Apollo 17 Flight Journal - Footnotes / Anomalies - Launch - Earth Orbit - Translunar Flight - Apollo 17: The Blue Marble

Day 1: Earth Orbit

[Previous: Launch] [Next: Translunar Flight] Last updated March 20, 2006

Earth Orbit

	Legend
	CDR: CMP: LMP: SC: MS:	Commander Eugene A. Cernan Command Module Pilot Ronald E. Evans Lunar Module Pilot Harrison P. (Jack) Scbmitt Unidentifiable Crewmember Multiple Speakers
	CC: LCC:	Capsule Communicator (CAP COMM) Launch Control Center
	...	A series of three dots (...) is used to designate those portions of the communications that could not be transcribed because of garbling
	-	One dash (-) is used to indicate a speaker's pause or a self-interruption.
	- -	Two dashes (- -) are used to indicate an interruption by another speaker or a point at which a recording was abruptly terminated.
		[Editor's notes are in square brackets and italics]

[Primary Tape: 17-03456]

00 00 11 42+: CMP: Okay, let's - -; CDR: Okay, 25596, Ron.
00 00 11 54: CMP: 25 - 25596. Okay, KEY RELEASE it. Plus 1 - -

[Gap in Onboard Transcript - Primary from Technical Transcript]

00 00 12 03: CDR: We're looking at 93.1 by 89.5.; CC: Roger, Gene. We're copying the DSKY.; PAO: Gene Cernan reporting the on board indication of an orbit of 93.5 by 89.5. Now we'll be getting tracking and confirming that here on the ground.; SC: Okay, Jack. Give - -
00 00 12 24: CC: And the local horizontal maneuver has initiated, Gene.
00 00 12 50: CDR: And, Houston, the - looks like the - tank pressures are venting.
00 00 12 57: CC: Roger, Gene. The range safety is safe and we - you are in a GO orbit, nominal.; CDR: Roger. GO orbit, nominal. Thank you.

Cernan: Evaluation of insertion parameters - We got a good onboard orbit. Ground gave us a GO for orbit. The postinsertion systems configuration systems checkout and the complete spacecraft and booster preparation for TLI went extremely smooth and extremely rapid.

Cernan: Earth orbit - I might comment that the availability of stars for a mode II or mode IV abort was pretty poor for two reasons. Number one: night adaptability because we had lights very bright. When we turned the lights down in the cockpit, I could not pick out distinct constellations such as Orion, which I was planning on using for a mode IV abort. If we would have had an SCS and G&N problem it would have been very difficult to pick out stars for that abort.

00 00 12 57+: CC: And, 17, I'll be unable to update that AOS time, but 52:20 is looking good.; CDR: Roger.; PAO: This is Apollo Control coming up on 14 minutes after liftoff, that liftoff coming about 2 hours 40 minutes late, and we'll be assessing the effects of that late liftoff on subsequent events in the mission timeline, passing those along. One of the effects will be a change in the acquisition of signal loss of signal time and as we move along on the ground track -
00 00 14 10: LMP: Houston, can you confirm - MAIN BUS TIE A/C, OFF?; CC: Stand by on that, Jack.
00 00 14 18: LMP: I've been carrying very low amps on the BAT BUS, and I did not see a drop. I'm carrying about 2 amps now. Volts are 3 - 30.5.; CC: Jack, go ahead and take the B/C motor switch OFF.
00 00 14 48: LMP: Okay. It's OFF. And I confirm that one.; CC: And we think it's the EDS POWER switch and the fuel cell ... switch that are drawing the current that you're seeing there.
PAO: "LAT switch"; LMP: Okay. That could well be.; CC: Okay, Jack, we're going to lose you in about 1 minute off of Vanguard here and see you at 52:20.; LMP: Roger; we're pressing and thanks, Bob.

[Primary Tape: 17-03456 resumes]

00 00 15 11: CDR: Tech: Okay, Bob. Everything is looking GO on board. Everything's stable. We can see the APS firing, and our altitudes look good.; CC: Tech: Geno, everything is in good shape down here. The booster's in good shape; you're looking good; and their AOS time is 52:20 as I gave you.
00 00 15 24: CDR: We got that, babe. We'll see you coming around.; CC: Good show, babe. A little late but a good show.; CMP: Outstanding ride.
00 00 15 34: LMP: EMS FUNCTION, OFF.
00 00 15 35: CDR: Okay, it's OFF.; LMP: TRANS CONTROL POWER, OFF.
00 00 15 38: CDR: TRANS CONTROL POWER is OFF.; LMP: ROT CONTROL POWER, DIRECT, two, - -; CDR: They're OFF.; LMP: - - DIRECT, two, OFF.; CDR: They' re OFF.; LMP: BMAG MODE, three, RATE 2.
00 00 15 46: CDR: Okay, RATE 2.; LMP: CM RCS LOGIC, OFF.
00 00 15 49: CDR: CM RCS LOGIC is OFF.
00 00 15 54: LMP: LAUNCH VEHICLE STAGE switch, OFF, verify.
00 00 15 54: CDR: Okay. Yes, sir. It is OFF.; LMP: Okay. Rotational hand controllers 1 and 2, locked.
00 00 15 58: CDR: They're locked.; LMP: CABIN PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE, two NORMAL and latched.
00 00 16 02: CDR: NORMAL and latched.; LMP: REPRESS PACKAGE valve, OFF.
00 00 16 05: CDR: Okay, I'm going to have to loosen up here and get at that.; LMP: Okay, I 'll hold that one. Circuit breaker - That 's me. Okay, let me -; CMP: Hoo hoo.; LMP: Okay; CMP: (Laughter) Here we go .... press - pressure ... - -; LMP: Okay, that - that's that circuit breaker.; CDR: Oh, okay. That 's pushing that in there.; LMP: Yes, I'd forgotten all about that. I should have warned you.; CDR: Okay.; CMP: Okay.; LMP: That's something ... since the chamber, I guess.; CDR: Okay.
00 00 16 26: CC: 17, Houston. We're hanging with you here. Looks like you're hanging in Vanguard a little longer than we expected.
00 00 16 29: LMP: Okay. And install the COAS.; CDR: Okay, I'm going to loosen up, get out of my helmet here and pick up ... - -; LMP: Whoops excuse me, gang. That was me.; CMP: Wow! That's a good one.; CDR: Oh, man !; CMP: That is a goodie!; CDR: Still have to get out of my helmet.; CMP: Whoo. Whoo !; LMP: Okay, low.; PAO: This is Apollo Control at 16 minutes 45 seconds after liftoff. We've confirmed Apollo 17 is in a near nominal orbit. The crew reported an orbit of about 93.5 by 89.5 based on their onboard calculations and computations on the ground show that we're very close to the nominal ninety mile nautical mile orbit. As a result of the late liftoff, the translunar injection will be a little bit earlier than the flight plan ground elapsed time but we don't have an update on this time yet. We expect that it will be on the order of 8 to l0 minutes early. We'll update that time as we get a later update. We would expect that The time of arrival at the Moon will be approximately the same as the flight plan time in terms of Greenwich Mean Time. The ground elapsed time will be somewhat earlier and we expect that there will be clock update - a so called clock update - at some point where we make the clocks in Mission Control and aboard the spacecraft agree with the ground elapsed time that they would be showing in the flight plan. The net effect will be that we'll arrive at the Moon in a shorter ground elapsed time - in effect about 2 hours 40 minutes earlier than the flight plan would show, but at the same Greenwich mean time or local time here on Earth, that - that we would have had had we lifted off on time. We're in effect making up the time by speeding up the arrival at the Moon. The spacecraft at translunar injection will be going somewhat faster than a nominal liftoff translunar injection. Consequently, it will arrive at the Moon going slightly faster, and also somewhat earlier, about 2 hours 40 minutes earlier in terms of ground elapsed time. This will also mean that the lunar orbit insertion will require a bit more energy to slow the spacecraft down and get it into lunar orbit. These details of course, will all be worked out in the time that we have before our lunar orbit insertion. And, when we get an updated translunar injection time, we'll pass that along.; CMP: Hey, you guys care if I turn some lights on down there so I can see?; CDR: Go ahead. Turn them on.; CMP: (Chuckle ); LMP: Okay, what do we do down here?; CDR: Okay, Jack, you - pick up something here before the COAS.; LMP: What is that?

00 00 17 02: CMP: O₂ HIGH FLOW.; CDR: O₂ FLOW; okay. That's because I'm going to have to pull the -; LMP: Yes, you've got to change it - -; CMP: You got your helmet off?; CDR: Yes.; CMP: You got your helmet off?; CDR: Yes, I'm going to have to pull the repress or the -; LMP: Yes.; CMP: Oh, you cycle the SUIT CIRCUIT RETURN. Okay.; CDR: Open - -; LMP: Yes.; CDR: Open it. Open it.; CMP: I'll go - I'll go down and close the -; CDR: Jack - -; CMP: Purge - purge the cabin pressure.; CDR: Did you give me something before the - before the COAS?; LMP: No. Oh, yes, the REPRESS PACKAGE valve, OFF.

00 00 17 31: CDR: Okay. Let me get REPRESS PACKAGE valve, OFF. Look at those aps - that amplifier.; LMP: And let me know when you get COAS.; CDR: Okay. Stand by.; LMP: Because I checked it inadvertently here.; CDR: Okay. No problem. I'm not going to get the COAS until I get my helmet out of the way.; LMP: Okay.; CMP: (Singing); CDR: We got the major things here. Ron can work on the optics, and I'll get the ...; CMP: Couldn't we get the cabin pressure - EMERGENCY CABIN PRESSURE at BOTH?; CDR: Okay.; LMP: You want to - Okay, what did you want to do, Ron?; CMP: Put the EMERGENCY CABIN PRESSURE at BOTH.; LMP: Okay, do that.; LMP: Then we'll take our helmets and gloves off.

00 00 18 06: LMP: Okay, and SUIT CIRCUIT RETURN VALVE.; CMP: I keep floating up to the top of the tunnel.; CDR: Huh?; LMP: Yes, that's because we're in ORB RATE. Don't forget.; CMP: Oh, yes.; CDR: Okay, the O₂ flow is down.; LMP: What a ride that booster is.; CDR: Okay.; LMP: What a ride that booster is.; CDR: Yes, isn't that something?; CMP: Man, that is a ride.; CDR: And the best thing to do, Jack, while you're in the suit, is to stay in the seat, loosely buckled.; LMP: Yes, sir. What's that?; CDR: Okay, I don't know what that was. That was a spurious alarm.

00 00 18 42: CMP: Hmm. Well, you got to -; LMP: There was no caution and warning with that.; CDR: Okay.; LMP: Let me check my lamps. Checking lamps, gang.; CMP/CDR; Okay.; LMP: Good. Those are good.; CDR: Whoops.; LMP: That was it again.; CDR: What are you seeing? Well, I see nothing. They're transients.; CDR: Look at your - look at your gages.; LMP: They're not triggering the caution and warning.; CMP: Maybe we're getting Just a caution and warning transient of some kind, huh?

