APOLLO 8 Modern doc
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Oh! There’s the horizon. Hooray! We’re going the right way. Coming up on one-and-a-half minutes.
Bill Anders @LMPApollo8
Rotational hand controller is now armed!
Frank Borman @CDRApollo8
30 seconds… 10 seconds…
Frank Borman @CDRApollo8
Proceeding with the burn in 5.. 4.. 3.. 2.. 1..BURN!
Jim Lovell @CMPApollo8
Oh, boy! Hell of a kick in the pants right there!
Frank Borman @CDRApollo8
Pressure is holding. It’s looking real good!
Frank Borman @CDRApollo8
One minute, 38 seconds into the burn. These things take a long time, don’t they? Should be able to speak to Houston imminently. Boy, that Sun is bright.
Bill Anders @LMPApollo8
Engine shut down! Looked real good. Felt real good too.
Ken Mattingly @KMCAPCOMApollo8
The clock here on the wall here in the Mission Control Center is counting down to the time we should re-acquire the spacecraft. It is showing 6 minutes 30 seconds to expected acquisition of signal.
Ken Mattingly @KMCAPCOMApollo8
At this point, the SPS engine should have shut down and we are waiting for Apollo 8 to appear from behind the Moon and give us a report on their status.
Ken Mattingly @KMCAPCOMApollo8
Flight Director Milton Windler has just advised his flight control team here at Mission Control that we have less than 3 minutes to re-acquisition and requested all controllers to monitor their consoles in preparation to receive incoming data.
Ken Mattingly @KMCAPCOMApollo8
Two minutes to re-acquisition of signal.
Milton Windler @MWFlightApollo8
One minute to re-acquisition of signal.
Milton Windler @MWFlightApollo8
There it is! We have acquisition of signal and a loud cheer goes around the Mission Control Center. We should be hearing from the crew shortly.
Milton Windler @MWFlightApollo8
We are now hearing from Jim Lovell as Apollo 8 comes around from the far side of the Moon, hopefully for the final time if the trans-Earth injection burn went as planned.
Jim Lovell @JLCMPApollo8
We are back in contact with Houston and I have informed the people down on Earth that there is indeed a Santa Claus.
Ken Mattingly @KMCAPCOMApollo8
I have acknowledged Jim Lovell’s Santa Claus notification and it has been entered into the official log. The Apollo 8 crew would, after all, be the best ones to know.
Frank Borman @CDRApollo8
The burn was on time. Burn time was 2 minutes 23 seconds. Oh wait, change that to 3 minutes 23 seconds.
Ken Mattingly @KMCAPCOMApollo8
The flight dynamics officers have looked at the data and confirm that the burn was good. Now we need the crew to switch to the high-gain antenna.
Milton Windler @MWFlightApollo8
We continue to get a great deal of noise coming through our Honeysuckle station in Australia. However, the pertinent information has been received. That is, that the trans-Earth injection maneuver was very close to nominal and that the crew are headed back home!
Deke Slayton @DSCAPCOMApollo8
I just came into the control room in time to wish the crew of Apollo 8 Merry Christmas on behalf of everyone in the Control Center and everyone around the world as the Apollo 8 spacecraft came around from the far side of the Moon for the final time.
Deke Slayton @DSCAPCOMApollo8
Shortly after the spacecraft was acquired and communications with the crew established, the big display up front here in the Control Center changed from a lunar map to an Earth map.
Deke Slayton @DSCAPCOMApollo8
The colors on the Earth map here at Mission Control are red and green. We also had a Christmas tree brought in and it’s now standing right in front of the Control Center. It’s decorated with lights and tinsel with a big blue ornament on top.
Deke Slayton @DSCAPCOMApollo8
Professor Jack Schmitt has been watching since lunar orbit insertion and he has penned a poem he wants to read up to the crew of Apollo 8.
Jack Schmitt @JS_USGS/NASA
Twas the night before Christmas and way out in space,
the Apollo 8 crew had just won the Moon race.
