us up. SC Okay. Reading back. 028244030 minus 00012, minus 03009, all zips, 03009, 02945, 0283, 32743, plus 150 minus 069, 2624560, 25100 minus 1737, plus 13970, 2092, over. CC Roger. Houston confirms that and we went right through that handoff without losing a digit. SC Fantastical. Hey Smokie, got a minute? CC ... press. SC Hey, when we flew across Texas a minute ago I looked down and I thought I saw a whole bunch of flags flying in Nassau Bay. And if I did, would you thank all those people down there for us? CC Alright, sure will. They probably heard you here over our friendly radio station. SC Alrightey, tell them we all think it's pretty neat. CC Alright. Apollo 9, the computer is yours; we have sent you a state vector and a target load. SC Roger, understand. We got the computer state vector, and target load. Houston, this is Apollo 9; we did another realign before SPS 3 before ... at the torqueing angles and the times, we'll give it to you when we get you, that is if we haven't already given it to you. Are you still with us? CC Roger. I copy that. Apollo 9, I'm trying to look back at the last time we got them from you was 24 plus 28 ... plus 00. SC Yeah, we had some later ones here. You ready to copy? CC Roger. Go ahead. APOLLO 9 COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET: 26:44:00 (12:44p) 90/2 SC Okay, plus 00006 plus 00010, minus 00022, and the time was 245100. CC Roger. Copy. Thank you. SC That was the second alignment before that burn. CC Roger. Understand. SC Figure that one and make sure. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 265900, CST 12:59pm 91/1 CAPCOM Hey, we're getting better. SC Last time you were perfect. CAPCOM Okay. SC If you keep this up you will figure out where we are. CAPCOM Hey, I was just looking at the difference in the - in your vectors on the tube here and it is almost all zeros. You've really got a winner onboard there. SC You mean our computer? CAPCOM That's affirmative. Yes, it's a com- parison between your onboard vector and the ground vector is almost no error between the two. CMP has really been tracking good. SC Say, one thing I'm still a little con- cerned about is everytime average G comes on at T minus 30 there. We're picking up almost a foot per second in that 30 seconds waiting for the burn to start. CAPCOM Roger. We copied your query on that before and everybody says that that is well within the balance. I looked through the checklist here and it says as long as it is less than 2 feet per second in 5 seconds it's GO. SC Yes, but we want to be perfect. CAPCOM I see. You want to trim those - SC (Garbled.) It is sort of unusual to see anything really. CAPCOM Yeah. We agree with that. I guess that's probably a good thing - we ought to load some into the simulator. SC Probably be a good idea. CAPCOM Hey, if you got a minute for a question, I'm curious about your windows. Are they fogged up? How is your visability? SC I just took apicture of the left hand rendezvous window and it's starting to fog up around the sides. It looks like some sort of film on the outside of the outer pane or the inside of the outer pane - it's hard to tell. It has moved in from the edge about one-half inch. Now on the far right side and all the way down and about 4 inches down from the top on the left side from the top of the apex - and the hatch window has got a big circle in the middle of it. It is beginning to fog up. CAPCOM Roger. Copy that. Sounds like problems still with us then. SC And windows 4 and 5 are clear. I don't see any trouble with them at all. And be advised that hatch window - it's a pretty light coating still. CAPCOM Roger. Understand. APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 265900, CST 12:59pm 91/2 SC It almost looks like it goes away when the sun shines on that - that and window number 1. CAPCOM Roger. Copy. And -- SC Window number 1 seems to fog up period- ically, but I'd say for the most part they are pretty good. CAPCOM Roger. Understand and I got a few words of wisdom on the cryo tanks for tonight. SC Okay. Go ahead. CAPCOM All right, you are starting to fade out on me a little bit - still got some time here with you, but tonight we'd like to just about repeat the plan that we did last night. At this time go ahead and turn off the heaters in both H2 tanks. Allow the pressure to drop to 175 PSI and use the heaters to keep the pressure from going below 175 and then prior to the sleep period we'll turn on the fans and H2 tank number 2 and we hope that it will keep the pressure up during the night. SC Okay. We've got the heaters OFF now and you want us to let it go down 175 - keep it to 175 using the heaters and then tonight use H2 fan number 2 rather than 1. CAPCOM That's affirmative. SC Roger. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston. We're showing a pretty big middle gimbal angle there. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 270900, CST 1309p 92/1 CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston, We are showing a pretty big middle gimbal angle there. SC Roger. SC Houston, Apollo 9. What's your temper- atures on the quads for the burn here, the roll quad. CAPCOM Rog, Apollo 9, copy. Stand by. SC Okay. We've been using B and D because they show highest up here, but if you have any other pref- erences, let us know. CAPCOM All right, understand. You are going to plan on using Baker and Delta unless we advise you otherwise. SC That's affirm. CAPCOM Okay. CAPCOM And Apollo 9, Houston. We are losing you at Canaries. We will see you at Tananarive about 25, excuse me, Ascension here coming up here real soon. Sorry about that. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston. Do you read? SC Houston, Apollo 9. CAPCOM Go ahead, Apollo 9. SC Roger. You called? CAPCOM Yes. We've got one other question for you on the PUGS system. Rusty commented that he switched from prime or normal to aux. We would like to know if the meter changed when you switched and if it did, the readings before and after. SC Okay, the answer is yes, it did change. The unbalance tended to decrease but then it came back up again and it also caused the master alarm to go on and off and so I switched back to normal. Both normal and aux indi- cate an increase in the oxidizier unbalance. I can't give you a quantity reading on the auxilliary system because it was moving. For your information, during the burn, the ox- idizer unbalance jumped all around. CAPCOM Okay, Apollo 9, we copied that. Thank you very much. SC Okay, and if you can't think of anything better to do with it, we might consider shutting if off on some of these later burns, because it's taking a lot of time to reset the master alarm during those burns. CAPCOM Roger, Apollo 9. We've been consider-1 [sic] ing that and unless we can come with something better, that is probably going to be our recommendation. We are still trying to troubleshoot it, that is the purpose for this ques- tion. SC Okay. Besides that, it changes the pulse rate too. APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 270900, CST 1309p 92/2 CAPCOM I'm sorry, Apollo 9. Change of what? I didn't catch your last statement. SC The master alarm changes the heart rate. CAPCOM (laughter) Roger, understand. CAPCOM We didn't notice that down here. You looked cool as a cucumber. PAO This is Apollo Control at 27 hours 18 minutes. Ascension has loss of signal now. We are an hour and 5 minutes away from the fourth SPS burn. That burn will take place at 28 hours 24 minutes 40.3 seconds. Delta V of 300.9 feet per seconds duration of the burn 28.3 seconds, This again will be an out of plane burn. We expect the perigee to stay essentially where it is, 109 and 1/2 nautical miles and we expect the apogee to go up about 2 miles from 271.8 to 273.8. We got a report on the windows. The first window report in this report. The crew reported the left- hand rendezvous window starting to fog up a bit, film on the outer pane. It was difficult to tell whether it was on the inside or outside of that pane. It's moved about 1/2 inch from the edge. They also reported a circle of fog in the middle of the hatch window, appeared to be a very light coating, disappeared when the sun was shining on it. The other windows reported clear. We will acquire at Tananarive in about 4 minutes. This is Mission Control Houston. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 27:24:00, 13:24 93/1 PAO This is Apollo Control at 27 hours 24 minutes ground elapsed time. Apollo 9 about to acquire at Tananarive. CAPCOM Apollo 9, this is Houston through Tananarive. SC Houston, Apollo 9. CAPCOM Okay, I'm reading you okay, just standing by here. we'll have you for about 8 minutes across Tananarive. SC Roger, do you want to copy the purging angles? CAPCOM Roger, go ahead. SC Okay, plus 00298 minus 00394 minus 00649. CAPCOM Roger, I copy. SC Beginning of the time will be 27:28:00. CAPCOM Roger, copy time 27:28:00, and I copied angles. SC Roger. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET: 27:34:00 (13:34p) 94/1 CC And Apollo 9, we'll see you over Carnarvon, at about 42. PAO This is Apollo Control at 27 hours, 36 minutes. Tananarive has had LOS; next station will be Carnarvon at 27 hours, 42 minutes. Astronaut Al Worden, another member of the Apollo 9 support team, has joined Astronaut Stu Roosa at the capcomm console. This is Mission Control, Houston. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 274100, CST 1341p 95/1 PAO This is Apollo Control at 27 hours 41 minutes. Apollo 9 is nearing acquisition at Carnarvon. We will stand by. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston through Carnarvon. SC Roger. CAPCOM You're loud and clear. Apollo 9, I would like to close a loop I mentioned a while back about the DSE voice interference. Evidently that was a ground playback problem; we've run your last dump through and it is real good. So that DSE voice is okay. SC Okay, fine. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston. Another item, fuel cell 3 O2 flow looks normal to us. It's settled back down. SC Yes, it does look like it is coming down again. SC Houston, Apollo 9. Do you plan to have us charge that A tonight? CAPCOM Copy, Apollo 9. Stand by. CAPCOM Apollo 9, that is affirmative. SC Roger, thank you. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston. SC Go ahead. CAPCOM Rog. Another question on our PUGS problem. Have you tried the temp switch on this. SC That's a negative. CAPCOM Roger, understand. Have you got time to run that for us now, Rusty? If we so request it? SC Sure do. CAPCOM Okay, stand by one. Okay, Rusty, we would like to have you do that. I'm sure you are familiar with this procedure, but we would like to have your values now so you can return to those. A caution on this is to not stay in position 1 or position 2 longer than 10 seconds. And we would like it run in both normal and aux. SC Okay, understand you want to do it in both normal and aux and let me know when you are ready. You want test 1 and test 2 in both of them. CAPCOM That is affirmative. And as I say, note here that you will have to note your values so you can bring it back to your present values now. SC Okay, I'll give you about 8 seconds, We are starting and you ready to go? CAPCOM Roger, Apollo 9. We can't monitor this, we would just like to have you do it on board and we would like to have you go up and down back to the present values in normal and primary and then the same thing in aux. And APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 274100, CST 1341p 95/2 give us a few words of wisdom as you proceed through it. SC Okay, in work. CAPCOM Okay. SC Okay, Houston. Just ran test 1 in pri- mary, rather normal, and in 10 seconds I got no motion at all. The master alarm light did come on after 5 seconds, but no motion at all on the counters and for that reason I don't think I will go down to test 2. I may not be able to get it back up where it belongs. CAPCOM Roger, we copy that. Stand by on it. That's a pretty definite test of some sort, but stand by one, Apollo 9. SC Rog, and any time you want to give me a go, I'll go ahead and run the same test in aux. CAPCOM Okay, stand by. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET: 27:51:00 (13:51p) 96/1 CC And Apollo 9,this is Houston; we're about to lose you here at Carnarvon; we'll see you at Hunts- ville at about 59. SC Roger. Do you want me to try and test it ON or are you still thinking about it? CC Well, the plan is that we're going to have you disable these ... the PUGS for this burn and we'll talk about that over the Huntsville or Hawaii; we're coming up on 30 minutes of the burn, and we figure we should just go ahead and chuck it for this one. SC Okay. PAO This is Apollo Control at 27 hours, 53 minutes into the mission. Carnarvon has LOS. Over this station we performed a test on the PUGS, the propellant utilization gageing system, it's been acting up causing warning lights to come on, warning tones and lights during the burn. We have decided to disable this system for the 4th SPS burn which is scheduled at about 30 minutes, 30 seconds from now. We can perform the burn without this system, It is merely a gageing system, and we will disable it. The Huntsville will acquire at 27 hours, 58 minutes, 23 seconds. This is Mission Control, Houston. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 27:58 CST 13:58 97/1 PAO This is Apollo Control, 27 hours 58 minutes into the mission. We'll stand by for conversation at the Huntsville. CAPCOM Apollo 9, this is Houston through the Huntsville. CAPCOM Huntsville M&O, Houston CAPCOM. How do you read? HTV Houston CAPCOM, Huntsville M&O read you loud and clear. We have not established valid two-way lock yet with the spacecraft. CAPCOM Roger, understand. Will you give me a call when you do? HTV Roger, will call. SC Hello Houston, Apollo 9. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston, you are loud and clear. SC (garbled) CAPCOM Apollo 9, this is Houston.I read you loud and clear. How me? CAPCOM Okay, Apollo9, this is Houston. I think you are reading me. We are recommending that we turn the PUGS off for this burn. We would like to have you turn the SPS gaging switch OFF, we would like to have you pull 2circuit breakers on Panel 08, they are the heater gaging circuit breakers through MAIN A, MAIN B. SC Okay. CAPCO And Apollo 9, this is Houston, I am not reading you at all. HTV Houston CAPCOM, this is the Huntsville M&O. At the time of the comm with the spacecraft we had valid two-way lock and we've lost it presently. CAPCOM Roger, you say I did have 2 way lock at the time of my transmission? HTV Roger, during the brief transmission you had 2 way lock, presently you do not have it, the signal is very weak. CAPCOM Roger, understand, thank you. SC Houston, Apollo 9, how do you read now? CAPCOM Apollo 9, this is Houston, I read you loud and clear. Did you copy my last transmission? SC That's negative. You were way down in the mud. CAPCOM Okay, we're recommending that you disable the PUGS for this burn. We would like to have you turn the SPS gaging switch OFF, and pull the 2 circuit breakers on panel 08, labeled SPS HEATER GAGING MAIN A AND MAIN B. SC Roger, SPS gaging OFF, and the breakers are open. CAPCOM Okay, very good, thank you Apollo 9. APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 27:58:00,CST 13:58 97/2 SC Roger. CAPCOM And Apollo 9, this is Houston. We are losing you over the Huntsville, we'll see you over Hawaii at 10. SC Houston, this is Apollo 9. You are breaking up very badly, lots of noise on the S-bands plugging out there. CAPCOM Roger, we'll see you over Hawaii at 10. SC Roger, over Hawaii at 10. You came through pretty good that time if you want to try it again. CAPCOM No, I was just telling you we were LOS. PAO This is Apollo Control at 28 hours 6 minutes, and the Huntsville does have loss of signal. During this pass Apollo 9 disabled the propellant utilization system, will not be used during the 4th service propulsion maneuver. We're 17 minutes 36 seconds away from the 4th SPS burn, will be performed near the end of the 18th revolution, while in acquisition at Texas. Next station to acquire is Hawaii, the GO/NO-GO decision for this SPS burn will be made over the Hawaii station. This is Mission Control Houston. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET: 28:10 (14:10p) 98/1 PAO This is Apollo Control at 28 hours, 10 minutes and Hawaii has acquired Apollo 9. CC Apollo 9, this is Houston through Hawaii, standing by. SC Roger Houston, Apollo 9. Coming up on the burn here. CC Roger. You are loud and clear,and we'll have your GO/NO/GO shortly; let everybody take a look at the data. SC Okay. CC Apollo 9, this is Houston. You are GO for SPS 4. SC Apollo 9. Roger. PAO This is Apollo Control; we are 10 minutes away from SPS number 4. To summarize again, the Delta V, or change of velocity on this burn, 300.9 feet per second, duration of the burn, 28.3 seconds. We expect the resultant orbital parameters 273.8 by 109.5. Perigee is the same as the present perigee, the apogee would move up 2 miles. This burn essentially out of plane. PAO 5 minutes away from the burn. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 2820, CST 14:20 99/1 PAO Telemetry confirms the gimbal motors are on now. Those are the orders that drive the engine bell - steer it. PAO Three minutes away from the burn now. PAO Ignition planned at 28 hours, 24 min- utes, 40 seconds - cutoff 28 hours, 25 minutes, 9 seconds. G&C confirms the spacecraft is trimmed up - ready for the burn. PAO One minute away. PAO Thirty seconds. PAO Ignition. PAO Good burn so far - nice and steady. PAO Engine OFF. CAPCOM And Apollo 9 - Houston. I copy your residuals as plus 00003 plus 00035 plus 00032. SC Roger. That's correct for the Delta V curve that's a minus 6 point 2. CAPCOM Roger. Minus 6 point 2. CAPCOM And Apollo 9 - Houston. I copy the order. SC Roger. Roger. SC Good burn. CAPCOM Roger. Understand - looked good here. SC You're really (garbled) PAO Initial onboard orbit looks like 274 by 109. SC And Houston you want us to begin charg- ing BAT A. CAPCOM That's affirmative, Apollo 9, let's start charging battery A. SC Okay. SC Houston, this is Apollo 9. CAPCOM Go, Apollo 9. SC We just want to advise you that the command- in-service module now weights less than the LM. CAPCOM Roger. Copy. CAPCOM Hey, Jim, I think you must like the heavy job. Soon as you got this one lighter - now tomorrow you are going to crawl into the heavy one. SC It always happens this way with those heavies. CAPCOM Yes. SC You notice the way we end up though at the end of the run. CAPCOM Okay. PAO This is Apollo Control. We have the heartrates now during this short burn - SPS number 4. Jim McDivitt - 108, Dave Scott - 68, Rusty Schweickart - 62. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 2831, CST 1431p 100/1 CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston. SC Go ahead. CAPCOM Roger. Comm dropped down there a little bit when you were commenting on your master alarm during the burn. Would you repeat that? SC Roger. The comment was that it was a real good burn and we didn't have any master alarms that time. CAPCOM Roger. Well, the white hats picked up one on that one. SC We had one caution light, but it was on before the burn, so I guess that's okay. CAPCOM That's right. SC Sim Sup must be falling down on his job. CAPCOM We'll talk to him about that; see what he can do for you tomorrow. SC No thanks, okay? CAPCOM Okay. PAO This is Apollo Control. Sim Sup is the simulation supervisor who introduces problems into the sim- ulations prior to the actual mission. PAO Apollo Control, we had during that burn, and they are still here, two members of the backup crew of Apollo 9, the backup crew commander Pete Conrad, and the command module pilot Dick Gordon. SC Houston, did you call? CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston. SC Go ahead, Houston. Apollo 9. CAPCOM Roger. Just for your info, that Y residual on that burn took out those few seconds that we were off on the rendezvous and now we are trying to measure it in centiseconds. SC Good, we've got just the computer that can take centiseconds. CAPCOM Okay. SC I have something to do, he is going to have to - you can just make the numbers smaller and smaller. CAPCOM Okay. SC Houston, Apollo 9. CAPCOM Apollo 9, go. SC Are you going to leave the SPS engine circuit down for the rest of the flight? CAPCOM We haven't really decided on that yet, Apollo 9. I guess it depends on how our troubleshooting goes. SC Okay, we will just stand by for what- ever you want to do then. APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 28:31, CST 1431p 100/2 CAPCOM Roger. If we can cone up with some good ideas we will work on it. SC Roger. SC Houston, Apollo 9. CAPCOM Apollo 9, go ahead. SC Roger. We would like to know what your plans are for purging of the fuel cells, if any? CAPCOM Roger. We would like to have that O2 purge as we talked about before over Carnarvon and stand by here. We will see if we got any other on that. And we would like to have an E memory dump at this time, standing by now on your mark. SC Okay, 3, 2, 1, mark. E memory dump. SC Houston, we are going to fill the PLSS tank again so the surge will be coming down. CAPCOM Roger, understand. CAPCOM And Apollo 9, this is Houston. We've got about 1 more minute at Antigua and then we will see you over Ascension at 46. SC Roger, Ascension 46. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET: 28:41 (14:41p) 101/1 PAO This is Apollo Control; we are 28 hours, and 41 minutes into the flight. And Apollo 9 is beyond the range at Antigua now. This burn, SPS number 4 went very well. The initial onboard readout of the orbit - 274 by 109. That will be refined from ground tracking. We do not have that number yet but very, very near the nominal we were looking for. We were expecting on the order of 273.8 by 109.5. Ascension will acquire the spacecraft in about 3 minutes; we'll be back up then. This is Mission Control, Houston. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 28:45, CST 14:45 102/1 PAO This is Apollo Control at 28 hours 45 minutes. Apollo 9 coming up on the Ascension station now. We'll stand by. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston, through Ascension. SC Roger, Houston, Apollo 9. CAPCOM Hello, tremendous comm this pass. We'd like to have crew [sic] in ACCEPT. We'd like to give you a state vector. SC Roger, you've got it. CAPCOM Understand. CAPCOM And Apollo 9, Houston, I have a nav check to go along with the state vector update. SC Roger, go ahead with your nav check. CAPCOM Roger, reading nav check: 02940 all zips plus 1227 plus 16044 1358. SC Roger, reading back: 02949 all zips plus 1227 plus 16044 1358. CAPCOM Roger, confirm the update. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston, you have both the state vector clocks loaded, the computer is yours. SC Roger, computers ours, thank you. SC You guys were perfect again. CAPCOM Roger,I see it on there now. With a little practice, by gosh we may make it yet. SC Roger, we're ready for BLOCK data any time you've got it. CAPCOM I'm sorry about that, Rusty, we don't have that yet. We'll try to catch back. I know it's through your eat period here, but we're going to have to catch it over Carnarvon, some spot over there, during the next hour. SC Okay, fine. Sc And Houston, we're going to be powering down the G&N here. CAPCOM Roger, understand, any time. SC Okay. CAPCOM And Apollo 9, if you would like to do that O2 purge now that would be one less thing you would have to do next hour. We've still got you here at Ascension for almost 6 minutes. SC Okay, we'll run through that O2 purge right now. CAPCOM Roger, understand you are starting an O2 purge, very good. PAO E COMM reports that the crew is purging all three fuel cells and the purge rates look normal. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston, just why we're late on that BLOCK data is the weather has turned pretty bad in some areas and we had to shift the areas. APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 28:45, CST 14:45 102/2 SC Roger. CAPCOM In fact, it looks like we are going to have to keep you flying or either land you out here on - Red Fish Isle in Galveston Bay. SC Why, don't we just stay up for a few days. CAPCOM Okay, that sounds like a good idea. SC The food and bubbly are holding out alright. CAPCOM Trememdous, and Apollo 9, another thing I would like to get from you would be your RCS quads, your onboard readout, quanity [sic], and your thruster temp. SC Roger. I'll be right down with them. CAPCOM Okay. SC Okay purge is complete. CAPCOM Roger, copy purge complete. SC Houston here to the RCS quanity [sic] if you want to copy. CAPCOM Roger, go ahead. SC A quad is 79 percent. B is 84, C is 79 D is 79. CAPCOH Roger, I copy 79, 84, 79, 79. SC That is affirm. SC And Houston, stand by on the injector yabs for just a second. CAPCOM Roger, understand. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET: 28:56 (14:56p) 103/1 SC Houston, Apollo 9. We'll get you with the injector temps on next station. CC Roger; we're about to lose you here at Ascension and the next station is Tananarive at about 04, but our comm has been pretty bad. I won't even try to talk with you unless you contact us and I'll contact you next over Carnarvon at 19. SC Roger. PAO This is Apollo Control at 28 hours, 57 minutes and Ascension does have LOS. We are in the process now of handing over from the white team lead by flight director Gene Kranz to the gold team, flight director Jerry Griffith [sic]. Next station to acquire will be Tananarive in about 6 minutes, however, as you heard, Stu Roosa said that he would not attempt to contact the crew over the Tananarive station; we will stand by in case the crew wants to put in a call to us, but the voice quality experienced over Tananarive today has been pretty bad, so it's very likely that the next station over which we will have communication will be Carnarvon, at 29 hours, 19 minutes. The crew is in the process of powering down the spacecraft for the night, going into drifting flight, during the next hour, they will be eating and then their rest period begins at 30 hours even. This is Mission Control at 28 hours, 58 minutes. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 29:17, CST 1517 104/1 PAO This is Apollo Control. Good afternoon from the Gold Team, Here at Mission Control we've completed the shift changeover. Flight Director Jerry Griffin's crew has replaced the White Team and they made a status check of the consoles here and they indicate that they are ready to support Apollo 9. The spacecraft will come within range of the tracking station at Carnarvon in a matter of a minute or so. t[sic] that time we expect some conversation between the crew and the CAPCOM. Meantime, we estimate that the change of shift briefing involving the participants of the White Team will start here in Houston at 3:45 PM Central Standard Time. We'll be standing by momentarily for expected air-to- ground conversation between Houston and the crew at Canarvon. This is Apollo Control standing by. PAO We've acquired the spacecraft at the Carnarvon tracking station. Standing by. PAO While we are waiting for air-to-ground conversation, we have received refined tracking data on the apogee and perigee from the last SPS burn and we understand that it was 200 - the resulting perigee was 272 nautical miles and 109.3 nautical miles. CAPCOM Apollo 9,this is Houston through Car- narvon, standing by. SC Okay, Houston. You're coming in five square. How us? CAPCOM Oh, it's sterling. Five Square. SC Okay, we've got some readouts for you. Did you copy the RCS? CAPCOM We copied the RCS quantities. SC Okay, here come the bat voltages: bat C, 37.0; pyro A, 37.1; pyro B, 37.1; and I've got the injector temperatures for you. CAPCOM Rog, I copy the battery voltages; go with the injector temperatures. SC Roger, 5C and D, off scale high; 6A and B, off scale high; 6 Charlie and Delta, respectively, 4.0 and 4.6. CAPCOM Rog, copy 5 Charlie and Delta, off scale high; 6 Alpha and Bravo, off scale high; and Charlie and Delta, 4.0 and 4.6. SC That's Charlie. CAPCOM Okay, and we'd like to confirm with you that before you sack out you'll turn the fan on in H2 tank 2. SC Roger, we will and be advised that it doesn't look like we're going to get down to 175. CAPCOM Rog, we confirm that. And another thing APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 29:17, CST 1517 104/2 We'd like to recommend that tonight you turn your VHF B receiver off. We will be guarding that frequency on the ground and we will be monitoring the spacecraft and if we can't get through to you on A, VHF A, we'll use the crew alert. SC Okay, we'll turn Bravo off. You want us to stay just in simplex A. CAPCOM That is affirmative. Simplex Alpha and turn off your VHF B. SC Okay, we're in simplex Alpha at this time and we're ready with the block data now. CAPCOM Roger, it'll still be a little bit - the weather is shifting those sites around and I do not have the block data for you yet, and I would like to confirm that we will be monitoring B frequency if you need to bring it up in transmit. SC Roger, understand you'll be listening on B also. Thank you. CAPCOM Rog. PAO We expect additional conversation between the ground and the crew on this pass so we'll just continue to monitor and stand by. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston. SC Go ahead, Houston. Apollo 9. CAPCOM Oh, Rog. I've only got about 2 minutes here at Carnarvon. I'd like to start the block data though and finish it up over Guam. SC Okay, ready to copy. CAPCOM Rog. Reading block data 021 4 Alpha plus 325 minus 1610 03244343859 022 4 Charlie plus 259 minus 1610 034 19 01 38 59 023 4 Charlie plus 145 minus 1675 035 56 03 48 56 024 Alpha Charlie minus 21 6 minus 007 00 36 24 11 53 97 - I believe I've lost you. PAO We have an indication here at Mission Control that the spacecraft has moved out of range of the Carnarvon tracking station. It will be reacquired by the site at Guam in another 3 minutes or so. We'll come up at that time. At 29 hours, 30 minutes in the flight of Apollo 9 this is Apollo Control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 29:32, CST 1532 105/1 PAO This is Apollo Control at 29 hours, 32 minutes into the flight. We expect acquisition at Guam momentarily. At that time CAPCOM will transmit some final data up to the crew, and if all goes well as planned that will be about our last conversation with them. For we plan to have them go into their rest cycle immediately after loss of signal at Guam. In the meantime, we will standby here, we have acquisition at the present time. We will standby and listen for the air to ground. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston. Do you read through Guam? SC Houston, Apollo 9. Roger, we read you. CAPCOM Roger, I read you 5 square. How far did I get? SC Okay, I got to the last line in 24 alpha charlie, and I got a 53 there, and that is all. CAPCOM Okay, the last line in alpha charlie is 53 niner 7, and reading on the next one, 0254 charlie minus 178 minus 162003 niner 13138020. The last one, 026 alpha charlie minus 042 minus 026003 niner 335 niner 4000. That is the end of the update. I would like to go back to the third line and 4 charlie 0234 charlie, the third one I read. The third line in that should be minus 1625, and your SPS trim angles, pitch minus point niner, yaw minus .7. SC Okay, a readback on all. Do we have enough time to read them all back? CAPCOM Apollo 9, before you start the readback, we would like to have you turn on the H2 purge heaters; and what we are working up to is just before your rest period, it looks like we are going to have to purge to get the pressure in H2 cryo tanks down to 175. SC Roger, we've got the H2 purge heater ON. CAPCOM Understand, and I am ready for the readback. SC Roger, 021 dash 4 alpha plus 325 minus 16100324434385 niner 0224 charlie plus 25 niner minus 16100341 niner 01385 niner 0234 charlie plus 145 minus 162503556034856. Are you still with us? CAPCOM Roger, we've got 3 minutes left. SC Okay, 024 alpha charlie minus 216 minus 0070036241153 niner 70254 charlie minus 178 minus 162003 niner 13138020026 alpha charlie minus 042 minus 026003 niner 335 niner 4000. Pitch .9, yaw .7. That is a minus and a minus. CAPCOM That is affirmative, Houston confirms that update. We still have about 2 and 1/2 minutes left in this pass and we will see what our words of wisdom are on the tanks and that should be the last time we will have to talk to you tonight, I believe. SC Okay. Can we talk to you if we want to? APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 29:32, CST 1532 105/2 CAPCOM Okay Apollo 9, the way we would like for you to do it is after your time is up on the heater, to go ahead and do a purge as required to get it down to 175; and discontinue the purge, turn the heaters OFF amd turn the fan ON in tank 2. SC Roger, understand when the 20 minutes are up, you want us to purge H2 on all three fuel cells until the cryo gets down to 175. Discontinue the purge, turn the fan ON in tank 2, and sack out. CAPCOM That is affirmative. One other item I would like to set, if you can give it to us, is a dosimeter reading. SC Roger, stand by I'll give you mine. (garble). CAPCOM Apollo 9, if that was a transmission, I didn't get it. Apollo 9, do you read, Houston. PAO We have an indication that the spacecraft has moved out of range of the tracking station at Guam. At 29 hours, 40 minutes into the flight of Apollo 9, this is Mission Control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 30:15, CST 1615 106/1 PAO This is Apollo Control at 30 hours, 15 minutes into the flight. Sometime back during the last pass over Hawaii we recorded about a minute of air-to-ground between the CAPCOM here at Houston, which is Stu Roosa, and the Commander, Jim McDivitt. We're prepared to play that back to you at this time. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston through Hawaii. SC Go ahead Houston, Apollo 9. CAPCOM Rog, if you'll give me a dosimeter reading I'll be quiet for the rest of the night. SC Roger, the dosimeter for Dave, 6102. My dosimeter is packed down in the bottom of my seat. If you really want it I'll unpack it. If you don't need it I'll delay it until tomorrow and give it to you. CAPCOM That's negative. We don't want you to unpack it and the first one was for Dave, is that right? SC 6102 is Dave's. CAPCOM Okay, I got that. SC You already got Rusty's, didn't you? CAPCOM And I did not get Rusty's, Could you give me that one? SC Oh, okay, just a minute. 8002. CAPCOM Roger, 8002. And with that we'll close out. What we'd like to have you do in the morning would be to give us an evaluation of your sleep in hours, if you could, for tonight and the first night. We don't want to bother you with that now and unless you have something else, why, Smokey bids you a fond night's sleep. SC Okay, thanks very much. Would you tell my family I said, "Hello." CAPCOM Rog, will do that. CAPCOM Apollo 9, this is Houston. You don't even have to answer me but if you don't get that filter changed as shown on the 30 hours, you're going to have a master alarm before your rest period ends. SC Roger, Houston. Understand if we don't get the LIOH canister changed before 30 hours we'll have a master alarm before the end of our rest period? CAPCOM That's affirmative. It's shown in the flight plan and I just wanted to remind you of it before we got too far into the rest period. SC That's all right. You know what I told you about little reminds. How are things in Houston there, Smokey? CAPCOM Say again. SC How are things in Houston? Now that we're POLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 30:15, CST 1615 106/2 not working I want to talk to you. SC Negative. We refuse to talk to you; it's a rest period. The only thing we want is you to answer one question. Did you happen to move the B3 thruster switch, B1 thruster switch? SC Roger, I did. CAPCOM Okay, very good. That solves that problem and we've reminded you of the canister and that will keep you from getting a master alarm and we're not going to answer you anymore. SC What are you, a smart guy? CAPCOM No, sir. SC Which one of those good teams is on right now, Gold or White or Orange? CAPCOM It's the G squared team, good Gold. SC Good Gold (garble). PAO At 30 hours, 19 minutes into the flight of Apollo 9 the spacecraft now is heading over the tip of South America. The next station to acquire will be Ascension. The crew pretty much has rested, or bedded down rather, not rested yet, but they're pretty much bedded down. Doing a few housekeeping duties. We'll continueto monitor here in Mission Control. At 30 hours, 20 minutes, this is Apollo Control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 3050, CST 1650 107/1 PAO This is Apollo Control at 30 hours, 50 minutes, ground elapsed time. Apollo 9 has just passed out of range of the Tananarive Tracking Station atthis time heading out over the Indian Ocean. Crew is settled down during their rest cycle with the spacecraft commander, Jim McDivitt, as the only one who is connected to bio- instrumentation at the present time. We've had some recent readings on McDivitt's heart rate and respiration and the flight surgeon reports this is what he saw. He read McDivitt as havings 72 beats per minute and having a respiration of 11 per minute. The cabin temperature at the present time is holding at 72 degrees Fahrenheit, while cabin pressure has been steady at 4.9 pounds per square inch. Next station to acquire the spacecraft will be the Carnarvon tracking station on this 20th revolution. They will get acquisition in about 30 hours, 57 minutes or almost 30 hours, 58 minutes. However, we do not expect any communication betweenthe ground since we are in the rest cycle and there has been no effort here to talk to the crew. All systems are looking well on the spacecraft at the present time at 30 hours, 52 minutes into the flight. This is Apollo Control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 3150, CST 1750 108/1 PAO This is Apollo Control at 31 hours, 50 minutes into the flight. Apollo 9 is just crossing the South American country of Ecuador, at the present time. Our present orbital measurement show a perigee of 109.2 nautical miles, apogee of 272.1 nautical miles, a total weight of gum drop and spider, that is the Command Service Module and docked Lunar Module, is now calculated at about 62 605 pounds. During the pass, the last pass over the States where we had acquisition at the tracking station Texas, the Flight Surgeon, Dr.John Zieglschmid reported that the Command Module pilot and the Commander were both in their couches and we