00 00 19 24: LMP: Three of them right in here.; CDR: Jack, you don't want your helmet back yet, huh?; LMP: Oh, I can take it any time, Geno - -; CDR: Okay.; LMP: - - and get it out of the way over here.; CDR: Okay, here's your helmet, Jack.; LMP: Sure.; CDR: And, Ron, do you want yours?; CMP: Yes, I may as well get it out of the way.; CDR: Get it out of the way.; CMP: Get it ... here.; CDR: Okay, here's yours.; CMP: Okay, got it.; CDR: Okay. And you're going to be - I don't know when you get into daylight, but your optics is your next -; CMP: Next thing here, as soon as I get my - old helmet and gloves off.; CDR: Man, I tell you that booster ride is something to behold.; CMP: Gee whiz! I guess I wasn't quite prepared for the shaking and vibration until the thing lifted off.; CDR: Okay, give that hatch is - -

00 00 20 12: LMP: Let me know when you're ready for checklist stuff.; CDR: Okay.; LMP: Cabin still looks good.; CDR: Let me tell you, those people down there must have had something worth waiting for. We saw that light before we left the pad. Did you guys see that? You saw it out your window, Ron? Jack's ... - -; CMP: Yes.; LMP: I didn't - -; CMP: I saw - -; LMP: I didn't see anything.; CDR: I saw it out my window. Not enough to blind anything.; CMP: Yes, not enough to blind anything but you could sure see it there.

00 00 20 51: CDR: Boy, I tell you, I'm sure glad I didn't have to use any SPS stars out there. I never would have seen them. Look at that. Okay, here you go. Your first sight. You're looking to watch the sunrise. Jack, get out here.; CMP: Oh, there it is. Wait a minute. I can't see it!; CDR: Get out here, babe.; LMP: Look at that.; CDR: Come on out my window over here.; CDR: Wait a minute - going to watch - Can you see it out Jack's window? Just - You'll see it the next time around. But it's your first view of the Earth, babe. And it's going to be your - your best - until you get a quarter million miles away.; CMP: Holy mackerel.; CDR: Just keep looking.

00 00 21 26: CDR: There's some lightning out there. See it?; LMP: Yes. Yes. I saw it .... - -; CDR: See it out there?; LMP: Yes, yes. Right on the horizon.; CDR: See those big thunderheads on the horizon?; LMP: Yes.; CDR: Look at the size of those things.; CMP: Isn't that beautiful?; CDR: I tell you - This is your first view of the wo - of being in orbit and that - you tell - you got the most beautiful view - -; CMP: Look at the clouds down there. The clouds are sticking up above the horizon.

00 00 21 46: CDR: Yes, sir. What have you got 16 54 on there for, anything?; CMP: No. You can proceed auto.; CDR: Okay.; LMP: I was getting for the - just to make sure we're ORB RATE.; CDR: That 's ...; CMP: Look at those clouds.; CDR: Yes.; CMP: Orange.; CDR: Pretty spectacular. You Just ... - -; CMP: Blues, blacks.; CDR: Now, lunar sunrise won't look like that, but -

00 00 22 09: CMP: What time is it? Twenty-two. Yes, we're that much early.; CDR: Here, I'll put that there temporarily.; CDR: Now, you're going to see - -; CMP: Oooh, boy.; CDR: You see the bands come up now.; CMP: Yes. There's the bands up.; CMP: Must be the storms down in Africa, huh?; CDR: Well, I don't know exactly where we are - -; CMP: ...; CDR: - - but it's south.; CMP: South - Sunrise has got to be over Africa somewhere.; CDR: Yes. It may be out in the Atlantic by now.; LMP: I think it's out over the water now.; CDR: Jack, the COAS is - is in.; LMP: Okay. You ready for some more?; CDR: Yes. No. Watch - watch the sunrise.; LMP: There it comes.; CMP: I want to watch the sunrise.; LMP: It 's going to come right into my eyes - That 's the ... (laughter) ...; CMP: Here it comes. Ka-boom.; CDR: Take - take a look at it.; CMP: Whoo-ee.; LMP: Oh-ooh.; CDR: Take a look at it.; CMP: Look at that blaze!; LMP: Pow !; CMP: Wow !; CDR: Take a look at it.; LMP: Gosh darn it, yes.; CMP: Ohh, that's bright!; CDR: Yes, sir. Is that nice or not?

00 00 23 02

CMP: Oh, it's Just orange! You know. It starts out orange and then gets - becomes bright, and now it looks like a ... - -

Cernan: Launching at night, we just had a somewhat different view of the Earth than most other flights have had. The first real view we got of being in orbit at that point was pretty spectacular because it happened to be Earth sunrise and that's a very intriguing and interesting way to get your first indoctrination to Earth orbit.

Schmitt: The transcript contains some descriptions, by all three of us, of sequences of that sunrise which, in the color banding, may be of some significance for other people.

Schmitt: I think the tapes cover some comments on the Earth illumination at the horizons. Briefly, right at the terminator horizon of the Earth, you get sharp shadow definition of cloud features. At the sunlit horizon from lunar distance that's a very clear definition between the black of space and the upper portion of the Earth. In Earth orbit and near Earth, you can see the gradation of that horizon caused by the atmosphere. At night around the Earth, there's a very clear horizon glow all around the Earth. Air glow, I guess you would call it. And the horns of the crescent Earth are much sharper and elongated compared to those of the crescent Moon, as if light was being diffracted into the atmosphere and in extending the length of the horns of the crescent.

CDR: Okay. Now go check your optics out because if they're no good, I'm going to throw you out the hatch.; CMP: (Laughter ); LMP: That 's right. Geno -; CMP: Okay, I got to - got to check the little optics ... - -; CDR: Okay, I'm ready, Jack.; LMP: Okay, I want your SM RCS HEATERS, four, to PRIMARY.
00 00 23 21: CDR: Okay. Four HEATERS to PRIMARY - 1, 2, 3, 4. They are PRIMARY.; LMP: Okay, I want CAUTION and WARNING to NORMAL.; CDR: Okay, CAUTION/WARNING - -; LMP: I'll get it.; CDR: We haven't had that MASTER ALARM again, huh?; LMP: No.; CDR: Okay. And while you're talking, I'm going to get the - the ORB RATE ball out - or the -; CMP: ORDEAL?; CDR: ORDEAL.; CDR: Go ahead, Jack; keep talking.; LMP: BPC. Okay, these things ... It's already JETT.; CMP: Doggone, I'd like to give them television.; CDR: Okay.
00 00 23 56: LMP: 180 degrees. GN₂ valve HANDLE to VENT.; CMP: Okay.; PAO: This is Apollo Control at 24 minutes. Apollo 17 now in an orbit about 90 miles by 93 miles and everything appears to be nominal aboard the spacecraft and aboard the launch vehicle, Saturn third stage. One additional impact of our late liftoff will be the loss of television coverage for the transposition and docking maneuver. The television coverage will not be possible because the ground track has shifted and we don't have the site coverage that had been expected for television. The translunar injection burn, reigniting the Saturn third stage to put the spacecraft on its trajectory to the Moon, is now scheduled to occur at a ground elapsed time of 3 hours 12 minutes 35 seconds, or roughly 9 minutes earlier than the flight plan time. This again the effect of the late lift off. And we will be reacquiring Apollo 17 through the Carnarvon Tracking Station at a ground elapsed time of about 52 minutes 20 seconds, roughly 27 minutes from now.; LMP: I guess I'm going to have to do what you guys are doing to do that.; CMP: It sure gets light in here, doesn't it?; LPM; Hey, hey, Ron.; CMP: Yes.; LMP: Could - can you get the hatch stuff, or you want to check your optics first?; CMP: No, I can get the hatch stuff here if I can get my - my helmet.; LMP: A little longer ... - -; CDR: - - ... get the optics first.; CMP: Let me get the optics work. Okay?; CDR: Get that cover off.; CMP: Yes, I'm going to do that .... off.; CMP: Hot diggity dog.; CDR: Did it go?; CMP: I can't believe we've made it up here.; CDR: Did it go?; CMP: Ha ha !; CDR: Did it go?; CMP: What?; CDR: The optics?

00 00 24 41: CMP: I don't know. I haven't done it yet (laughter).; CDR: Okay, well, get on that one. That's one I want to know.; CMP: 0ksy.; CMP: Let me see ... (Singing) Do-do-do-doo do tum. Caution and warning. GDC align.; LMP: Geno?; CDR: Yes.; LMP: Let me know when - -; CMP: Okay.; LMP: Can you reach the GN₂ vent handle?; CDR: Yes, sir.; LMP: Right here?; CDR: What do you want me to do?

00 00 25 09: LMP: I want you to pull it to VENT.; CDR: Okay, let me get around to this ... Okay. One of the things that -; CMP: ... state vector here.; CDR: Pulling to VENT?; LMP: Pull to VENT.; CDR: Ron, it should go to zero, huh? All the way?; CDR: Pull to VENT? Okay?; LMP: Yes.; CDR: Pull to VENT?; LMP: Yes.; LMP: All the way.; CMP: That ...; SC; Okay.; CMP: Yes, I can vent it all the way, now.

00 00 25 33

CDR: You're over the Atlantic, guys, looking out your window.

CMP: Over the Atlantic, huh?

CDR: Best I can tell right now.

LMP: Gosh darn. Pardon my French.

CDR: Yes. Let me tell you. Just because you've been in orbit once, that don't mean you've been in orbit all the time.

LMP: Hey, by the way, Ron, you and I finally qualified.

CDR: (Laughter) We qualified, huh?

LMP: I forgot - I was going to tell you when we went through 50 miles, but I was too busy.

CMP: I forgot all about it.

00 00 25 58

CDR: Okay. You want this reset?

LMP: No. Just pull to VENT.

CMP: (Singing) Da da-da da, do do do.

LMP: Just leave it the way it is.

CDR: Okay. It's going to - We're going to hit it.

LMP: It doesn't say one way or the other, Geno.

CDR: Let me Just put it back here.

CMP: (Laughter) It's black out there.

CDR: There is is. Okay.

LMP: ... Just vent it to zero. That's all that's important.

CDR: Okay. That 's good.

CMP: Let me see.

CDR: Okay. And the hatch is neutral?

00 00 26 16: CMP: I have the OPTICS POWER ON.; CDR: Ron, put the -; LMP: You're right.; CDR: Okay , what do you want me to do?; LMP: You never got a ... Okay, you ready?; CDR: Yes.; CMP: Let me see.; LMP: SM RCS. You got it?
00 00 26 26: CMP: G&N POWER is ON.; LMP: You got SM RCS PROPELLANT talkback's eight, gray?

00 00 26 29: CDR: They're all gray.; CDR: Yes. Okay.; LMP: Okay - -

00 00 26 30: CMP: OPTICS, ZERO to OFF, and then ZERO; LMP: - - HELIUM 1 and 2, eight, gray.

00 00 26 33: CDR: They're eight gray.; LMP: SM RCS INDICATOR to HELIUM TANK TEMP, and check your quads.

00 00 26 38: CMP: OPTICS, ZERO -

00 00 26 40: CDR: Okay. HELIUM TANKs TEMP, and -

00 00 26 41: CMP: OPTICS MODE to MANUAL.; LMP: And then -

00 00 26 44: CMP: OPTICS COUPLING is DIRECT.

00 00 26 46: CDR: Okay, all the quads are GO.

00 00 26 47: CMP: SPEED is HIGH.; LMP: You want some numbers or you - you like them?

00 00 26 51: CDR: They're all nominal.; LMP: Okay, check CM.

00 00 26 54: CDR: Okay, COMMAND MODULE. They're both nominal.; LMP: You got two gray talkbacks on the propellant; they're gray. Okay, and you like the ... - you like the numbers.; CDR: Yes.; CMP: Okay.; LMP: Okay, lamp test, I did.