The headsets were hung by the consoles with care,
in hopes that Chris Kraft soon would be there.
Jack Schmitt @JS_USGS/NASA
Frank Borman was nestled all snug in his bed,
while visions of REFSMMATs danced in his head;
and Jim Lovell, in his couch, and Anders, in the bay,
were racking their brains over a computer display.
Jack Schmitt @JS_USGS/NASA
When out of the DSKY, there arose such a clatter,
Frank sprang from his bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the sextant he flew like a flash,
Just to make sure they weren’t going to crash.
Jack Schmitt @JS_USGS/NASA
The light on the breast of the Moon’s jagged crust,
gave a luster of green cheese to the gray lunar dust.
When what to his wondering eyes should appear,
but a Burma Shave sign - saying ‘Kilroy was here’.
Jack Schmitt @JS_USGS/NASA
But Frank was no fool; he knew pretty quick
that they had been first; this must be a trick.
More rapid than rockets, his curses they came.
He turned to his crewmen and called them a name.
Jack Schmitt @JS_USGS/NASA
Now Lovell, now Anders, now don’t think I’d fall,
for that old joke you’ve written up on the wall.
They spoke not a word, but grinning like elves,
and laughed at their joke in spite of themselves.
Jack Schmitt @JS_USGS/NASA
Frank sprang to his couch, to the ship gave a thrust,
and away they all flew past the gray lunar dust.
But we heard them explain ‘ere they flew around the Moon,
Merry Christmas to Earth; we’ll be back there real soon.
Jack Schmitt @JS_USGS/NASA
My heartfelt congratulations to the crew. They did a fine job – a really fine job.
Frank Borman @CDRApollo8
The professor’s poem was… well, he did a really fine job of training Bill Anders and Jim Lovell in the finer points of lunar geology, observation and photography. We thank him gratefully for that. The poem… not so much. We recommend he stick to lunar geology in future.
Cliff Charlesworth @CCFlightApollo8
Latest conversations with the crew indicate that all three astronauts are very tired and will be getting some well-earned rest in the next few hours.
Ken Mattingly @KMCAPCOMApollo8
The crew only had about 2 hours of sleep during the run up to the trans-Earth injection maneuver. Frank Borman has advised that he and Jim Lovell are going to attempt to get some sleep shortly and Bill Anders will stand watch until one of them wakes up.
Ken Mattingly @KMCAPCOMApollo8
Before Frank and Jim get some sleep, I’ll read up some of the latest Earth news during these Christmas holidays.
Ken Mattingly @KMCAPCOMApollo8
The biggest national news this morning is the motor vehicle accident rate, the holiday deaths, which is certainly not very pleasant news. We had 233 people killed nationally and 9 of them were in Houston on Christmas Eve.
Ken Mattingly @KMCAPCOMApollo8
In the world news, the Apollo 8 families made the news. The families of Apollo 8 crew sent a Christmas message to Navy Commander Lloyd Bucher, Captain of the USS Pueblo crew, released this week by North Korea.
Ken Mattingly @KMCAPCOMApollo8
The message, addressed to Commander and Mrs. Bucher, at San Diego Navy hospital read “Y
ou are in our thoughts and in our prayers. Your reunion has brought great joy into our hearts this Christmas day.”
Ken Mattingly @KMCAPCOMApollo8
The message was signed "Families of the crew of Apollo 8." A NASA official said that the message had been suggested and written by Mrs. Frank Borman.
THE JOURNEY HOME
Cliff Charlesworth @CCFlightApollo8
Our displays here in Mission Control are now beginning to show the effects of the trans-Earth injection maneuver (TEI). We show an altitude above the Moon of 4,504 nautical miles and a velocity of 5,645 feet per second and slowing.
Cliff Charlesworth @CCFlightApollo8
At 100 hours 47 minutes 47 seconds, the spacecraft will reach its minimum speed and then start to accelerate towards Earth as it passes though the sphere of influence of the Moon into the sphere of influence of the Earth.