were receiving biomedical information on them indicating they were resting, but not yet sleeping soundly. There is no indication of sleep on the part of the two pilots. The Lunar Module pilot, of course, is down in the sleep station and he is not connected with the - at the present time with biomed instrumentation. And as a result, we haven't received any data, any recent data on him. Mean while, the Flight Controlers here at Mission Control in Houston report that the systems are looking okay. They have been powered down for some time now, and that the spacecraft, of course, is in drifting flight. At 31 hours, 52 minutes, ground elapse [sic] time, this is Apollo Control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 3252, CST 1852 109/1 PAO This is Apollo Control at 32 hours, 52 minutes at GET. Apollo 9 is presently in West Pacific area having moved out of range at the tracking station at Guam. We had a very short pass over Guam because of the. position of the spacecraft in reference to the tracking site. Very little information was transmitted down, however, the spacecraft systems are working or looking well. We had a report that we were getting a good charge on battery A, for the batteries are being charged at the present time. About an hour and a half ago we had a shift change here with Astronaut Ron Evans at Capcom, replacing Astronaut Stu Roosa. We expect to acquire the spacecraft again in about ten minutes over the Hawaii tracking site. On this the 21st revolution at 32 hours, 53 minutes into the flight of Apollo 9. This is Apollo Control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 3350, CST 1950 110/1 PAO This is Apollo Control at 33 hours, 50 minutes GET. Apollo 9 presently is over the Atlantic Ocean approaching the lower tip of the continent of Africa. Earlier during this pass Dr. John Zieselschmidt reported that biomedical telemetry beamed down from the spacecraft showed that the Commander, that would be Jim McDivitt, and the Com- mand Module Pilot, Dave Scott, were in the initial stages of sleep. Dr. Zieselechmidt reported that the Commander, Com- mander's heart rate was averaging about 60 beats per minute, and the Command Module Pilot's heart rate was averaging about 48 beats per minute. The next station to acquire the Apollo 9 spacecraft will be Tananarive in about 3 more minutes. We expect no conversation since the crew is in its rest cycle. At 33 hours, 52 minutes into the flight of Apollo 9 this is Apollo Control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 3459, CST 2059 111/1 PAO This is Apollo Control at 34 hours, 59 minutes ground elapsed time. The crew of Apollo 9 has some 4 hours and 20 minutes of their sleep period remaining. The countdown clock shows, well, less than 4 hours and 20 minutes of - left in their rest cycle. I guess one might call that an alarm clock. Earlier while the spacecraft was in range of the Hawaii station, the Flight Surgeon reported that McDivitt and Scott appear to be sleeping rather soundly now. Their rates were 54 heart beats per minute, that is an average, for McDivitt; and 42 for Scott. The LM pilot, Rusty Schweickart, is in the sleep station under the crew couches and therefore his TM is not available because of the way the biomedical instrumentation cabling is arranged. Spacecraft systems appear to be functioning normally and well at this time. The next stationto acquire Apollo 9 will be Tananarive at about one-half hour from now. At 35 hours, 1 minute ground elapsed time all systems are well and the crew is sleeping. This is Apollo Control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 3551, CST 2151 112/1 PAO This is Apollo Control. Apollo 9 is in the 23rd rev at the presenttime, flying over the Indian Ocean - well, it's actually across India at the present time. During the Tananarive pass which occurred about a quarter of an hour ago, the TM again indicated that spacecraft systems were performing well and the crew apparently is sleeping rather soundly. So, the period of quiet is being maintained and it ts fairly quiet here in the control center also, at 35 hours and 52 minutes, GET. This is Apollo Control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY 3/4/69 GET 36:51 CST 2251 113/1 PAO This is Apollo Control at 36 hours 51 minutes into the flight. There is increased activity in Mission Control at this time. A change of shift is under way. The gold team members are saying goodnight while the orange team members are saying good morning. Meanwhile the Apollo 9 is crossing the Atlantic Ocean approaching the ascension tracking station. Aquasition [sic] there will be in about four more minutes. During the last pass over Hawaii about a half an hour ago the biomedical telemetry from the commander showed that he had an average heart rate of 68 beats per minute. This lead Doctor John Ziegelschmidt, the flight surgeon to conclude that Astronaut McDivitt probably was awake, however there was no air to ground conversation between the two, the ground letting him rest. All systems appear to be working normally on the spacecraft at this time. The astronauts still have about two hours and 26 minutes of rest, rest time before they will be awakened for what promises to be a very very busy day. At 36 hours 53 minutes into the flight of Apollo 9 this is Apollo Control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/4/69, GET 37:50, CST 23 50 114/1 PAO This is Apollo Control 37 hours 50 min- utes ground elapsed time. The Apollo 9 spacecraft is over the Central Pacific at this time and will be coming over the tracking ship Mercury in approximately 6 minutes. The three crewmen aboard Apollo 9 are still apparently asleep; there have been no conversations with the ground in the last several hours since the rest period began. The onboard cabin pressure readouts as telemetered to the ground now show a cabin pressure of 4.9 pounds per-square-inch, a temperature of 69 degrees Fahrenheit. Recent tracking has shown the orbit to be 109.1 nautical mile perigee by 271.9 nautical mile apogee. The gross weights computed to be 62 605 pounds of the command and service module and the docked lunar module. The countdown clock, or alarm clock, for waking up the crew shows one hour 28 minutes remaining of the rest period. When the crew is awakened and have breakfast, they immediately go into putting on their pressure garment assemblies and prepare to transfer two men, the lunar module pilot Rusty Sweig- art [sic] first and the commander Jim McDivitt later on, into the lunar module through the tunnel connecting the two spacecraft for complete rather exhaustive series of systems checkouts. At 37 hours 52 minutes ground elapsed times this is Apollo Control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/5/69, GET 38:50,CST 00:50a 115/1 PAO This is Apollo Control 38 hours 50 min- utes ground elapsed time. Apollo 9 is presently over North Central Africa at the beginning of the 25th revolution. Earlier in the evening during the later part of the 24th revolution and crossing over the tracking ship Mercury at about 38 hours ground elapsed time, flight surgeon Ken Beers, re- ported that the commander and command module pilot heart rates were in the mid 50's and mid 30's respectively for the two men. The lunar module pilot, Rusty Schweickart, is in the sleep station beneath the couch and is not - does not have his biomedical harness attached, The wake time now - the clock on the wake up clock is 28 minutes 55 seconds; a second countdown clock here in Mission Control gives a time of 3 hours 18 minutes until the hatch between the command module and the lunar module will be opened for the intravehicular transfer of the lunar module pilot and later the commander into the LM for the days activities in powering up and checking out the lunar module. At 38 hours 51 minutes ground elapsed time, this is Apollo Control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY,3/5/69,GET 39:18:00,CST 01:18a 116/1 PAO This is Apollo Control 39 hours 18 minutes ground elapsed time. Apollo 9 midway through the 25th revolution is now over the tracking station at Guam. The tracking at Guam and also the ships Huntsville and Mercury all overlap for a total time of about 25 minutes. The countdown clock for awakening the crew now shows a minute and a half left until the end of the rest period for the crew of Apollo 9. After the crew does wake up and get a flight plan update here from Mis- sion Control, they will then go into an eat period fortheir breakfast before a very busy day of checking out and activating the lunar module, the first manning of the lunar module of this mission. We're monitoring the air-ground here for any calls that spacecraft communicator Ron Evans might make to the crew of Apollo 9 to see if they're awake. We'll stand by to join that conversation when it begins. Another countdown clock here in Mission Control is showing now 2 hours 50 minutes until the hatch is open between the lunar module and the command module for the intravehicular transfer of two of the crewmen into the LM. He's putting in a call now, let's listen. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston calling. SC Good morning Houston, Apollo 9. CAP COM Rog. I'm a long ways away so you can't hit me for waking you up. SC Say again. CAP COM I'm a long ways away so you can't swing and hit me on waking up. SC Okay. How's everything lookin' down there? CAP COM It's looked beautiful all night, kept it so quiet here we didn't have too much to do. SC Oh-h. Very good. CAP COM I have a lot of good information here, flight plan update, consumables and some block data when you get around to copying some of it. SC Okay, stand by one. (pause) Okay Houston Go with your flight plan update. CAP COM Roger. At time about 39 plus 55 primary glycol accumulator refill, fill to 50 to 55 percent, LMP two dash seven step four. Over. SC 39 plus 55 primary glycol accumulator refill, fill to 50 to 55 percent. Houston Command, did you read that? CAP COM Houston. Roger came through kind of weak but I got it okay. Change. Move S-band conference lift in relay up to 44 plus 18 over Honeysuckle. Systems page 27. Over. SC Okay. Move S-band conference command S-band relay up to 44 plus 18 over Honeysuckle. Systems page 27. CAP COM Roger, next one. Move CSM one way relay APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/5/69,GET 39:18:00,CST 01:18a 116/2 CAP COM up to 45 plus 38 over Carnarvon. Systems page 31. Over. SC Roger. Move CSM one way relay up to 45 plus 38 over Carnarvon, systems page 31. CAP COM Roger. That's all of the general things we're gonna try to give your state vector and your reference REF MATS we'll send it over Guam at 40 plus 51. SC Roger. 40 plus 51 for the state vector REF MATs. CAP COM Roger. I have your consumables. SC Roger and the consumables, okay. CAP COM GET 039 75 17 76 22 81 22 76 22, 528 44 36 31 39. Over. SC Okay 039 75 17 76 22 81 22 76 22, 528 44 36 31 39. CAP COM 9, Houston. Your readback correct. SC Roger. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/5/69, GET 3928, CST 0128, 117/1 SC Houston, 9, Did you want to go over the block data, too? CAPCOM Roger. I have it if you're ready. SC Okay , go. CAPCOM Roger. 027 Alpha Charlia plus 090 minus 0310 04116 03 3529 0282 Alpha plus 249 minus 0264 043 0257 3001 029 Alpha Charlie plus 317 minus 0285 044 46 10 3569 0302 Charlie plus 340 minus 0290 04624 14 3859 0312 Charlie plus 321 minus 0320 047 5831 3859 0322 Bravo plus 253 minus 0330 04934 33 4358. Your SPS trim - Pitch minus 0.9, Yaw minus 0.7. Over. SC Go ahead. CAPCOM (Too low to be understood) ready to go. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston. CAPCOM Rog. Rusty (too low) SC (cannot understand) CAPCOM Okay. CAPCOM Okay. Great. CAPCOM Put that (too low to be understood) CAPCOM Rog, Chief, this is the stuff that I wanted to (too low) Rusty, do you have your headset on? SC (cannot understand) CAPCOM Okay (too low) He was concerned about the (garble) call out for (garble) rev number is 140 - 1 4 0 (garble) SC (cannot understand) CAPCOM Roger. PAO This is Apollo Control Again. We're still over the tracking ship Mercury with something like 7 minutes left in this pass over the ship, but there's no conversation going on at the present time from the spacecraft communicator's console. Apparently the crew is still getting waked up and ready to start their breakfast meal. We'll continue to monitor the air-ground in case some further con- versation does arise. We're standing by on air-to-ground. SC (cannot understand) CAPCOM (cannot understand) END OF TAPE. APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY,3/5/69,GET 39:38:00,CST 01:38e 118/1 PAO This is Apollo Control still over Mercury with some four minutes left. Apparently there will be no further conversations with the crew at this time until they come over Ascension. Scheduled originally over Ascension was the block data but that has already been read up to the crew by spacecraft communicator Ron Evans. Wake-up took place at 39 hours 21 minutes ground elapsed time; command module pilot Dave Scott responded to the first call and also jotted down all of the flight plan updates and the block data. At 39 hours 38 minutes ground elapsed time, this is Apollo Control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/5/69,GET 40:10,CST 02:10a 119/1 PAO This is Apollo Control 40 hours 10 min- utes ground elapsed time, Apollo 9 is coming up on the track- ing station at Ascension Island in the South Atlantic; this will be a pass lasting some 7 minutes 36 seconds. We'll stand by until spacecraft communicator Ron Evans puts in a call through Ascension to the crew of Apollo 9. We'll monitor the air-ground loop at this time. CAP COM Apollo 9, Houston through Ascension. Apollo 9, Houston through Ascension. Apollo 9, Houston. Apollo 9, Houston. SC Go ahead. CAP COM Rog. If you haven't already done it we'll set up our hydrogen tank one and two heaters to AUTO and the fans OFF for the day. SC Okay. Heaters one and two to AUTO and the fans OFF. CAP COM Roger. And I have your block data if you're ready to copy. SC Okay, stand by one, please. CAP COM Roger. SC Houston, how long's this pass? CAP COM They got a keyhole, I'll have about a minute and a half here yet. SC Okay, stand by. Okay, go ahead Houston how about starting with 28 dash 2A? CAP COM Roger: 028 dash 2A alpha plus 249 minus 0264 043 02 57 3001; 029 alpha charlie plus 317 minus 0285 044 46 10 3569; 030 2 charlie plus 340 minus 0290 046 24 14 3859 and 9 Houston you still with me7 Apollo 9, Houston. PAO This is Apollo Control again, apparently we've had loss of signal at the Ascension Island tracking sta- tion. During the pass earlier this morning over the tracking ship Mercury, MSC director of medical operations Dr. Charles Berry did discuss with the crew their present physical condi- tion. He ascertained their medical status for the next sev- eral days for a very busy flight plan. They reported no additional symptoms of colds although there was some nasal stuffiness reported due to the oxygen environment and he recommended they take afrin spray for that. They also gave him a sleep report for the first night; command module pilot Dave Scott reported 6 hours the first night, four hours on the second night and another block of an hour and a half's sleep for a total of some 5-1/2 hours. Commander Jim McDivitt had only two hours sleep the first night but a total of 7 hours sleep on the second night. Lunar module pilot Rusty Schweickart had a good solid 7 hours sleep on both nights. There had been no - there has been no evidence of motion sickness of any kind on -- END OF TAPE A/9, MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/5/69, GET 00:45,CST 40:20, 120/1 LOTS OF DEAD AIR. END OF TAPE A/9, MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/5/69, GET: 40:51 CST:02:51 121/1 PAO This is Apollo Control, 40 hours 51 minutes GET. We'ra some 30 seconds away from acquisition at the tracking station Guam, which in turn overlaps with the coverage by the tracking ship Huntsville and on down through the Mercury. All of the three stations overlap each other for a total pass of around 28 minutes. During the series of three tracking station passes, the Mission Control Center here is scheduled to pass up to the crew a state vector update. The lunar module alinement [sic] optical telescope star observation pad and also the lunar module S-band steerable antenna pad. This information will be used during the later checkouts of the lunar module after it is manned. We're now some hour and 17 minutes away from opening the hatches between the command module and the lunar module. We should have had acquisition now, we'll stand by for spacecraft communicator Ron Evans to call the crew through Guam. Listening for the familiar beep sound as the spacecraft communicator keys his mike. There he goes. CAPCOM - through Guam. SC Rog. Houston, Apollo 9 Go. CAPCOM Rog. We see you hove Poo. Request accept. SC Rog. You got accept. CAPCOM Roger. We'll send your state vector and your REFSMMAT up to you. SC Okay. CAPCOM We might continue with block data when you get s chance there. SC Okay. Stand by there please. SC Houston, Apollo 9. CAPCOM Houston Co. SC Okay. Let me copy it up through the job that we see on 030 dash 2 Charlie. Do you want to go from there? CAPCOM Roger. Delta VC on 030 dash 2 Charlie 3859 031 dash 2 Charlie plus 321 minus 0320 047 5831 3859 0322 Bravo plus 253 minus 0330 049 3433 4358, and your SPS trend [sic] pitch minus 0.9 yaw minus 0.7. Over. SC Roger understand. I'll read them all back to you if your [sic] ready. CAPCOM Roger. Go. SC How do you read now, you fading on me. CAPCOM oger, loud and clear. SC Okay. 027 Alfa Charlie plus 090 minus 0310 041 1603 3529 028 dash 2 Alfa plus 249 minus 0264 043 0257 3001 029 Alfa Charlie plus 317 minus 0285 0444610 3569 030 dash 2 Charlie plus 340 minus 0290 0462414 3859 031 dash 2 Charlie plus 321 minus 0320 0475831 3859 032 dash 2 Bravo plug 253 minus 0330 0493433 4358 and I have for a pitch trend A/9, MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/5/69, GET: 40:51, CST: 02:51, 121/2 SC - minus 0.9 and yaw trend minus 0.7. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston. You read back correct. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston. The computor is yours. SC Okay, I understand and did you copy all that. CAPCOM Affirmative. You read back was correct and I have a NAV check for you. SC NAV check. Okay, go ahead. CAPCOM Roger. 042 00 0000 plus 2858 plus 00646 1126 and this is 30 minutes prior to NAV update. SC Roger. 042 0000 plus 2858 plus 0646 1126. CAPCON Apollo 9, Houston. You read back correct. SC Roger. END OF TAPE A/9, Mission Commentary, 3/5/69, GET 41:01, CST 03:01, 122/1 CAP COM Apollo 9 Houston. CAP COM Apollo 9 Houston. SC Houston Apollo 9, go ahead. CAP COM Roger. I have a new CSM weight for your Dap Data Load. SC OK, go. CAP COM Roger, CSM weight 30571 SC Apollo roger, 30571 for CSM weight. CAP COM Afirmative [sic]. PAO Apollo control here. We still have approx- imately 10 minutes left in this combined Guam, Huntsville, Mercury pass. There's no conversation taking place at this time. We'll leave the circuit up though and continue to monitor. CAP COM Apollo 9 Houston. I have your AOT star observation pass. SC OK stand by please. CAP COM Wilco. SC OK. Houston Apollo 9. Go with the AOT PAP. CAP COM Roger. GET 043 plus 55 plus 00 AOT descent [sic] 2 nav. star 15 sirius CSM gimbal angles roll 079 pitch 358 Yaw 309 END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/5/69, GET 4111, CST 0311, 123/1 CAPCOM Pitch 358, Yaw 309, comments, Earth in field-of-view until 43 plus 55. Over. SC Okay. Copy that at 0435500, AOT D-tent [sic] 2, nav star Sirius 15, Roll 079, Pitch 358, Yaw 309, Earth in field-of-view until 43 plus 55. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston. Correct. SC Okay. SC Houston, Apollo 9. CAPCOM Houston, go. SC Hey when you sent us a REFSMMAT, did you put it in the preferred location? CAPCOM Affirmative. SC Okay, thanks. Just wanted to make sure. CAPCOM Rog. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston, about 1 minute to LOS. I've got some S-band antenna checks, gimbal angles and times, if you want them? SC Okay. I guess a good of time as any. CAPCOM Okay, the first one GET: 44 plus 06 plus 00, Pitch 188, Yaw 070, GET: 44 plus 08 plus 00, Pitch 169, Yaw 044. GET; 44 plus 10 plus 00, Pitch 159, Yaw 017. SC Okay. S-band 4406, Pitch 188, Yaw 070, 4408, Pitch 169, Yaw 044, 4410, Pitch 159, Yaw 017. CAPCOM Roger. Correct and Canaries at 52. PAO This is Apollo Control. Apparently we have had LOS at Mercury, at least the acquisition table shows it. It's time to lose the signal at Mercury. Most of the information passed up to the crew of Apollo 9 during END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/5/69, GET 41:21, CST 03:21a 124/1 PAO -- at Mercury at least the acquisition table shows its [sic] time to lose the signal at Mercury. Most of the information passed up to the crew of Apollo 9 during these three station passes here had to do with exercises to be done during the manning of the LM this morning. Among these were some numbers for using the optical alinement [sic] tele- scope onboard the LM and would involve using the star Sirius in the constellation Canis Majoris or Greater Dog in the southern celestial sphere. This star has been known to mariners for centuries as the Dog Star. Next station for acquisition will be the Ascension Island station. As you were, scrub that. Canary Islands, we miss Ascension on this particular rev, we're coming up on the end of rev 26 and will begin rev 27 and we'll acquire at Canary Islands at 51 minutes 50 seconds past the hour. At 41 hours 22 minutes ground elapsed time, this is Apollo Control. END OF TAPE A/9, Mission Commentary, 3/5/69, CST 03:51, GET 41:51, 125/1 PAO This is Apollo control. 41 hours 51 min- utes ground elapse time. Some 15 seconds ayay from acquisition by the Canary Island tracking station. This pass will have a duration of some 6 minutes 46 seconds. One of the items to be passed up to the crew during this pass by spacecraft communicator Ron Evans will be a go for intravehicular transfer by Rusty Schweickart and Jim McDivitt into the LM. They don't go through at the same time, let's listen in on the conversa- tion. SC Alright. Houston Apollo 9 go. CAP COM Roger, loud and clear. Everything looks good down here. You have a go for IVT. SC Roger. I understand a go for IVT. Thank you. We're all mushing along. CAP COM Roger. CAPCOM Apollo 9 Houston. 1 minute to LOS. S band up for Honeysuckle at 37 will try Aria at 29. SC Roger. Honeysuckle at 37 and Aria at 29 and S band up at Honeysuckle. CAP COM Roger. CAP COM Have a good day. Will see you this evening SC OK. Thank you Ron. CAP COM Roger. PAS This is Apollo control. We should have had loss of signal at this time with the Canary Islands station. At the present time the flight plan calls for the crew of Apollo 9 to be clearing the tunnel hardware from the tunnel connecting the lunar module and the command module. The hatches have to be removed, the probe and drogue assembly and then lunar module pilot Rusty Schweickart will travel through the tunnel into the LM and begin the statue check. And also prep- arations for powering up the LM's systems. He's due to trans- fer into the LM at 42 10 ground elapse time and will be followed at about 43 10 by commander Jim McDivitt. Some 10 minutes away from hatch opening according to the count down clock which is set up to count down to various events during the mission. Here in mission control center Ron Evans is handing over the job of spacecraft communicator to Stu Roosa for the next 12 hours. The spacecraft analysis staff support room in the side hall of mission control here at ground elapse time of 40 hours, some 2 hours ago. They show a spacecraft status report. The report states that the environmental construscent, er, environmental control system and all the asociated crew equipment have no change in the earlier status. In the pro- pulsion and power systems the service propulsion system has no change. All measurements are within limits. The same holds true for the reaction control system. In the battery situation, battery A is continuing to charge with approximately nine and a half amp-hours put back into battery A. Of a total charge required at 12... END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/5/69, GET 4201, CST 0401, 126/1 PAO put back into Battery A of a total charge required of 12.2 amp hours. Battery B has 6.8 amp hours drained out and remaining amp hours are 33.2. Battery C amp hours out 1.13 with 38.87 amp hours remaining. The cryogenic oxygen and hydrogen aboard the spacecraft - all of the quantities at least in the oxygen are slightly above prelaunch predictions, while the hydrogen quantities are remaining slightly below the predictions. The hydrogen pressures continue to come back up while the oxygen is cycling normally. Some percentages and quantities in pounds are as follows: Oxygen - cryogenic oxygen tank 1 has 81.07 percent for 262 pounds; cryogenic oxygen tank 2 has 82.16 percent for a quantity of 266 pounds; hydrogen tank 1 79.64 percent for 22.4 pounds; hydrogen tank 2 77.85 percent for 21.9 pounds. The totals in oxygen are 528 pounds; hydrogen . 44.3 pounds. The service module fuel cells are performing normally according to this report. All command and service module temperatures are within limits in the structures and thermal area of the report. The next station to acquire Apollo 9 will be Honeysuckle. However, just prior to Honeysuckle acquisition at 37 minutes past the hour, there will be an attempt to relay through an ARIA aircraft, that is, Apollo Range instrumented aircraft, at 29 past the hour. which will be somewhat to the north of the Honeysuckle, Australia station. At 42 hours 04 minutes GET, this is Apollo Control. END OF TAPE. APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/5/69, GET 4229, CST 0429, 127/1 PAO This is Apollo Control 42 hours 29 minutes GET. We should be acquiring with the ARIA aircraft somewhere just west of the Island of New Guinea. We'll stand by. We hear a side tone of the relay from the aircraft. However, the spacecraft communicator, Stu Roosa here in Mission Control, has not put through a call yet. The ARIA's relay will over- lap the Honeysuckle station between Honeysuckle LOS and Mercury. Actually, we'll have some tracking there by the ship Huntsville. And then on to the Mercury with a few seconds dropout between Huntsville and Mercury. The orbital tracks are beginning to be to the southwest of the ships and this will likely be the last pass in which these two ships in the South Pacific will be able to acquire Apollo 9 until some 24 hours later when the orbital track comes back over them. We're still standing by here for any possible contact through the relay aircraft. Apollo Range Instrumented Aircraft with an acronym, ARIA. At this time, Lunar Module Pilot Rusty Schweickart should be inside the LM and for the first time in this mission, the code names for the two spacecraft, Gumdrop and Spider, will come into use as we have three-way communications. Scott and McDivitt still inside the command module and Schweickart in the lunar module. He's calling now. CAPCOM Houston CAPCOM. Go remote. ARIA Houston, this is ARIA I'm going remote at this time. CAPCOM Rog. Apollo 9 this is Rouston through ARIA 1. Do you read? PAO This is Apollo Control. Apparently there is some difficulty in establishing contact through the ARIA aircraft. We'll continue to monitor the air-ground circuit. PAO This is Apollo Control. Still nothing but noise on the air-ground circuit. We're still approximately 1 minute away from acquisition at Honeysuckle. We'll continue to stay on the air-ground circuit in case there is contact through the ARIA aircraft. CAPCOM Apollo 9 this is Houston through Honey- suckle, standing by. SC Roger, Houston, this is Apollo 9 here. Go ahead. CAPCOM Rog. COPY. We're just standing by. SC Okay. We're still trying to do a P-51 here. We haven't starting clearing the tunnel so we're running quite a bit late. END OF TAPE. APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY,3/5/69,GKT 42:39:00,CST 04:39a 128/1 PAS This is Apollo Control. We're still standing by here over Honeysuckle. There'll be a brief drop out between Honeyiuckle loss of signal and tracking ship Mercury acquisition signal. Apparently the crew is quite busy at this time doing a platform alinement [sic]. They advised space- craft communicator Stu-Roosa here in Mission Control that they had not cleared the tunnel as yet to begin the intravehicular transfer from the command module to the lunar module. We'll continue monitoring this pass but it is unlikely there will be too much conversation. ... Huntsville ... CAP COM And Apollo 9, Houston, we'll see you over Mercury in about 3 minutes. SC Roger. ... Huntsville LOS. CAP COM And Apollo 9, Houston, we got -- END OF TAPE A/9, MISSION COMMENTARY, GET: 42:47, CST: 