00 00 27 10: LMP: Okay, you guys, MASTER ALARM. Stand by.; CDR: Okay.; LMP: Okay. That 's good.; CDR: I guess ...; LMP: Reset.

00 00 27 20: CMP: There it is.; CDR: What?; LMP: Another transient.; CDR: Another one, huh?; LMP: It tests - almost acts if it's something to do with the -; CMP: Okay, here goes the old optics.; CDR: Let me know if that cover goes.; CMP: 1001, 1002, 1003, 1004 - Ohhhhl My gosh, there it went.; CDR: Beautiful. That's ... over here.; CMP: Ohhhhhh.; LMP: Okay.; CMP: Hey, it's floating off. It's a real bright thing. There's two pieces of it.; CDR: Yes. That's great.; LMP: Okay. Strut unlock lanyards, two, stow.; CMP: Something else is flying all over the place.; CDR: Okay.; CMP: Yes, you can see ...; CDR: Okay.

Evans: The optics cover jettison worked as advertised. We jettisoned the optics cover in the daylight and you could see the two covers flipping off straight down the optics path.

CMP: Let me -

CDR: Well - -

CMP: Should I whip into a P52 here or - -

CDR: I'll get Ron to do that in a minute.

CMP: - - should I ...?

00 00 28 04: LMP: DRINKING WATER SUPPLY valve, ON.; CDR: Okay.; CMP: Hey, that's a good idea.; CDR: Check those optics out or you don't get any - -; CMP: (Laughter ); CDR: ...; LMP: Hey, Ron. Hey, Ron, can you CLOSE the COAS TUNNEL LIGHTING MAIN B breaker down there?; CMP: Yes. Just a second. Let me ...

00 00 28 17: CMP: COAS TUNNEL A and B is CLOSED.; LMP: Okay, thank you.; CMP: Okay.; LMP: And we got the helmet bags and accessory bags and tool E? Would you get tool E out of L-2, please?; CMP: ... is off. Tool E out of L-2. Is that where that is?; CDR: And that's one thing we'll need real quick.; LMP: Okay, - -; CDR: Want some ... - You can't get it - -; LMP: I'll get it in a minute, Gene. I want to get squared away here and then I'll - It's Just as easy this way.; CDR: Okay.; LMP: Let you guys be at my beck and call. If cabin pressure -; CDR: We got to get to those radiators ...; LMP: Is greater - -; CMP: Get some radiators up.; LMP: - - than 5.3, O₂ FLOW ... - -; CMP: Oh, you kind of get stuck in these places.; CDR: Got it, Ron?; CMP: (Humming ); CDR: Here comes Africa.; LMP: Okay.; CMP: (Humming) Hey, I can still see those dust covers whipping out through there.; CDR: Okay, let's - let's press on and get this done. It's getting warm in here.; LMP: Yes.; CMP/LMP; Okay.; CMP: ...?; LMP: Main reg check, Ron - whenever you're ready - You want to leave that?; CDR: We can get the main regs later.; LMP: Okay, secondary rad leak check.; CDR: Oh, we can?; LMP: Ready, Geno?; CDR: Yes.

00 00 29 32: LMP: Okay, I'm going to SECONDARY.; CMP: . . . - -; CDR: -- ... quantity.; LMP: SECONDARY GLYCOL to RAD valve, NORMAL for 30 seconds.; CDR: Okay, GLYCOL to RAD, SECONDARY, NORMAL for 30 seconds, coming at you.; LMP: And then it's going to be bypass. Give me a mark.; CDR: ...; LMP: You got it?; CDR: Not yet.; CDR: Not yet .... tool E ... off here.; LMP: Oh.; CDR: Okay, you want it NORMAL?; LMP: NORMAL for 30 seconds.
00 00 30 04: CDR: MARK it. It's NORMAL.; LMP: Okay.; CMP: Hey, you can see a star.; CDR: Well, that's what you're supposed to, babe.; LMP: It's in the daylight, too.; CDR: Yes.; CDR: Look at - Did you ever see a blacker sky than that, though?; LMP: Yes, about 2 minutes ago.
00 00 30 24: LMP: Ten more seconds, Gene.; CDR: Okay. Is she looking good to you?; LMP: Yes, looks good.; CDR: Okay. ORB RATE, by the way, is tracking.
00 00 30 35: LMP: Okay, you can go to the BYPASS.
00 00 30 38: CDR: Okay, it's back to BYPASS.; LMP: That 's good.; CDR: Okay.; LMP: And - Okay, GLYCOL RESERVOIR BYPASS valve, OPEN.
00 00 30 47: CDR: GLYCOL RESERVOIR BYPASS is OPEN.; LMP: Okay. GLYCOL RESERVOIR OUT valve, CLOSED.
00 00 30 52: CDR: OUT is CLOSED.; LMP: GLYCOL RESERVOIR IN valve CLOSED.

00 00 30 55: CDR: IN is CLOSED.; LMP: PRIMARY ACCUMULATOR - -; CDR: Okay.; LMP: - - quantity -; CMP: Is up (chuckle ).; LMP: Interesting.; CDR: You want to try - -; LMP: 40.; CDR: - - try filling it?; LMP: Yes, we're going - let's put something in it. PRIMARY ACCUM FILL valve, ON, until 50-55. I'll give you a mark.

00 00 31 18: CDR: Well, I don't know whether I meant it or not, but it looked like it was ON.; LMP: There - Whoa.; CDR: No. Which way?; LMP: Turn it OFF.; CDR: Huh?; LMP: Turn it OFF.; CDR: Whoops .... - -; LMP: That's interesting. Do it again.; CDR: Well, it was - it looked like it was ON to me.; LMP: It - No, it - it jumps, Geno, and - I didn't - I guess I didn't give you enough time.; CDR: Okay, yes.; LMP: It 's only 45 now.; CDR: Okay, try - It's ON -
00 00 31 36: CDR: MARK it.; LMP: Okay.; CDR: You got that. It was OFF. It was okay.; CMP: Now - now turn it OFF.; CDR: Oh, OFF?; LMP: Yes.
00 00 31 42: CDR: Okay, it's OFF.; LMP: Okay, I got - 50. One more time, please.; CDR: Okay.; LMP: For some reason, there's a- -; CDR: Okay.; LMP: - - there's a 10 percent bias on it.; CDR: There's a hysteresis in it.; LMP: Yes. No, it just holds there when it's ON. Okay, now turn it OFF.; CDR: Okay, it 's OFF.; LMP: Good; 55. Right in there. Okay, ES - ECS flad ro - FLOW CONTROL.; PAO: This is Apollo Control now 32 minutes after the liftoff of Apollo 17 and we have loss of signal with the spacecraft, we will be reacquiring through the Carnarvon Tracking Station in about 20 minutes. And from the President of the United States we have the following message to the crew of Apollo 17. The message reads: As you set forth on the final Apollo expedition to the Moon I want to have my personal best wishes for a successful mission and safe return. I am sure your voyage, your scientific exploration, will be the crowning achievement in a program which has expanded man's horizons, brought great credit to your country and lifted the spirits of people all over the world. God speed to you all. Signed Richard Nixon. The flight Dynamics officer, continuing to process tracking data, following orbital insertions, reports that there is a small amount of out of plane error showing up in the orbit. This is believed is due to a small error in the instrument unit of the Saturn third stage. However, the orbit is very close to nominal, about 90 nautical miles by 93 nautical - However, the orbit is very close to nominal - about 90 nautical miles by 93 nautical miles. And, we look very good, both with respect to the spacecraft and with respect to the Saturn 3rd stage which must perform that burn putting Apollo 17 on its trajectory toward the Moon. At 34 minutes, this is Apollo Control Houston. This is Apollo Control. The postlaunch press conference at Cape Kennedy is scheduled to begin at 12:33 central standard time, 1:33 a.m. eastern standard time. Again, that time 12:33 central standard time, 1:33 eastern standard for the post-launch press conference at Cape Kennedy.; CDR: There's a little geology for you, Jack.; LMP: I hope I can look next time.; CDR: Okay.
00 00 32 12: LMP: Okay, FLOW CONTROL, POWER - POWER. PRIMARY GLYCOL TO RAD valve, NORMAL. Push. That's why I want to get going.

00 00 32 21: CDR: PRIMARY GLYCOL TO RAD - Push. It's NORMAL.

00 00 32 25: LMP: Okay, ECS RAD HEATER, PRIM 1. Okay, PRIM OUT below PRIM IN. We're already there. That's beautiful.; CDR: That booster ride is just un - Just absolutely incredible.; LMP: Okay, ECS RAD talkback gray.

00 00 32 48: CDR: It is.

00 00 32 51: LMP: GLYCOL EVAP, TEMP IN, going to AUTO.; CMP: I guess it's good to take a focus.

00 00 32 59: LMP: Okay. POTABLE H₂O HEATER going to MAIN A.; CMP: ... focus ...; CDR: How's it looking to you, Ron?; CMP: Well, I can't get the crazy thing to focus.; LMP: Let me know when you can do a main reg check.; CMP: Okay.; LMP: Ready, Gene.; CDR: Yes.; LMP: Let's see - I'm in a fuel cell EPS. Let's see - ECS monitoring, SPS - The rest of it's mine. GDC align is - You got to do.; CDR: I'll take care of that.; LMP: And then there's a sequence camera unstow and a mount your ORDEAL, if you haven't.; CDR: Okay, ORDEAL is mounted and working, and I'll wait for Ron to finish the - -; LMP: You've done the ORDEAL?; CDR: - - the optics.; LMP: Okay.; CDR: I'll wait for him to finish the optics so we can - -; LMP: I guess the rest of it is pretty much mine for a while.; CDR: Yes. Why don't you do it now?; CMP: I can't tell - Hey, that's not so bad. Ha ha! There we go. Where's my book?; CDR: Okay. Right above you.; LMP: Okay, you're going to - -; CDR: What's the temp - cabin temp, Jack?; LMP: Huh?; CMP: It's getting hot. Whatever it is. Cool it - yes.; CDR: Cabin temp. Let's see if we can't cool it off.; LMP: Cabin temp is low. Oh, cabin temp?; CDR: Yes, sir.; CMP: It's 65.; CDR: It's hot in here.; LMP: Well, let's see.

00 00 34 05: LMP: We're in MANUAL. INCREASE must be increase temperature.; CDR: Okay, did you want me to turn the DIRECT O₂ OFF, by the way? Did you call that out ...?; LMP: No, I didn't call it out - -; CMP: No, no. It shouldn't be.; LMP: No, I didn't call that.; CDR: Okay.; CMP: Okay.

00 00 34 20: LMP: Okay, you're going to see some MASTER ALARMs here, gang.; CDR: Okay.; LMP: Any time you get one you don't like, let me know.; CDR: I will. We've had four spurious ones without anything else.; LMP: What a - -; CMP: Okay.; LMP: There seems to be some association with the - with working the switches up here on the caution warning panel, and I'll check that out later.; CDR: Ron, if - I Just want to lock this.; LMP: Okay, MASTER ALARM.; CDR: Okay. There you go.; CMP: Plus 1080 - plus 080, plus ... 0.05.; LMP: Okay. Fuel cell 1's good.

00 00 35 03: CDR: MASTER ALARM.; CMP: And plus 0018 - 018.; CMP: Okay, and we'll torque those things at 35 - ... - -

00 00 35 16: LMP: Two's good.; CDR: Okay. You torquing now?; CMP: No, not yet.

