NASA-UAP-D2, Apollo 17 Transcript, 1972

Tape 5/2 CC Yes, we copied your VI and your EMS numbers, and we've got a number for you. Maneuver start time will be at 03 plus 33 plus 27. LMP cc LMP cc Okay, we got you. Maneuver at 03:33:27. That's affirmative, Jack. You guys didn't tell us we going through the sunrise. couldn't see anything (Laughter) Roger. 00 03 25 01 cc 17, Houston. We're making plans here craft SEP time of 03 plus 43. for a space­ LMP 03 plus 43. Roger. 00 03 27 27 cc 17, Houston. time. We're copying cabin press of 5.9 this CMP cc CMP Roger. We - we just got it, Bob. Okay. Thank you. 00 03 31 55 LMP Frame 65 for the LMPs mag November November. 00 03 34 10 LMP Okay. We - we are maneuvering, Houston. cc CMP CC LMP CMP Roger. We're watching it. Now we've got a few very bright particles ments or something that go drifting by as maneuver. or we frag­ Roger. Understand. There's a whole bunce of big ones on my window down there - Fourth of July out of Ron's window. just bright. It looks like the Yes. Now you can see some of frag­ Roger. Understand. There's a whole bunce of big ones on my window down there - Fourth of July out of Ron's window. just bright. It looks like the Yes. Now you can see some of them in shape. 'They're very jagged, angular fragments that are tumbling. CC CMP CC CMP CC CMP CC CMP CDR CMP 00 03 37 34 cc Tape 5/3 Roger. They look like fluid of some sort? Not to me. They look like pieces of something. Roger. They're very bright. Jack, we'd like OMNI Charlie. Bob, for the most part, these fragments are not - or are tumbling at a very slow rate. couple of pictures of them - different settings. You may get an idea of what, at least, the patterns look like. I tried a I've got you. We're all ears on these frag­ Roger. ments. Do you think you can figure out what they might be? Well, you know I - ber of possibilities. I got the impression maybe they were curved a little bit, as if they might be - off the side of the S-IVB. And that's a wild guess I don't know. There are a num­ If you had some kind of a - Okay. RCS LOGIC is ... - - ice chunks, possibly. Or maybe there's paint - - IVB. And that's a wild guess I don't know. There are a num­ If you had some kind of a - Okay. RCS LOGIC is ... - - ice chunks, possibly. Or maybe there's paint - - coming off of it. I noticed on one trip up the elevator last Roger. weak near one of the flags. the S-II, but it might have been on the S-IVB. Looked like it was peeling. Maybe that's what you've got. I thought it was on 00 03 37 45 cc And the S-IVB maneuver is complete. 00 03 37 46 LMP in 1 minute. CDR CMP Okay. We'll set the old clock. Okay. And the - with the maneuver complete, the fragment field is essentially static, except for very slight tumbling within the fragments. Tape 5/4 00 03 38 01 cc Roger. Cut in. CMP CC CMP LMP CMP CC CMP CC CDR Every once in a while, a fragment of considerably higher velocity than the others goes across my window. But that's very rare. Roger. Hey, that's that field of view I saw out my window. Jack, do you see it now? Yes. And, Bob. At least, there - relative motion between fragments. there's no apparent Roger. Understand. I'll take two pictures about a minute apart if saw out my window. Jack, do you see it now? Yes. And, Bob. At least, there - relative motion between fragments. there's no apparent Roger. Understand. I'll take two pictures about a minute apart if I can. And it'll be Frame 70. Okay. Frame 70. And, Bob. This is Geno. My impression is that they are - flat, flakelike particles. Some may be 6 inches across. And, although there's no relative motion between the two, most of them seem to be twinkling. And I think, for the most part, they're all moving away from us. cc Roger, Gene. Thank you. 00 03 39 35 CMP Okay. We've got 0180 and 0 on the old thumbwheels. LMP cc Okay. Roger, Ron. 00 03 39 53 CMP Okay. TRANS CONTROL is ARMED . LMP . . . two ARMED. 