Ken Mattingly @KMCAPCOMApollo8
Although the Apollo 8 spacecraft won’t enter the Earth’s sphere of influence until it is 175,528 nautical miles above the Earth, our displays here at Mission Control have now switched to an Earth reference system.
Ken Mattingly @KMCAPCOMApollo8
At the present time relative to the Earth, we read an altitude of 189,133 nautical miles.
Ken Mattingly @KMCAPCOMApollo8
Spacecraft Commander Frank Borman and Command Module Pilot Jim Lovell are just waking up. Bill Anders is tucking in for the night (or should we say early morning?)
Ken Mattingly @KMCAPCOMApollo8
I was sure to remind Bill Anders to hang up his Christmas stocking before he goes to bed.
Bill Anders @LMPApollo8
I have my Christmas stocking right here beside me – next to my teddy bear.
Jerry Carr @JCCAPCOMApollo8
We have some feature page and sports page news ready to read up if the crew would like to hear it. But first of all, the guys down here in Mission Control would like to spread their appreciation for a beautiful television job.
Jerry Carr @JCCAPCOMApollo8
In sports news, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Sandy Kofax and Ann Widmark, 23-year-old daughter of actor Richard Widmark announced that they plan to marry sometime in the near future.
Jerry Carr @JCCAPCOMApollo8
In Springfield, Missouri, Mickey Owen former catcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers decided he would like to be remembered for more than his sports record. He has donated 45 ponies to boys and girls in the local area.
Jerry Carr @JCCAPCOMApollo8
About 50 U.S. sailors sat down to a Christmas dinner of Turkey and cranberry sauce at the South Pole today. The meal had both a Christmas and oriental flavor as it included exotic ingredients fixed by some unexpected Japanese visitors.
Jerry Carr @JCCAPCOMApollo8
The Japanese party, which is crossing the Antarctic, stopped by to spend Christmas Day with the U.S. Navy at the South Pole.
Jerry Carr @JCCAPCOMApollo8
And speaking of the U.S. Navy, in San Diego, California, the crewmen of the U.S. intelligence ship Pueblo donated their first paychecks in freedom to the workers at the San Diego and Balboa naval hospitals.
Jerry Carr @JCCAPCOMApollo8
The Pueblo crew had each been given $20 when they landed in San Diego and felt that this was a good demonstration of their appreciation for those who had given them such a good welcome back home.
Jerry Carr @JCCAPCOMApollo8
Americans in Italy have watched Pope Paul celebrate Christmas Mass in the Vatican. In Europe, people were able to view the Christmas greeting from Apollo 8 via the most powerful communications satellite yet sent aloft.
Jerry Carr @JCCAPCOMApollo8
The news of Pope Paul and the Apollo 8 message was the first to be relayed both ways across the Atlantic by Intelsat III which was commercially launched from Cape Kennedy last Wednesday.
Jerry Carr @JCCAPCOMApollo8
We are looking good for a mid-course correction burn at 104 hours and 5 feet per second. Tracking is real good right now. We have Apollo 8 in the center of the corridor and right on target.
Jerry Carr @JCCAPCOMApollo8
This 5 feet per second course correction will be performed perpendicular to the radius vector, or roughly perpendicular to the flight path.
Jerry Carr @JCCAPCOMApollo8
In 3 minutes, we will hand the signal from Honeysuckle Station over to Madrid. If Jim doesn’t need the computer, we would like him to call out Verb 64 ENTER and we will take care of the antenna switching down here.
Frank Borman @CDRApollo8
Houston just told us they have some more earthly news to read up to us if we are interested. I told them we would be most interested. We really appreciate these periodic bulletins from back home.
Jerry Carr @JCCAPCOMApollo8
Even in the Communist world there has been enthusiasm for man’s first voyage to the Moon. In Cuba, Radio Havana re-broadcast the Voice of America program to tell the listeners of the Apollo 8 Christmas speech.
Jerry Carr @JCCAPCOMApollo8
People in Czechoslovakia saw the Moon flight through extensive TV coverage, and in Budapest, Hungary, people talked of little else on the trains and buses.