00 00 35 21: CMP: 35:10.; CDR: It was 35:25 up here, Ron.; CMP: Oh, really? I've got 35:10 down here.; CDR: 35:25 on two clocks up here.; CMP: Hah!; CDR: Okay, let me check the - the computer.; CMP: Well, the event - -; CDR: Computer is in - -; CMP: Event timer's off a little bit, too.

00 00 35 40: CDR: The computer is - the computer is with both of our clocks up here.; CMP: Okay. What - what time did you say it was?; CDR: It was 35:25 when you torqued.; CMP: 35:25 then. Okay, somehow the LEB DSKY mission timer doesn't work - or it's late.; CDR: I don't understand how that happened.; CMP: (Laughter) ...; CDR: Okay, why don't you put this up in the tunnel, if you can.; CMP: Yes, I'm going to do that. Put it down here where it belongs.; CDR: Okay, well, could you put mine down there, too, you suppose? Is there room down there to put it ... - -; CMP: Well, you're going to ... if it - if it will stay.; CDR: Well, I won't put it there then.; CMP: Well, I can put it down here for the time being, but - -; CDR: Well, that's all right. That's all right.; LMP: Okay, that's spurious.; CDR: That's spurious, nothing with it.

00 00 36 20: LMP: Number 5. Check my amps once more.

CDR: You weren't checking out things and -

CMP: Let's see ...

LMP: No.

CMP: Okay.

LMP: ... pressures. H₂/3.

CMP: How do I get some suits cooling? Aaah.

CDR: Okay. You ... want to get these around, too, and I'll ... your -

CDR: Put this around.

LMP: Okay. Another one. Seems to be something to do - It's - maybe with switching up in here. I seem to get more of them when I'm working on the switches up here. I'll keep my eye open.

00 00 37 24: CDR: Your gages all look good, huh?; LMP: Yes, sir. I haven't found anything.; LMP: There, you see. You did it, too.; LMP: It's - -; CMP: Okay.; LMP: Possibly, it's this - these things being very low. What - -; CDR: Just bouncing against them. Yes.; LMP: What did - what did - Well, that was the SPS thing that Ron -; CDR: Here you are, Ron.; CMP: Okay.; LMP: Hey, Ron, what was it that Gordy said about ... - -; CMP: That 's the SPS.; LMP: That was SPS, wasn't it?; CMP: Yes; switching

00 00 38 02: LMP: SURGE TANK PRESSURE. The CRY0 FANS; we'll leave them the way they are.; CDR: Okay, Ron, you can wrap those around - -; CMP: Take that ... - -; CDR: - - and I'll get - I'll pick the -

00 00 38 15: LMP: HEATERS are ON and up.

00 00 38 19: LMP: RAD talkbacks are gray.; CDR: Are you happy with the optics?; CMP: Um-hmm.; CMP: Finally got a drink of water.; CDR: Congratulations.; LMP: Okay, you're - you're way back there. I'm going to purge - Okay. How about a main reg check when you get a chance, Ron?; CMP: Anybody want a drink?; LMP: Not right now.; CMP: Okay.; LMP: Okay. MAIN REG B, CLOSED.

00 00 38 59: CMP: MAIN REG B is going CLOSED.; CDR: Okay. CABIN PRESSURE, select 1.

00 00 39 06: CMP: EMERGENCY CABIN PRESSURE's - 1.; LMP: Push to test.

00 00 39 11: CMP: Okay, push to test.; LMP: O₂ flow increase. Stand by; you might get a MASTER ALARM. Go ahead.; CDR: Okay, it does. That's good.; CMP: Whoo! That ... - -; LMP: Okay, MAIN REG B, OPEN, and A, CLOSED.

00 00 39 19: CMP: Okay. B is going OPEN.; LMP: A CLOSED?
00 00 39 23: CMP: A is CLOSED.; CDR: EMERGENCY CABIN PRESSURE, select 2.; 00 00 39 25; CMP: Okay, it's going to 2.; LMP: Push to test.
00 00 39 28: CMP: Push to test.; CDR: Okay, that' s good here.; LMP: MAIN REG A valve, OPEN.
00 00 39 35: CMP: MAIN REG A is OPEN.; LMP: CABIN EMERGENCY PRESS, BOTH.
00 00 39 39: CMP: Okay. EMERGENCY CABIN PRESSURE is in BOTH.; CDR: There's the coast of Africa.; CMP: I'd like to see something ...; CDR: Oh, you'll see it.; LMP: Okay - -; CMP: Get caught up, we'll ... - -; LMP: - - Get this other one over here.; CMP: (Laughter); LMP: Get this - get this other one over here.; CDR: Oh, I got it .... pull that.; LMP: And then you get a couple of bungees out of there, and I want to trade cards with you, Ron.; CMP: Okay.; CMP: (Singing) Okay; 25 and added a 46, 71. A couple of bungees coming up. No, wait a minute, I don't know where they are. Normal ... (Chuckle); CDR: That GDC ALIGN pushbutton is really hard to push, Ron. There is a little step in it you got to ... - -; CMP: Oh, it is?; CDR: Yes.; CMP: ...; CDR: Okay.
00 00 40 49: CDR: Give me a battery relay bus reading when you turn the ... on.; CMP: ... 5 Bravo, do you?; LMP: Yes.; CDR: Are you sure of the optics ...; CMP: Yes.; CDR: Okay ....
00 00 41 00: CMP: Five Bravo is about 3.45.; CDR: Beautiful.; CMP: Yes, that's good, isn't it? Man, the Sun's shining right in those optics. Don't look in them. I won't.; LMP: Okay. Let's see - and you're happy with the radiator. Looks like it's starting to flow in ... - -; CMP: Think the ... - -; LMP: Just ... on the ECS, Gene, okay?; CDR: No, I Just - -; LMP: Have you done any of it?; CDR: No.; CMP: ..., Jack.; CDR: It 's all yours.; LMP: What 's that for?; CMP: ... Just stick one on a snap or something over there. Okay.
00 00 41 28: CDR: Okay, Ron - Well, Jack can pick up - he can pick these things up, so we don't miss any of them. And you can start getting some cameras out.; CMP: Okay.; LMP: Okay, cabin DELTA-P.; CMP: I going to try to keep the optics stowed, I think, unless I'm using them.; LMP: Cabin pressure ...; CDR: Make sure your eye pieces are on nice and tight, too.; CMP: Yes, I Just tightened them on. Oh, yes, that's what they call Sun shafting.; CDR: Okay.; CMP: Looks just like the simulator (laughter) (singing).; LMP: 50 ... --; CMP: There, that's . .. eyes right in the old gazoo. Well, let me adjust those later. (Clears throat); LMP: Okay, REPRESS PACKAGE.
00 00 42 38: LMP: PRIMARY RAD talkback - gray.; CMP: (Singing ); LMP: ... Beautiful ....; CMP: Ha, hoo. SXT ...; CDR: Okay, Ron, the next thing I'll need from you when you get squared away is your TLI cards. Then I'll give you the launch card.; CMP: Okay. (Singing) ... T isn't getting ... cover.; CMP: Hmm, huh (singing).; CDR: Jack, the surge tank there may have hit partly off. It may have ... - -; LMP: Yes, it - it looks a little low, Gene. I was ...
00 00 43 45: CDR: Okay. It's back on.; LMP: Okay.; CDR: It's back on. It may have been partially off.; LMP: All right. Thank you. I was assuming that was that bias we had, but that's - that did it - that's coming up.; CDR: Okay, good. It was partially off. I hit it with my arm - -; LMP: Okay. Thank you .... - -; CDR: -- ... checking ... --; LMP: - - ... I won't assume biases any more.; CDR: Okay. You know, I must have caught it with my -; LMP: Remind me to check that again, if I don't - -; CDR: Okay.; LMP: - - remember it.; CDR: That's why I'm walking around the cockpit, to make sure we got it all.; LMP: Okay.; CMP: ...; CDR: Is this yours, Ron?; CMP: Yes. Okay, let's put a - says a nominal and a manual TLI - 0. That's the first thing that comes up.; CDR: Okay.; CMP: Okay, and then we will put TLI-1.; LMP: Okay. I did it again. It is switching on panel 2. I'm sure of it, almost, now.; CMP: ... boost?; LMP: It does it in CSM normal position. Well, it did - it did it in boost, too. Did it in boost, too.; CDR: Okay. We got the nominal TLI-0 up here.
00 00 44 53: CMP: Okay. You want a nominal - Let's see, what do I want to do? S-IVB TLI-1?; CDR: Yes. You've given me four cards. I don't know - -; CMP: Well, here; why don't I keep them in my pocket until we - -; CDR: Well, wait until we pass TLI-0 - -; CMP: -- ... TLI-0.; CDR: I got the TLI-0s here.; CMP: I'll keep those in here.; CDR: We are coming out over the Indian Ocean. I can't really tell you where, guys, but -; CMP: Hoo! I wonder if I could take a leak? Do I have time to take a leak?; CDR: I am going to have to empty my leak when I get out of my suit.; CMP: Well, I can't do that right now (laughter).
00 00 45 36: CMP: Let's see here. We got to get a camera out, huh?; CDR: Yes, get you cameras, that's the next thing.; LMP: You need two of them - the 16 and the - You want some words on what - what to put on them?; CDR: Why don't you press on - -; CMP: Not yet.; CDR: - - and I can work with him on that.; LMP: Okay. Gene, you got that and that done.; CMP: Let's see, what's holding this thing in down there, Gene?; CDR: Probably these - these things right here. Is that holding it? Here, let me - let me pull it. Won't it Just snap out?; CMP: wait a minute. Here's the snap over there.; CDR: Okay, there's a snap down here. There you go. How you guys doing? Moving slow?; LMP: Yes.; CMP: Yes.; LMP: I feel pretty good. I noted that - -; CMP: I got a little bit of a - I - I know that if I move fast - -; CDR: Okay, well, just - -; CMP: - - I'd start to get a headache is all I can say.; CDR: Okay. Stay where you are and move slow.; CMP: I been - I been floating around too fast down here ...; CDR: I think you may have, Ron. You been bouncing around. Just take it easy and go slow. We're way ahead. We're way ahead. And if you feel like you want to get back in the couch, Just get back in the couch.

Cernan: I think everyone reacted normally to weightlessness. There was no feeling of disorientation or vertigo or any other disturbances at that point. The CMP is the only one who left the couch prior to TLI and that was for his P52.

Evans: I didn't get that fullness in the head at that point at all. That wasn't until we'd been up there for 5 or 6 hours.