00 03 39 57 CMP LMP CONTROLLER number 2 is ARMED . ... SECS LOGIC ... Tape 5/5 00 03 40 01 CMP LMP Okay. LOGIC Okay. SECS LOGIC is CLOSED; SECS ARM are CLOSED; POWER is ON. 00 03 40 13 cc 17, Houston. You have a GO for T&D. CDR Okay. A GO for T&D. 00 03 40 38 CMP Okay. ALIGN. We'll CLOSED; POWER is ON. 00 03 40 13 cc 17, Houston. You have a GO for T&D. CDR Okay. A GO for T&D. 00 03 40 38 CMP Okay. ALIGN. We'll ARM the PYROs. And we'll hit the GDC 00 03 41 00 CMP And maneuver's complete. It's just ... GDC? No. And 0180 and O? On the It's kind of diddling. 00 03 41 19 CMP Okay. DELTA-Vin NORMAL. 00 03 41 42 CMP S-IVB, okay. Okay, switches are all set. LMP Okay; 59 : 30 . 00 03 41 55 CMP Okay. Let's start the DET. 00 03 41 59 CDR Tickity-tick-tickity, Houston. at 59: 30. We're running cc CMP Roger. Okay. 00 03 42 12 CMP Okay. That's LAUNCH VEHICLE SEP, push button. LMP Okay. 00 03 42 19 CMP MC in AUTO. CMP Next? 00 03 42 29 CDR SEPARATION, Houston. CMP LMP CMP covers. Okay. And check the Okay, check the other ones off. They're all ... Okay, I'm going to start the - My gr.,sh, look at the junk! Okay; there's 15 seconds. Pitch her up. Okay, we'll PROCEED on the - the other ones off. They're all ... Okay, I'm going to start the - My gr.,sh, look at the junk! Okay; there's 15 seconds. Pitch her up. Okay, we'll PROCEED on the - - Tape 46/4 02 18 4111 CDR Okay. Is that it? Yes, I can get that, Gene. CMP Okay, you want to take a picture of it first? Okay, POWER ... Okay, stand by. 3, 2, 1 - 02 18 41 59 CMP MARK it. POWER switch OFF. CDR cc Say, Bob or Stu. Roger. Go ahead. 02 18 42 34 CDR I saw some of the same to ad to today. Not last night, but - some sets of the streaks. And probably Okay, add - I guess the first night I was in bed - I definitely saw some of these - because I had a hard time going to bed, to start with - peripheral horizon-type things you said were not the type of data you were looking for; but I also saw a - the one most imposing thing I remember is - and the last one I remember before falling asleep - was the fact that there was a very bright spot that flashed right between my eyes like a very bright headlight - like a train coming at you, only with a flash. one I remember before falling asleep - was the fact that there was a very bright spot that flashed right between my eyes like a very bright headlight - like a train coming at you, only with a flash. It's difficult probably to estimate the frequency of any of those because I was in a - sort of a sleep-hazy mode. CC CDR CC CDR CMP CC Roger. But then, as today, I saw some that flashed and lit up the horizon and some that lit up peripher­ ally; and I guess, as you say, that's a different kind of data, but I did see them there and they impressed me. Okay. We got all that, Gene. Okay. And it might be interesting to know I've never seen it before today. Hey, Gene, we appreciate all the data. We were just trying to make the data fit the curve; you know the old trick. 02 l8 44 40 CDR Okay, I just wanted you to we saw them. That's all. - just told them like Tape 46/5 CC CDR LMP CC LMP CC LMP CC LMP CC Roger. I will say one thing, though; no question in my mind but that they're there. Last trip I took, I guess I just wasn't looking for them or paying any attention to them. Maybe they Roger. I will say one thing, though; no question in my mind but that they're there. Last trip I took, I guess I just wasn't looking for them or paying any attention to them. Maybe they were there and I ignored them because of other things. But they're there. Okay, all you flash bugs down there - or flash­ bulbs I guess is the word - four pictures to show - on the bottom - and one of them of each set was focused on the ALFMED. The others were focused on the - other set was focused on the struts. two on the side and two frame 50. to show the position of the ALFMED, I just took the Roger, Jack. And when you don't have anything else to do, why don't you have somebody predict where the S-IVB is. I think I've got her spotted - behind us and above us with respect to the Earth and our travel from it. FIDO just went get working on out it. and shot himself, but we'll Oh, don't worry about it. Shoot. guys might have an idea off-the-cuff there. I thought you No, what's humorous on this, Jack, is they have really been working on that S-IVB impact point - and they've really been - it's been a - a real difficult problem for them so I thought you No, what's