Jerry Carr @JCCAPCOMApollo8
In London, swarms of Christmas shoppers crowded into shops and pubs to watch the photographs of the Moon’s craters beamed down from Apollo 8 and held their breath as the spacecraft was readed for the blast toward Earth.
Jerry Carr @JCCAPCOMApollo8
Britain’s foremost astronomer, Sir Bernard Lovell, who until a few weeks ago had criticized the Apollo 8 project, has made it clear that he is deeply impressed by the Moon flight.
Jerry Carr @JCCAPCOMApollo8
Pope Paul IV said the Moon mission was a great testament to man’s intellect and achievement. Only a few Scrooges poo-pooed the Christmas voyage however. One of these was Samual Shenton, Director of London’s Flat Earth Society.
Jerry Carr @JCCAPCOMApollo8
Shenton said the public was being “balihooed” (taken for a ride) by the Apollo 8 mission, and maintains the position of his society that Earth is flat and not globe-shaped. I wonder what Commander Borman thinks of that.
Frank Borman @CDRApollo8
The Earth doesn’t look too flat from out here, but I don’t know. Maybe Sam Shenton and the Flat Earth Society have a better view and something is wrong with our vision out here.
Jerry Carr @JCCAPCOMApollo8
In other news, an anonymous message to our news bureau read, “We had intended to pay you Earthlings a surprise visit in our flying saucer last night but were distracted by a fat man in a sleigh and 3 guys in a rocket drag racing around the Moon. Is that any way to run a planet?”
Glynn Lunney @GLFlightApollo8
Apollo 8 is now 176,166 nautical miles away for Earth. The spacecraft’s current velocity relative to Earth is now reading 4,161 feet per second and increasing as the vehicle comes more under the influence of Earth’s gravitational field.
Glynn Lunney @GLFlightApollo8
Cliff Charlesworth and his Green Team of flight controllers are now coming on shift here at Mission Control, Houston.
Cliff Charlesworth @CCFlightApollo8
At 102 hours and 12 minutes into the flight of Apollo 8, the velocity of the spacecraft relative to Earth continues to increase. Commander Borman reports correctly that, “Isaac Newton is doing most of the driving right now.”
Mike Collins @MCCAPCOMApollo 8
Our astronauts are now 171,000 miles from home, travelling at a speed of 4,264 feet per second. If you multiply that number by 0.68, you get m.p.h. So, 4,264 x 0.68 = 2,900 m.p.h.
Cliff Charlesworth @CCFlightApollo8
Frank Borman’s family, his parents, his wife and his two boys have now taken seats in the rear of the Control Center.
Mike Collins @MCCAPCOMApollo 8
When asked for a Christmas message for his family, Frank said
something along the lines of, “Bah humbug! How are you?” But he now has a whole row of proud smiling faces sitting in the back room watching events as he heads back towards home.
Jerry Carr @JCCAPCOMApollo8
I have some more Earth news to read up to the Apollo 8 crew. In national news, the newlyweds, David and Julie Eisenhower, came away from their secret honeymoon hideaway to have Christmas dinner with President-elect Nixon and the family.
Jerry Carr @JCCAPCOMApollo8
In New York city, the world's busiest harbor was reduced to almost complete inactivity on Christmas Day, due to a 5-day old longshoreman strike. No ships arrived or left the harbor.
Jerry Carr @JCCAPCOMApollo8
On the sports page, Hank Stram of the Kansas City Chiefs was named as the AFL coach of the year. This is the second time for him in three seasons.
Jerry Carr @JCCAPCOMApollo8
The Davis Cup is underway now, down in Australia The US is bidding to win that cup again, and are favored to recapture the supremacy today.
Jerry Carr @JCCAPCOMApollo8
Another item in the news, is O. J. Simpson. O.J. was named player of the year in college football for the second consecutive season by the Walter Camp Football Foundation. Woody Hayes was named coach of the year.