LMP: Okay, gang, I'm going to give you a - Well, I'm going to save that - until I get unzipped here a little bit. You got your GDC aligned?; CDR: GDC is aligned.; LMP: We're getting the cameras.; CDR: Cabin pressure looks good to you, huh?; LMP: Yes, sir; it's holding at 6.; CDR: You got all the hatch configurations we want?; LMP: Yes, sir.; CDR: Okay.; LMP: Very tight. Hatch is good.; CDR: Neutral - neutral and latch.; LMP: Yes, sir.
00 00 47 03: CDR: Okay. And I'm double checked here on normal - normal and latched.; CMP: You want to give me a mark on 48 there, Gene.; CDR: Yes, I guess, ... 45 seconds. I wonder how that clock got off down there.; LMP: Okay. You should have Carnarvon in about 5 minutes.; CDR: Thirty seconds, Ron.; CMP: Okay ....; CMP: 36, 37 -; CMP/CDR: 38, 39, 40.; CMP: Okay, the EVENT TIMER's all right. I'll start on the ...; LMP: Boy, that pressure comes up fast.; CDR: On what?; LMP: On the secondary loop.
00 00 48 02: CDR: There it went - with that switch.; LMP: Sure seems to be it, doesn't it?; CDR: Which one - which - any of the switches.; LMP: Well, so far it's at random. I - Maybe we ought to keep a list.; CMP: Was that the - I just hit the MISSION TIMER START.; CDR: No, that was - -; LMP: No, I think it was mine, Ron; a bat swith (sic) up there.; CMP: Well, so far. I hope it's going in the bag.; CDR: You hope what?; CMP: I hope it's going in the bag.
00 00 48 32: LMP: Okay. You got all the optic stuff; right, Ron?; CMP: Urn-hmm.; LMP: I'll check that one off. You getting the cameras?; CDR: He's working on it now.; CDR: Okay.; LMP: P52!; CMP: P52 is completed. Torquing angles were small.; LMP: Did you copy them?; CMP/CDR: Yes.; LMP: Okay. SCS attitude - Can you do that?; CDR: Yes, I can do the SCS attitude. That's no problem.; LMP: Okay. How about the docking probe? Is that in A - is that in AOS? They like to have that done ... - -; CDR: Yes, we'll wait until Ron gets back up here.; LMP: Do they like that in AOS, or what'd we decide?; CMP: No, they don't - -; CDR: They don't need it.; CMP: Well, they can't see anything anyway. They got their probe temperature whether it's extended or -; CDR: It's Just like ... maneuvers I was doing in the T-38.; CMP: (Laughter ); CDR: If your oil pressure doesn't drop.
00 00 49 33: LMP: Okay, you guys. Except for - except for one check over here, which I am going to have to unzip here to do, I think -; CDR: I gave you your ..., right?; LMP: Yes.; CDR: You happy with everything except the MASTER ALARMs?; LMP: The MASTER ALARMs ... Whewl; CDR: What was it?; LMP: Oh, I got that change in the bias again on that H₂ tank. It's down to 90 percent. And surge tank's coming up, thanks to your little check. And MASTER ALARMs are the only thing that I found anomalous. Okay ....; LMP: It' s like zero-g.; CMP: Yes.; LMP: Like man.; CDR: Just - just move slow if it - Even if there's nothing bothering, you still move slow.; CMP: (Singing) It's a lot easier to get out (laughter). You just take it and float it up here.
00 00 50 44: LMP: Okay, let me tell you what you want.
00 00 51 00: PAO: This is Apollo Control at 51 minutes into the flight of Apollo 17 and we're standing by to reacquire the spacecraft through the Carnarvon, Australia, tracking station. One of the things the booster engineer will be looking for when we reacquire them and get good log on the data will be the Saturn 3rd stage instrument unit. Looking at one brief bit of data before we lost signal, it appears that one of the four batteries in the instrument unit had a very high current drain on it. We will be looking closely at that to see if it was simply a telemetry problem or if, in fact, that battery does have some problem. And we should be about 15 seconds from reacquiring.

00 00 52 20: LMP: Hello, Houston; how do you read 17?; CC: 17, read you loud and clear.; LMP: Hey, we're going real well up here, Bob. Have no significant anomalies as yet; and we've just about completed our part of the insertion checklist. Gene has his SCS check yet, and Ron's got some P52 numbers for you. And the only thing I've seen so far is a - some spurious MASTER ALARM without caution and warning that seem to be associated with moving switches on panel 2.; CC: Okay. Can you get a sudden - what switches anywhere, anytime they switch it on?*; LMP: So far, it's been fairly random. Some that I remember is the SECONDARY COOLANT LOOP EVAP switch, the LAMP TEST switch, let's see - I think I got one with the TEMP and AUTO switch. Gene got one doing something. I can't remember exactly what it was.; CC: Okay - -; LMP: Probably random.; CC: - - we copy. Jack, we're standing by for that P52 data. We've only got about a 4-minute - a 5-minute pass here. We'll take the 52 data, and I got a few updates for you.; LMP: Okay.; CMP: Okay; 52 data is coming. NOUN 71 is 24 and 30; NOUN 05 is .01; NOUN 93s are plus .080, plus .029, plus .018; and we torqued at 35:25.; CC: Okay. We copy that. Okay, while we're filling in some here, you might want to know this, Jack. Your sunset and sunrise times in the Launch Checklist are all off by 8 - approximately 8 minutes and 30 seconds. That every - sunset and sunrise will occur about 8 minutes and 30 seconds sooner than in the - in the Launch Checklist. That's an approximate number.; LMP: Okay, we got you.; CC: Okay. And on page 2-17 of the Launch Checklist, you're going to want to delete all reference to Honeysuckle AOS and LOS and delete all reference to Canaries AOS and LOS.; LMP: Wilco.; CC: And we want to add an Ascension pass; AOS at Ascension, 01 plus 54 plus 00, and Ascension LOS will be 02:00:16.

00 00 55 13: LMP: Okay, Bob; you're going to have to repeat that.; CC: Okay, stand by. Let me give you a page. On 2-17 - let's go Hawaii AOS first of all. On Hawaii AOS, on page 2-17. AOS - -; LMP: Go.; CC: - - is 01 plus 17 plus 24. Hawaii LOS, 01 plus 22 plus 49.; LMP: Gotcha. Now what about the Ascension?*; CC: Okay, here - give you the Ascension again now. AOS, 01 plus 54 plus 00. Ascension LOS will be 02:00:16. Over.; LMP: Okay, I got those. Hawaii is 01 plus 17 plus 24, and LOS is 01 plus 22 plus 49. And Ascension is AOS, 01 plus 54:00; and LOS, 02 plus 00:16.; CC: Roger, Jack. Good copy. And booster's looking good down here and you're looking good.; LMP: Okay, and I'll do a better job of itemizing those switches. We were pressing pretty hard, and I'll - I'll be able to go back and get most of them, I think. And we'll keep an eye on it - on the MASTER ALARMs.; CC: Roger, Jack. We understand. And I think we copied most of what you said there, and we're working on it.; CDR: Okay, Bob; other than that MASTER ALARM, all is well on America, and I understand the booster is looking good to you.; CC: That's affirmative.; LMP: And, Bob, let me add that not - we did get spurious MASTER ALARMs without switch movement, but many came with switch movements. We've had about seven.; CC: Okay; understand.; LMP: That was only after insertion.; CC: Seven times that your heart doesn't need, huh?; CDR: Oh, we were paying attention to a sunset that was the biggest - - - - or sunrise or something that we saw. It was the biggest rainbow I'd ever seen.; CC: Beautiful. We can't wait to hear what you had to say about that - the ignition on the S-II. It sounded pretty spectacular.; LMP: Bob, just let it be said that that was quite a booster ride. When we get a chance a little later - -; CC: Roger.; LMP: - - maybe we'll be able to tell you something.*; CC: We're about ready to lose comm here. You're looking great, guys, and we'll pick you up in Hawaii here shortly.; CDR: Okay, we're looking at the deserts of Australia right now and, again, everything's good on board.; CC: Roger. Pick you up at 01:17:24.
00 00 58 24: LMP: Gotcha.*; PAO: This is Apollo Control. We' re coming up now one 1 hour after liftoff for Apollo 17. And as you heard CAPCOM Robert Overmyer reporting to the crew that everything looks good including the Saturn 3rd stage. Apparently the indication we had of a possible battery problem in the instrument unit nothing more than a bad bit of telemetry there. When the booster engineer got a good hard look at the telemetry on this pass, he reported everything looked good. We ace ready at this point to begin the post-launch press conference at Cape Kennedy and we'll switch to Cape Kennedy and stand by for that press conference

00 00 59 51: SC: Well, I'll tell you ...

00 01 00 05: CDR: Okay, 11, 6 ...; CMP: (Laughter); CDR: ... pretty stingy with the tape there ... piece about a foot long.; CMP: A foot long?; CDR: Oh, this'll do for now. I'm Just going to put this here, if you've got any other things ...; CMP: Man, are we moving. Holy mackerel.

00 01 00 33

CDR: Don't let it out, Ron.

CMP: I haven't had a chance to look out the window yet.

CDR: That's all right, get back to work.

CMP: (Laughter )

CDR: Here it is.

LMP: That was as hard as ...

CMP: Oh, it didn't hit it.

SC: No.

CDR: I hope that doesn't mean anything, but it sure could be a pain in the neck, even if it doesn't.

CMP: ... he was doing isn't very loud, is it?

CDR: No. (Humming)

LMP: It's just a big lake region.

CDR: ... what's that with trees and grass?

SC: ...

LMP: ... map out and ... look at it.

CDR: You got ...?

LMP: Got the weather map.

CDR: Okay, we got the SPS ref check to do yet?

LMP: Sure.

CMP: Yes, I ... it. (Laughter)

CDR: No, we're not - we're not doing a darn thing up here ... spacecraft.

CMP: Oh, really?

CDR: We're way up here ...

CMP: There it is.

CDR: And we're moving north there.

CMP: Oh, look at the coral reef there, Geno.

CDR: Yes.

CMP: Look at it; that 's coral.

CMP: Too bad the Bahamas - well, you'll see the Bahamas in daylight, as far away as the Moon, but they really get bright.

LMP: ... over in ...

CMP: Fantastic! Coral atolls.

LMP: I wonder what that ... looks like from the ground.

CMP: Oh, boy, I wish I'd put my - -

AS17-148-22609: Great Barrier Reef off the eastern shore of Cape York at the northern tip of Queensland, Australia, photographed during the first revolution of Earth orbit. In this near-vertical view, the shoreline forms an almost north-south line with the south end obscured by part of the spacecraft. The distance between the points at which the shoreline intersects the top and bottom of the photograph is 160km [Apollo 17 Preliminary Science Report Figure 4-4]

CDR: Okay, troops, let me get you back and squared away here, I mean checklistwise.

CMP: ... reference setting ... computer.

CDR: I will, I will.

LMP: Yes, I'll get that.

00 01 03 20: CMP: VERB 16, NOUN 20.; CDR: I got it.; CMP: Select number 1, FDAI.; LMP: Okay, got it.; CMP: FDAI SOURCE to ATTITUDE SET.; LMP: Yes.; CMP: ATTITUDE SET, GDC.; LMP: Yo.; CMP: Attitude set dials, null number 1 error ...; LMP: Okay.; CMP: Then key your verb when they're nulled.; CDR: Okay. Do we call up ... ?; CMP: Oh-ho-ho.; LMP: One, we've about 15 minutes of sunset, Gene. Okay, 8 minutes earlier, no - got less than that - 8 minutes earlier--; CDR: Okay, here's the numbers, Ron, if you want to write it down.; CMP: Okay. Wait Just a second. Un poquito.; CMP: Okay.; CDR: What do you want, NOUN 20 first?; CMP: ... yes, NOUN 20.; CDR: 179.77.; CMP: 179.77.; CDR: 118.95.; CMP: 118.95.; CDR: 359.59.; CMP: 359.59.; CDR: Okay, next will be 180.3.; CMP: 180.3.; CDR: 119.75.; CMP: Okay. Okay.; CDR: Then 359 .... 0.; CMP: Degree of pitch, got that?; CDR: Okay, that'll be 114-1/2 and 115 - about - about a degree.; CMP: ...; LMP: Got 8 minutes to Hawaii AOS.