04:47a, 3/5/69, 129/1 CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston. We've got you through Mercury. SC Houston, Apollo 9. Say again. CAPCOM Rog. We've got you through the Mercury solid, have you for about another 8 1/2 minutes. SC Roger. We've just completed a P51-52 and we'll be rushing on. CAPCOM Rog. SC Houston, Apollo 9. CAPCOM Go Apollo 9. SC Roger. We're going to be pretty busy here for the next few minutes. If you see us getting toward gimble [sic] lock, let's us know. CAPCOM Rog. We'll only have contact with you for the next 3 minutes and then our next station is Antigua at 17. SC Okay. PAO This is Apollo Control. We're still in acquisition by the tracking ship Mercury, however it appears there will not be to much additional conversation during this pass. Earlier in the pass over Honeysuckle, spacecraft commander Jim McDivitt reported that the tunnel between the two space- crafts has not been cleared yet of the probe and the droge and the hatches. They were still in platform alinement [sic] task. We'll continue to monitor the Mercury pass untill [sic] loss of signal but it will likely be dead air. PAO This is Apollo Control. According to the tables in front of the control room, we should have had loss of signal at the tracking ship Mercury. The next station will be Antigua at 17 past the hour. At 42 hours 57 minutes GET this is Apollo Control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY, 3/5/69, GET 4316, CST 0516, 130/1 PAO This is Apollo Control at 43 hours 16 min- utes GET. We are a few seconds away from acquisition at the Antigua tracking station. At the beginning of revolution number 28. Apollo 9 presently is in an orbit with a perigee of 109,1 nautical miles and an apogee of 271.7 nautical miles. Total weight of both spacecraft is now at 62 545 pounds. Here in Mission Control, there is several huddles going around and discussion of how best to get back on the mission time-line. The delay is caused by the crew not having been able to aline [sic] the platform prior to the intravehicular transfer into the lunar module. We'll stand by now for acquisition at Antigua overlapping tracking ship Vanguard on through the Canary Islands and Madrid for a total time of some 20 minutes. Standing by for the familiar beep beep sound as CAPCOM keys his headset. SC Houston, the docking tunnel index angle is plus 2.1. CAPCOM Rog, copy, plus 2.1. Thank you. SC Houston, Apollo 9. CAPCOM Go, Apollo 9. SC Since we're running so far late here, you might take a look at the flight plan and see what needs to be changed. I don't have time to do that. CAPCOM Rog. We're working on that now. We can give you some recommendations later on. SC Rog. SC Houston, just for info, tunnel clearing went pretty much according to plan. CAPCOM Rog. I understand that tunnel clearing went real well and just for info, we're looking ahead. We're just saying press right on down the line right now, Jim, and we may just slip the docked DPS a rev. CAPCOM But I think with your activity in nega- tive, this may make up a good bit of the time. SC Houston, Apollo 9. CAPCOM Go, Apollo 9. CAPCOM Apollo 9, Houston, go ahead. SC Houston, Apollo 9. CAPCOM Go ahead Apollo 9, Houston is reading you loud and clear. SC Rog. Another little piece of info for you. The drogue looks as good as new. There was a very small pencil line about 4 inches long, and that's about all we could see on it. CAPCOM Rog, Apollo 9, copy. END OF TAPE. APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY,3/5/69,GET 43:26,CST 05:26a 131/1 PAO This is Apollo Control here. We're in a sap now between Vanguard loss of signal and Canary acquisition just a few seconds drop out here. We'll continue to monitor the air-ground circuit for any possible conversation. SC ... Houston, Apollo 9. CAP COM Go, Apollo 9. SC One little problem we might advise you of here, you might think about it. On the optics on the drive the manual drive of the optics, the shaft seems to hang up around 64 degrees when you try to drive it manually. Seems to drive okay automatically. The teapot, the readout on the LEV, the mechanical readout is frozen at 64 degrees. The numbers read 64.0 andwe haven't been able to Set that to move since yesterday. Once you get past the 64 degree mark, it seems to work okay. CAP COM Rog, Apollo 9. Houston copies. SC Okay. CAP COM And Apollo 9, Houston. We'd like to have you bring up your S-band volume, we'll be working Madrid. SC Roger. S-band up. (pause) Houston, Apollo 9. CAP COM Go, Apollo 9. SC Okay I've got the gyro torqueing ansles for the P-52 if your ready to copy. CAP COM Go ahead. SC GET 42 48 00 minus 01172 minus 00 099 plus 00413. CAP COM Rog, Apollo 9. I copied those, thank you. SC Okay. END OF TAPE A/9,MISSION COMMENTARY,3/5/69,GET: 43:36,CST:05:36 132/1 CAPCOM Okay, Apollo 9, Houston. We're going to lose you at Madrid in about a minute and we'll see you over Carnarvon at 04. PAO This is Apollo Control. Apparently we have had loss of signal at Canary Islands. During that combined pass over Antigua, Vanguard, Canary and Madrid there was some discussion there of getting back on the timeline. Stu Roosa, spacecraft communicator, indicated that perhaps they may slip the dock descent propulsion system burn by one revolution. Jim McDivitt, Apollo 9 commander, reported that they had some minor problem with the command module sextant and telescope optics in the manual mode where it sticks at 64[1/4]. The space flight meteorology group here at mission control has issued an advisory for weather conditions for the flight of Apollo 9, and landing zones for today and tomorrow. The primary landing zone in the West Atlantic centered about 800 miles east of Jacksonville, skies will be partly cloudy, winds will be northerly 20 to 25 knots with seas 6 to 8 feet and temperatures near 68[1/4]. In the Mid-Pacific landing zone centered at about 600 miles northwest of Honolulu, weather will be partly cloudy with southerly winds 15 to 20 knots. Seas are expected to be 7 feet with temperatures ranging from 60 degrees to 70 degrees. In the west Pacific landing zone centered about 400 miles southeast of Tokyo, skies will be partly cloudy, winds will be northeasterly with seas 5 feet and temperatures 50 degrees to 55 degrees. In the east Atlantic landing zone centered about 500 miles southwest of the Canary Islands, partly cloudy skies are forecast with easterly winds 10 to 15 knots, seas up to 3 feet, and temperatures 60 degrees to 70 degrees. Next station to be aquired by Apollo 9 will be the Canarvon, Australia tracking station. At 3 minutes past the hour, lapping over Honeysuckle and on in to Mercury for a total pass time of the three stations of some 30 minutes. At 43 hours 40 minutes GET this is Apollo Control. END OF TAPE A/9 Mission Commentary, 3/5/69, GET 4350, CST 0550, 133/1 PAO This is Apollo control. At 43 hours, 51 minutes ground elapse time, Apollo 9 is currently over the Persian Gulf. And we've had confirmation that lunar module pilot Rusty Schweickart has indeed transfered to the lunar module. We're beginning to get data now on displays from the various lunar module systems and Jean [sic] Kranz the white team flight team flight director who is in for the first manning of the LM although he does not go on duty for a couple of hours ah did ah say that apparently at Canary sometime during the Canary pass Schweickart did transfer to the lunar module. There likely will be a three way conversation during the coming pass over Carnarvon, Honeysuckle, and Mercury with the call signs gumdrop and spider. Gumdrop representing the command module with McDivitt and Scott still aboard and spider meaning the lunar module with Rusty Schweickart minding the store and powering up the spacecraft getting ready for the day's activities and activating the LM and the later docked descent propulsion system burn. At 43 hours 52 minutes ground elapse time this is Apollo control. END OF TAPE APOLLO 9 MISSION COMMENTARY,3/5/69,GET 44:03,CST 6:03a 134/1 PAS This is Apollo Control, 44 hours 03 min- utes ground elapsed time. Approaching acquisition at Carnar- von, Australia which will overlap with the Honeysuckle station and on into the Mercury for about 30 minutes total time. We've had one initial call, we'll eavesdrop now. ... (cutting in and out) SPIDER Gumdrop, Spider, GUMDROP Go ahead Spider, Gumdrop here. SPIDER Spider. Do you want the tape off now also? GUMDROP It doesn't, say so. Seems like a good idea though. SPIDER Yeah. Tape coming off. CAP COM And Spider got the -- GUMDROP Okay, we're configuring the CSM now for the -- SPIDER Go ahead, Jim. GUMDROP -- LM data and we want 'cha to goto tele- metry low. SPIDER Roger. We're telemetry low. GUMDROP VHFB transmitter to data and VRFB receiver to OFF. SPIDER Roger, got. GUMDROP Okay, we've already done the antenna check, just a second. CAP COM Spider, this is Houston. Could you give us high bit rate, please? SPIDER Roger, Houston, Spider, high bit rate. How do you read Houston? CAP COM I read 'cha five square and Gumdrop I'm copying you five by by. GUMDROP Roger. Okay, I've got the tape off here now. Was there any noticeable difference between the antennas? SPIDER Oh, a little bit but I had a lot of noise in the S-band when I tried it. GUMDROP Okay, let's just stay where you are, this is good over here. SPIDER ... good here, too. GUMDROP Okay, I'm gonna be coming over now so I'll see 'ya in a minute. SPIDER Okay, now wait a minute. I've gotta, get my hose hooked up here, Jim. GUMDROP Roger. SPIDER Gumdrop. GUMDROP Go ahead. SPIDER Roger. We're gonna have to transfer me onto the ECS, first few steps there are mine I think, GUMDROP Okay, let me go back here and get these. Document truncated.