00 01 05 42: CDR: Would you believe the GDC drifts just like it does - -; CMP: Like it does in the simulator?; CDR: Can't believe it does that.; CMP: (Laughter) It's not supposed to do that.; CDR: Well, I discovered one thing, I'm ... looking at the time on the checklist that the tape ...; CMP: ...; LMP: ... I will have a drink of water, though.; CMP: That's good water now - good water now.; LMP: Aren't we supposed to use our little thing?; CMP: I don't know. We're not - not keeping track of it now, so I figure we'll start tomorrow.; CDR: You don't have one of those ...; CMP: ... yet. I don't know, are those going to be big enough? Got some other kind somewhere, but I ... find ...; CDR: Well - -; CMP: ... will .... floating up to the top of the tunnel ...; CDR: ... great, huh?; SC: ... feel ...?; SC: Yes.

00 01 07 25: LMP: Okay, sports fans. You want to extend the docking probe or do you want to wait?; CMP: Whoo, I think I might as well do that.; CDR: Try to extend the docking probe. (Humming); CDR: Are you - are you passing out our stowage ET bags?; LMP: No, not yet. I better get some, hadn't I?; CMP: You need some for TLI?; LMP: No, I Just thought you'd need some to ...; CMP: Oh, okay.; CMP: I got to figure out where to put them.; CDR: You want - you want me to read you the checklist?; LMP: Let's see. You guys finished your redundant performance check, didn't you?; CDR: Except for the . .. with the clouds, with the Sun putting shadows on the surface out there.; CMP: Hey, we're pretty close down there, you know.; CDR: Yes, we're getting close to sunset - -; CMP: Oh, there comes the sunset. Whoo!; CDR: Man, that's - what did I say? Did you ever see the shadow up on those clouds?; CMP: Yes.; CDR: Good grief.; CMP: What is the - what are those bright spots in the clouds there? What are those?; LMP: Oh, that's your spot - that is the - -; CDR: That's the cloud in the shadow, see, the shadow's gone a long way.; LMP: That's at high cg [?]. That's 6 cg - -; CMP: Oh, that's 6 cg.; LMP: In fact, it's a little low-pressure area, see it?; CMP: Yes.; CDR: Looking at everything upside down.; LMP: Why don't you get our retro orbit chart out when you go into the data file, Ron.; CMP: Okay.; CDR: ... might take the Flight Plan out.

00 01 08 56: LMP: There are some pretty lively looking clouds down there.; CMP: Yes. Yes, yes.; LMP: Better than ...; CMP: Are we going right around the equator, must be.; CDR: Yes, we're - we're northwest of Samoa.; CMP: ... we went on a 91 degree . .. There's a good-looking cloud for you; look at that one.; CMP: Yes.; LMP: Boy, you could snap a picture of that. (Chuckle) I forget I got the darn camera.; LMP: ... be underexposed.; CDR: I can get that, Jack; give me that.; LMP: I got it.; CDR: ..., Okay.; LMP: There's some big clouds - -; CDR: That little round one, you mean?; LMP: Yes.; CDR: Yes, there's another one - yes.; LMP: ... up in here.; CDR: And there's another one over here on my side, if you'll give me the camera.; LMP: Okay, it's at 5.6; might want to open it up more.; CDR: I don't know - t don't know if I can get it now, it's going to be hit and miss.; LMP: That's the ...; CDR: Well, I guess it is.; LMP: How about out your window, Ron?; CMP: I can see it, but - -; CDR: No, it's too late- -; CMP: Too late now; I'm in the dark.; LMP: Okay, it looks like - something ... pad.; CMP: Okay, how about the old docking probe - -; LMP: Hand me the camera and I'll put the . ..; CMP: - - docking probe circuit breakers.; CDR: Okay, you got - circuit breakers are IN.; LMP: Okay, let's go by this checklist and make sure ...

00 01 10 20: CMP: DOCKING PROBE circuit breakers, two, CLOSED.; LMP: They 're CLOSED.; CMP: Okay.; CMP: DOCKING PROBE, EXTEND/RELEASE; EXTEND/RELEASE until probe extension. Okay, I'm going to hit it real lightly .... barber pole and gray. I hear a - I thought it went bump, didn't it?; LMP: I couldn't tell.; CDR: That was me with the camera.

00 01 10 40: CMP: ... go to EXTEND. It's out. Okay. Do that. Go to RETRACT. Go gray?; LMP: They both popped in a hurry, didn't they?; CMP: Yes, that really goes great. Okay, probe return.; LMP: How did it go again?; CMP: RETURN and RETRACT is gray. Okay, DOCKING PROBE EXTEND/RELEASE. I don't know whether - okay, RETRACT. Okay, we'll keep it in RETRACT until TLI. Copy TLI abort pads.; CDR: We got everything on the checklist?; CMP: CEX at the moment ..., I mean, 1/250.; CMP: (Humming); LMP: Better keep trying to hold things up, so . .. won't ... one g ...; CMP: Okay, we got - we got everything on that checklist, ...?; LMP: Okay, I'm going to go back through it, then.; CMP: I think we're in good shape.; CDR: And Hawaii is what, 01:17?; LMP: Yes.; LMP: You got the docking probe set?; CMP: Yes, that's ...; LMP: Hawaii is at - 01:17:24, and we leave it at 22:49 ...54.

00 01 12 42: LMP: Let's see - yes, better get back.; CMP: (Humming); LMP: Okay, Geno. Let me go back for you.; CMP: Oh, that's great . ..; LMP: What is this stuff, commander's splashdown speech? (Laughter ); CDR: What's that? What?; CMP: (Laughter); LMP: Commander' s splashdown - -; CMP: Commander's splashdown speech ... What's it say? (Laughter); LMP: It says, "Commander's splashdown speech" ... decal put on - on the door there with the ...; CDR: Okay, going backwards, you guys got the SCS attitude reference component check - P52, the optics dust cover, the camera, just about finished the secondary ECS ... Okay, there's the Entry Checklist.; LMP: The ORDEAL mounted and initialized.; CMP: Update book - you want to update book ...; CDR: ... want the Flight Plan ...; LMP: Well, I don't need it right now. Ail right, I've got everything I need in here. I want to give you ... cards, so tell me when you want them.; CMP: I just don't know where to put them yet.; LMP: ...; CMP: ... survival kit.; LMP: Unstow . .. camera, got that; GDC is aligned. SPS is checked except for couple of items, which I'll do .... EPS, fuel cell purging, and the heaters are on.

00 01 14 57: CMP: Maps are hard to get out. Hey, you want a map?; CDR: Yes. ...; CMP: Rescue book, don't need that .... it on 13, you want it on 13?; LMP: Might as well get it, I guess, while ... here.; CDR: You got the EPS configuration, main ...? You guys went through that?; LMP: Yes, ...; CDR: Okay, ...; LMP: Got a map ... somewhere.; CMP: Hey, see what's in there, Gene. I don't know what's in there.; CDR: I hope the - well, it's Systems Data - -; LMP: That's what I hope it is - -; CDR: - - and Flight Plan volume 1 - -; CMP: Okay, that's what it was - -; MS: And malfunctions.; CMP: Good, that's good. Okay.; LMP: Let's see, this looks like a LM thing here.; CDR: What's that? Oh. We don't need that yet.; LMP: SEG ...; CMP: LM transfer.; CDR: Yes. Sure.; LMP: ...; look at that.; CDR: Is it in there? ...?; CMP: Is that in the Flight Plan?; CDR: Oh, those son of a guns.; SC: (Laughter); CDR: ... those finks !; CMP: (Laughter); CDR: Look at those finks!; LMP: What did they do?; CDR: ... Everywhere. Look it.; CMP: (Laughter); CDR: Those finks.; CDR: Oh, my gosh. That is almost a crime; how can I peel that off?; CMP: We (laughter) got to peel that off to get to it.; CMP: Thanks a lot, Gene, stand by.; CDR: Okay. How could anybody do that? Over Hawaii?

00 01 17 12: LMP: Yes, we're there.; CMP: Go ahead.; LMP: ..., Gene, never saw that one before it was in there.; CDR: Journey's lift-off receipt [?]. (Laughter); PAO: This is Apollo Control. 1 hour 25 minutes after liftoff. During the postlaunch press conference at Cape Kennedy, we had a short acquisition with the crew through the Hawaian tracking station. During that period of conversation, and during that period of monitoring the systems on the spacecraft and the launch vehicle, we found that the situation was essentially unchanged. That is both vehicles now looking good; the spacecraft and the launch vehicle. And we're progressing toward a normal translunar injection. 1 hour 46 minutes 50 seconds from now. The crew has discussed one unexplained series of events. It appears that when certain switches are cycled or moved on panel 2 which is the main panel in front of them, the center panel of the spacecraft, they're getting a master caution and warning signal. A light comes on - a tone comes on. This is to attract the crews attention that something may be wrong and the normal procedure is then to look at another matrix of lights which would zero them in on the problem. The light - the system or the subsystem or particular area being monitored, or which had the problem would light an individual light. However, when they go to this other matrix of lights, they find that none of them are lighted. This is leading the crew and the flight controllers here in mission control to believe that they are getting an SP signal to the master caution and warning, when in fact nothing is wrong. We don't have any further explanation for the problem at this point. We will continue to look at the data and particularly during the translunar coast, we think we'll get a good long time to look at things in detail and try to find out precisely what is happening. At this point however, the problem presents no concern and one of the more likely explanations - possible explanations that's been advanced is perhaps some contamination in some switches. We did accumulate some taped conversation during the press conference with the crew. We will replay that for you now and then stand by for acquisition of signal over the United States.

[Primary Tape 17-03407]

00 01 17 25: LMP: Hello, earthlings, we are back with you.; CC: Roger, Jack. Read you loud and clear; how us?

00 01 17 34: LMP: You're loud and clear

[TIME SKIP (Tape) - switch to Technical Transcript]

LMP: And no change systems-wise that I've seen.

CC: Roger, Jack. Any more MASTER ALARMs?

LMP: We had one when Ron's - looked like his neck ring hit panel 2 ....

CC: Okay. Sounds like we had something loose in panel 2, huh?

LMP: Yes. I don't know - It may be annoying, but so far it doesn't seem to be a problem.

CC: Roger. Just for your information, everything is looking outstanding and no problems. We're taking a good look at the data here at Hawaii, and we'll make a GO/NO GO decision about 60 seconds after acquisition at Goldstone. But there's nothing right now to lead us to believe that zero opportunity will be required.

LMP: Okay, Bob, understand that. We are prepared, however, spacecraft, other than those MASTER ALARMs, is looking very good. We got the docking probe extended. The SCS reference attitude check is complete.

CC: Roger.

LMP: Hey, Bob, I Just remembered another switch that I think gave us a MASTER ALARM was H₂O QUANTITY INDICATOR.

CC: Roger. Copy that, Jack. H₂O QUANTITY INDICATOR.

CC: Roger - 17, we're going to lose you in about 30 seconds. But when you get over the stateside here, we're going to take - take the dump on the data, and we'll read it out real carefully so when you get in TLC we ought to be able to see where that MASTER ALARM glitch is coming in to.

LMP: Okay, Bob. And - yell at me if you want anything done on the comm with this change in AOS LOS stuff.

[Primary Tape 17-03407 resumes]

00 01 22 38: CC: Negative on that right now. We'll see you at 01:28:59 through Goldstone.; CDR: Okay, 01:28:59, Bob. We'll be there.

Cernan: By the time we came back over the States on the first pass, we were ready and the spacecraft was ready, and we were configured and could have gone on a TLI-0 without any hurrying and scurrying whatsoever. From that point on, when we got our GO on the booster and a GO for TLI-1, it was an Earth-orbit, an extra Earth-orbit ride to sit back and just monitor our systems in the spacecraft and see what we could see from Earth orbit in terms of viewing. It was an extra 90 minutes of the flight that, if you really had to do without, you could have. And it was not hurried. It was very comfortable, even progressing toward the TLI-0.

Schmitt: Let me add just a couple of things. One thing that we had because of the later launch was a number of LOS/AOS updates to plot which did not interfere with our getting through the checklist. The checklist, I had a feeling, went more slowly than it ever had. But, as Gene says, still with plenty of time to meet the zero up time and to have essentially a whole daylight pass to just relax and look at the Earth. We had one note here. I didn't even remember until I read it here that in the ECS checks the hydrogen pressure indicators, or part of the indicators, were reading about 10 percent lower than we expected. But, as I recall, it may have been expected.

00 01 22 48: CC: Roger, Gene.; CDR: Five minutes, we'll be over the states, guys. Let's turn the lights on a little bit.; CMP: You start to see a glow; there is a glow. See the horizon.; LMP: You got pretty good eyes.; CMP: Huh?; LMP: Oh, yes, there it is.; LMP: Guess what I've lost?; CDR: What?; LMP: Camera.; CMP: (Laughter); LMP: You see a camera floating around anywhere? I got it.; CMP: (Laughter); CDR: Ron, - while you're down there, kick my suit up. I want it bagged up.; CMP: Here it is.; CDR: ...; CMP: ...; CDR: I thought I had that on.; CMP: Here we go.; CDR: Okay ....; CMP: Yes, ...; CMP: See that glow out there, Gene?; CDR: Yes, I see it.; CMP: Is that the sunrise?; CDR: No, I'm looking out the north horizon ...; LMP: That's what they call a - ...; CDR: Yes.; LMP: Boy, did you see us go through that darn S-IVB fire ...?; CDR: Yes, let me - -; LMP: What was it?; CDR: That was the S-II staging, went through the S-II fireball, because it takes a while for the S-IVB to light up.; LMP: Yes, that's what it was.; CDR: - - on that - on that Titan, between the S-I and the S-II - -; CMP: Is the tape going? Say, is the tape going, Jack?; LMP: Yes, sir. How's that?; CDR: You - you get that because there was a pause and a fireball would overlap you. And you could fly right through the flash smoke and flame wall.; LMP: Well, that - we sure enough did it, I tell you. It wasn't awfully bright.

00 01 25 19: CDR: We saw - we saw all three stagings, now, or all three ignitions.; CMP: Yes, yes.; CDR: I even had the up ... ignition on ... and that power was - -; CMP: There's the old dipper!; LMP: That tower was spectacular.; CDR: Yes, it was ...; CMP: ... (laughter). That tower really - really went.; CDR: Look at those stars. Gee, Jack, this is right, you get north - you're always on my north - -; LMP: ... stars.; CDR: - - command module and in the LM. Okay ....; LMP: We're looking ...; CMP: Ought to look at these optics at nighttime, I guess.; CDR: You got to do another P52, by the way ...; CMP: I do it now?; CDR: Well - -; CMP: ...; CDR: I can't believe that guy - did that to me. Not to .. but to me. ...; CMP: (Laughter) Okay, AOS.; CDR: Next P52, Ron, comes about 28. We should be just about 45 - -; CMP: Hey, there's Orion.; CDR: - - about 45.; CMP: ... very well, though.; CDR: ... And - the ... are what, Jack?; LMP: Well, AOS Goldstone - Goldstone are 28.; CDR: 28. We ought to be able to see California in the dark. There's Baja.; LMP: I don't have a good feeling for where our Flight Plan is right now, does anybody?

00 01 27 06: CDR: Yes, 90-degree launch azimuth means we're on our next latitude. We're coming up on our next latitude, which is Cape ... latitude - the next latitude will be for the Cape.; LMP: But we're going across here - -; CDR: A little bit more than the Cape, because it actually was 91-1/2.; LMP: ... we're going across Arizona and that's Baja California, probably.; CDR: Yes, we're coming up over San Diego; we should be ...

00 01 27 47: LMP: Turn on your lights, San Diego. Boy, it's pretty near over my home, I guess.

00 01 27 49: CDR: Yes.

[Primary: Technical Transcription]

GOLDSTONE (REV 2)

00 01 28 00: CC: 17, Houston. We're back with you.; CDR: Okay, Bob. We're still same as before and ready when you are for TLI.; CC: Roger.; LMP: I can see the lights of southern California, Bob.; CC: Roger, Jack.; LMP: We're going to be going a little bit south of that area.; CC: Right. Your ground track looks like it's taking you right up over the mid part of Baja California.; LMP: Yes, sir; I'll believe that. I'll bet you I can see Ensenada right now.; CC: Roger.; CMP: Bob, I expect he'll probably be able to see the lights of Silver City, too.; LMP: Well, I'm sure going to be looking for them, I'll tell you.

00 01 29 59: CC: Jack, Just for your information, you'll probably - when you come up a little farther in this orbit here and get over Mexico, you should be able to see all that bad weather that was giving us so much worry and had Tindall and New Orleans and everything all messed up this morning when I went through there. They had a pretty bad line of weather along there.; LMP: I assume it wasn't too bad. I think you made it, didn't you?; CC: Oh, yeah, I made it, but I had to - you know, I had to work at it. But it's a - we were - I was worried about it getting down as towards MILA there after - you know if we had to scrub and go tomorrow night. Boy, I'm sure glad we got you off tonight.; LMP: Guess who else is.; CC: No, I can't - I wouldn't believe that.; CC: Parker can't make it back. He's got to come back on the Gulfstream, so you might have to have Young on for a while after we do a TLI.*; LMP: Hey, you Just wouldn't believe, Bob, the light you can see in the west right now. It must be absolutely clear.; CC: Roger, Jack. Sounds spectacular. Jack, people in the room here want to know if you've been down your checklist yet?

00 01 31 24: LMP: Oh, we got that out of the way in about 5 minutes. Have we missed something?; CC: There's a different checklist here we're talking about.; LMP: (Laughter) If you're talking about the Flight Plan, yes.; CC: Roger.; CMP: What a waste.; LMP: If I'm not mistaken, we must be Just south of Arizona now. Is that right, Bob?; CC: That looks real good. Yes, you're over Mexico there, and looks like you're - oh - maybe a hundred miles south of the border there.*; LMP: Okay. I was pretty sure I was looking up in the Phoenix-Tucson complex there.; CC: Roger. Understand.; LMP: Clear night.; PAO: Beautiful. (garble)*; CC: Little better than ... Florida.; LMP: The west is always that way. I wish it was daylight so we could see Sonora and that country. That's spectacular, I'll bet you.; CC: Roger.; LMP: Man's field of stars on the Earth is competing with the heavens, Bob.; CDR: Bob, you're coming through with a large squeal right now in the background.; CC: Understand ...; LMP: Okay, I think we got the Gulf Coast showing up now by the band of llghts, Bob.; CC: Roger.; CDR: Okay, Bob. Assume the booster is still looking good, and we'll be GO for a nominal TLI.; CC: That's affirmative.; LMP: Okay.; CDR: And you're still coming up with a loud squeal.; CC: Roger ....; CC: 17, how do you read?; CDR: No, Bob, you still got the loud squeal.; LMP: Would you believe we're just south of Houston now, Bob?
00 01 35 17: CC: 17, are you receiving Houston now?; CDR: All right, Bob. You came up unreadable with the squeal that time.; CC: Am I still squealing? This is Houston.; CDR: That's affirm. You're very loud, almost unreadable with the squeal. Bob, why don't you give us the short count?*; CC: Geno, don't change anything. We think it's a ground site situation here, and just stand by.; CDR: I believe it's in the VHF, Bob.; LMP: Okay, Bob. I'm not sure exactly where we are, but I'm looking out - to an awful lot of horiz - lights on the horizon out there at 12 o'clock, and an awful lot of lightning in the clouds out there.; CC: Roger. I - we show you just about over the middle of the Gulf. Looking ahead, you're probably seeing the very southern tip of Florida there.; CDR: It looks like almost the entire Florida peninsula has got lights - got lightning on it somewhere.; CC: Roger. How does my comm sound to you now, Gene?; CDR: Okay, give us a quick short count.; CC: Roger. Short count follows: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; short count out.; CDR: Bob, you're all right now.; CC: Okay.; CDR: And can you give us a feel for what the final weather was at the Cape - at launch?; CC: Yes. Let me get that for you. The reason why we had that problem on the comm is we just handed over from Texas to MILA, and we're - and you're going through MILA now. And it's great. So we have a little problem with our Texas site.; CDR: Okay.; CC: The television coverage had you all the way through staging very well on - and the S-II ignition. Then, you went right behind a cloud for a while, but they were tracking you pretty well.; CDR: Okay.; CC: They also - cut in for about a half minute or so and showed a view of the crowd in just the available light from the booster, and it stood out pretty well.; LMP: Okay, Bob. We're going right over Florida now, looking down at Miami. A beautiful view of the Keys all lit up, and I just saw a shooting star right over Miami.; CC: Roger.; LMP: That's a very, very fine view of Miami. Hard to believe.; CC: I'll bet they sat there and watched you go.

00 01 38 44: LMP: Looks like we're right over the Bahamas now, Bob.; CC: Roger. I'll buy that.; LMP: Well, I'm not easily impressed, Bob. But I'm certainly impressed by this one.; CC: Roger. What's the CMP doing? We haven't heard much from him. Is - is he at the other window?; CMP: He's crawling around looking for things down in the LEB.; CC: (Laughter) Okay. They won't let you have a window tonight, huh, Ron?; CMP: No, I'll catch one here pretty quick.*; CC: Just a reminder, if you haven't already done it. There is no need to unstow the TV, because due to this late launch, there's just no site available.; CDR: Okay, Bob. We're not going to unstow it.; LNP: Bob, I don't - I guess there's no site available for some time, is that correct?; CC: That's affirmative. And if I can pull one of you guys away from a window, I've got a TLI plus 90 pad.; LMP: Oh, I'd love to copy that. Just a minute.

00 01 41 29: LMP: Hello, Houston; Apollo 17. How do you read ?; CC: 17, Houston. Go ahead.; LMP: Okay. Lost you there for a minute. We had good signal strength all through that, so I figured it was your problem ....; CC: Roger. We're Just waiting here - You ready for the pad?; LMP: We were calling you, and you missed us. So you might think about that. Ready for the pad.; CC: Okay. It's a TLI plus 90, SPS/G&N; 66953; minus 0.59, plus 1.88; ignition time, 004:40:01.48; minus 0351.8, minus 0000.1, plus 3378.2; roll is 180, 073, 003; NOUN 94 [sic] is - H_A is not applicable, H_P is plus 0020.1; 3396.4, 4:50, 3380.8; sextant star is number 11, that's 11, 342.4, 32.3. Stand by. 17, Houston; are you still reading me?; LMP: Hey, Houston, if you read, we're reading you. Got you all the way through the trunion on sextant star.; CC: Okay, we'll have to wait and pick you up at Ascension. We just had a keyhole pass at Bermuda, and a little bit of a pass at Vanguard.

00 01 43 51: LMP: Okay, I'll wait for you to finish that, and on the readback. Okay.; CC: That's affirmative. Stand by.
We've got Vanguard, I can continue on with - after trunion, the boresight Star is not applicable, Jack. NOUN 61, plus 13.29, minus 032.00; 1099.2, 34904; GET of .05G, 024:38:09. Want to read back that much of the pad, Jack?; LMP: Okay, Bob. It's TLI plus 90 pad, SPS/G&N; 66953; minus 0.59, plus 1.88; 004:40:01.48; minus 0351.8, minus four zeros 1, plus 3378.2; 180, 073, 003; H_A is NA; plus 0020.1; 3396.4, 4:54 , 3380.8; 11, 342.4 32.3. Boresight is NA; plus 13.29, minus 032.00; 1099.2, 34904; 024:38:09. Over.; CC: Roger, Jack. Good readback except burn time is 4:50 and not 4:54. And we'll be losing you here in about a minute, so wait on the rest of that pad. Just a reminder for Ron, we'll be standing by at Ascension for the next gyro torquing and - we might have a drift update on the - IMU there.; LMP: Okay, he copied that. And we'll wait for the rest of the pad.; CC: Okay.; LMP: Burn time was 4:50 - I think that was when you started to cut out.; CC: Roger.

00 01 48 11: CC: 17, this is Houston through ARIA. How do you read? Over.

[Tape 4/1 APOLLO 17 AIR-TO-GROUND VOICE TRANSCRIPTION]

00 01 48 53: CC: 17, Houston through ARIA. How do you read?; CC: 17, Houston through ARIA. How do you read?*; CC: 17, Houston through ARIA. How do you read?*; CC: 17, Houston. How do you read through ARIA?; PAO: This is Apollo Control at 1 hour 51 minutes. We're getting good telemetry data from Apollo 17 through one of the Apollo Range Instrumented Aircraft out over the Atlantic Ocean. Apollo 17 moving across the Atlantic now towards Africa. And on the next revolution, at about this point, the spacecraft will be on its way to the Moon during the Translunar injection maneuver. Ignition for that burn is scheduled to occur 1 hour 21 minutes from now. During launch the flight surgeon monitoring heart rates on the 3 crewmen recorded peak heart rates of 130 for the Commander Gene Cernan, also 130 for Command Module pilot, Ron Evans, and 115 for Lunar Module pilot, Jack Schmitt. We should be reacquiring the command service module and reestablishing voice communications with the astronauts in about 2 minutes from now through Ascension.; PAO: This is Apollo Control. We should be acquiring the spacecraft through Ascension in about 5 seconds and reestablishing voice communications with the crew.
00 01 54 07: CC: 17, Houston.; LMP: Go ahead.; CC: Roger. You're back with us. I'll finish up that TLI plus 90 pad so we can talk a little here if you want.; LMP: Go ahead.

00 01 54 19

CC: Okay. Set stars are Sirius and Rigel; R_ALIGN is 318; 148; 358. There'll be no ullage. Okay. Down at the bottom of the pad we've got the P37 for lift-off plus 9. GET is 009:00; DELTA-V_T, 4897; longitude, minus 175; GET of 400K, 033:49. Over. O0 01 55 09

LMP: Okay, Bob. Zero - Sirius and Rigel; 318; 148; 358; no ullage; 009:00; 4897; minus 175; 033:49. Over.

CC: Okay, Jack. Good readback.

LMP: Okay, Bob. We had - as usual - up here (laughter) a spectacular sunrise, and Gene wants to talk to you.

AS17-148-22613: Sunrise at the start of the second revolution of Earth orbit.

CDR: I got some numbers on Ron's P52 for you, Bob.

CC: Okay; standing by to copy. Go ahead.

CDR: Okay. NOUN 71 were stars 22 and 24; NOUN 05 are all balls; NOUN 93s are all minus. They're 00.037, 00.007, and 00.021. That's minus 37, minus 07, and minus 21; and they were torqued at 01:51:40.

CC: Okay. We copy.

LMP: Bob, we're over - what might be - intermediate to low strata that have a very strong crenulation pattern - pulling out some geological terms here. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it - flying.

CC: Roger.

LMP: Looks like about a north-south lineation with a very strong crinkling, roughly east-west.

AS17-148-22623: In this oblique view of the west coast of Africa photographed on the second revolution of Earth orbit, the Cunene River at the right edge marks the border between Angola to the left and Southwest Africa to the right. Punta da Marca, now an island, extends 45 km into the Atlantic Ocean [Apollo 15 Preliminary Science Report Figure 4-5].

CC: Roger. Copy that; that's interesting. You know, you're just directly over that South Atlantic area. Your - you - your path just kind of kept you going right between the - Africa and South America, right dead center all the way.

00 01 57 42: CC: And, 17, just for your information, we've searched all the data we can, and we cannot find anything wrong with the spacecraft or the booster at all. Everything is looking real fine, and the only problem in the air is that - those master alarms that you have reported - we're not able to tie in anything common yet to any of those things either.; CDR: Okay, Bob. We have not had any for - quite some time, I think, since the last time we talked to you about them.; CC: Roger. Understand. We'll probably get a good workout on that after TLI and try and track it down one more.; CDR: Okay. But, also, we have not really been doing much switching since the insertion checklist was complete, either.; CC: Roger. Understand. It's got you glued to the windows, I guess, huh?; CDR: They are interesting; I'll say that.; LMP: Well, I certainly am, Bob, and - again there's a big - a fairly, continuous intermediate cloud deck, I think. And it has patterns comparable to what I've seen on pictures of ice floes.; CC: Roger. Understand.; LMP: And - of pack ice; I should say pictures of pack ice in the Antarctic.

00 01 59 00: CC: 17, Houston. We've got two questions concerning the MASTER ALARMs. One, do you get the MASTER ALARM on the LEB also; and, two, do you get the tone with the MASTER ALARM?; LMP: We did get the tones. The MASTER ALARMs were on both - panel 1 and panel 3. I can't tell you about the LEB right now. Maybe Ron can.; CMP: No, I didn't pay that much attention.; CC: Okay.; CDR: And, Bob, there was something interesting I wanted to get around to tell you. The - MISSION TIMER down in the LEB, when Ron went down there to get things squared away, was about 15 seconds or so behind all the other clocks.; CC: Roger. We copy that.; CDR: Okay; and we reset it - resynced it - and it's been running okay. I don't know whether that's a clue to anything or not, but apparently it happened either during launch - or somewhere before we got down there right after insertion.; CC: Okay. We're going to lose you here in about 9 seconds. You are GO and looking great, and we'll work on it. And if you get another MEV, will you check the LEB for us?; CDR: Yes, sir; sure will do, Bob. We'll see you. What's our next AOS?; CC: Stand by. It's Carnarvon at 02:25.; CDR: Thank you.; PAO: This is Apollo Control. Apollo 17 now over the horizon from the Ascension site - will be reacquiring in about 25 minutes through Carnarvon. And, as you heard CAPCOM Robert Overmyer advising the crew, we've been getting a good look at all the data, and spacecraft launch vehicles look fine. No discernable problems. Gene Cernan did mention one anomaly and that was the mission timer. One of the - one of the numerous clocks aboard the spacecraft which was running about 15 minutes slow - and someone said it appeared that it happened either during the launch phase or shortly before they got down to take a look at it in the lower equipment bay. No explanation for that one at this point. And we show now 1 minute - 1 hour, rather - 11 minutes until ignition for the translunar injection maneuver, the burn with the Saturn 3rd stage which will place Apollo 17 on its trajectory toward the Moon. Ignition time and still holding at about 3 hours 12 minutes 35 seconds ground elapsed time, and that burn will be about 5 minutes 45 seconds in duration, but we don't have the final calculated time from the flight dynamics officer which will undoubtedly vary somewhat from the pre-mission flight plan time. At 2 hours 2 minutes this is Apollo Control Houston.

00 02 25 00: PAO: This is Apollo Control, 2 hours 25 minutes. Apollo 17 now approaching the west coast of Australia. And we'll be reacquiring the spacecraft in about 35 seconds. During this pass over Carnarvon we expect to pass up the first set of numbers to the crew that they'll use in the translunar injection burn to put them on their trajectory toward the Moon. That maneuver is scheduled to begin at 47 minutes from now. And we have acquisition of signal a little bit early.

00 02 25 18: CDR: I see you're trying.; CC: 17, Houston. How are you doing?; LMP: Well, we're pretty good. You're wavery here a little bit on signal strength.; CC: Okay. We've got a TLI pad any time you're ready to copy it, Jack.; LMP: Goodness; okay, let me get rid of something here. Ron, I'm putting that right underneath you.; CC: And, guys, we'd like P00 and ACCEPT, please.; LMP: Okay.; CC: You'll get a CSM state vector if you'll give us P00 and ACCEPT.

00 02 25 51: CDR: Got P00 and ACCEPT.; LMP: Okay. Let me have my favorite pad.

00 02 25 54: CC: Okay. Here's the TLI pad. Time base 6 at 3:02:57; 180, 312, 000; 5:51; DELTA-V_C is 10359.6, 35582; 000, 345, 040; extraction will be at 300, 165, 320; 312.0, 306.0, 57:10, yaw is 0; ejection time, 4 plus 39 plus 00. Over.; LMP: Okay, Houston. Here's your TLI pad. 3:02:57; 180, 312, 000; 5:51; 10359.6, 35582; 000, 345, 040; 300, 165, 320; 312.0, 306.0 57:10, 000; ejection time, 4 plus 39 plus 00.; CC: Good readback, Jack; and we'd like OMNI Charlie.; CC: And it's your computer, and you've got your state vector.

00 02 28 04: LMP: Okay. You've got OMNI Charlie. And, Bob, we had almost a completely weather-free pass over Africa and Madagascar. And the scenery - both aesthetically and geologically - was something like I've never seen before, for sure.; CC: Roger.; LMP: We got odds and ends on the tape and quite a bit on the film.

CC: Roger; good show. Are you saying that you didn't have any weather over that southern Africa there?

LMP: Not very much. Barely broken clouds in some places. Most of the countryside was clear.

CC: Roger.

LMP: There were - patterns - like I haven't even seen in textbooks. Maybe I haven't been looking enough, but some of the desert and grassland patterns were - had the appearance of ice crystals almost, except on a megascale, if you - have ever looked at ice crystals in sand.

CC: Roger.

LMP: Or, better yet, ice crystals on your car window when you - get out early in the morning up in - northern areas.

Schmitt: The communications all through Earth orbit were excellent, as I recall. There was no difficulty getting the pads up. They came up expeditiously and well read. We actually gained a little time because we didn't have television. But we didn't need it. We could have configured it for use.

If there's ever any attempt to do weather observing from Earth orbit, in the low orbit like that, you're going to have to have a very clear plan of where you're looking at what time you're looking in order to make reference as to where you are because you're moving so fast. You can't really keep track of where you are and specifically in terms of weather observation. Later on, once you get the whole globe in view, it's a relatively simple thing to pin down to within a few degrees of latitude and longitude where you are looking on the Earth.

Cernan: On all these lunar missions, we've never really done much in Earth orbit except get prepared for the TLI burn. Future Earth-orbit flights need this continual map update, you're right. You have to do that. As I think back to 3 days in Earth orbit, unless you continually follow a map and a map update as to your rev as you progress around the world, what part of that world you're looking at is very difficult to follow except the precise piece of real estate you're flying over.

Schmitt: The lunar orbital operation is somewhat different because you stay in the same groundtrack much longer I think.

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