humorous on this, Jack, is they have really been working on that S-IVB impact point - and they've really been - it's been a - a real difficult problem for them so far. I'll tell you, I bet you Ron could give a star sighting on it (laughter). the monocular and sure looks like the S-IVB. I looked at it through Jack, we're not doubting you at all. probably start cranking it right now. We could Tape 46/6 02 18 46 46 cc CMP CC CMP CC CMP CC CMP CC Jack, are you sto - you all stowing the ALFMED now or are you done? What's that, Bob? Are you all done with the ALFMED now, Ron? Yes, I've got to get it to - get the plate moved back down there yet. Okay, Ron - get the blindfold off first so I can see what I'm doing. I just want you to know. We've got a real Roger. long update coming up to you here on the LOI abort charts and that - and it's going to be, probably, a difficult readup. And you're the most familiar with the charts; you probably would want to take them. But whenever you want to take them, they are on - charts on page 3-81, , probably, a difficult readup. And you're the most familiar with the charts; you probably would want to take them. But whenever you want to take them, they are on - charts on page 3-81, 3-82, and then the cue card for LOI limits. Whenever you want to take them. It will be a lengthy one. Stand by, Bob. Let us get squared away from the ALFMED; then we can get going on that. No, I don't want to hurry you, Ron. you to know what - when - just get yourself com­ fortable and be ready to take them whenever you want them. It's going to be a lengthy time, though. I just want 02 18 47 51 CMP Okay. CDR Hey, Bob, I'm looking at what - what Jack was talking about; and it's definitely not a particle that's nearby because there is another one I can look at and get a three-dimensional comparison with. obviously rotating because it's flashing. It's way out in the distance, as I say, because there are particles that are close by and it's obviously not one of those. It's apparently rotating in a It is a - it is a bright object, and it's Tape 46/7 very rhythmic fashion because the flashes come around almost - almost on time. And it's of those. It's apparently rotating in a It is a - it is a bright object, and it's Tape 46/7 very rhythmic fashion because the flashes come around almost - almost on time. And it's as we look back at the Earth, it's up at about 11:00 about - oh, maybe 10 or 12 Earth diameters. I don't know whether that does you any good, but there is something out there. CC Roger. We don't doubt it, Gene. And we might work out a set of gimbal angles or something here; maybe we can get a look at it through the optics. 02 18 49 02 CDR I I just want to emphasize that Okay. And I - it's definitely not - not one of these particles that tends to look like a star out there. It's something physical in the distance. (Laughter) Oh, yes. SC thing off. 02 18 50 13 CMP Yes, guess I am. CC 02 18 50 58 CDR CC CDR LMP CDR If you can call up a NOUN 20 so we Okay, Gene. know the spacecraft attitude, and if you can reference the object you're looking at out of your window, with - with respect to body axis and let us look at your - your - give us a mark, somehow, and give us your attitude, and if you can reference the object you're looking at out of your window, with - with respect to body axis and let us look at your - your - give us a mark, somehow, and give us your NOUN 20s, we can try and get a tie-in and start locating - down for you. locating this object Okay, I'm looking it out - center window - you a hack when it crosses the XX axis at the center window; and I guess it's up maybe 45 degrees. looking at it out the the hatch window - and I'll give Okay, give us a hack and we're copying your NOUN 20s right now. Okay, Jack says pitched up about 30 degrees but - - No. 45, because - Yes, he agrees. It's 45 degrees pitched up, and I'll give you a hack when it crosses the XX axis. CDR Okay - Tape 46/8 02 18 51 32 CDR MARK it. It just crossed through the - - CC CDR Mark. We got it. let's call it the XZ plane of the spacecraft. One unique thing about it, Bob, is that it's got in rhythmic two flashes. As it comes around in - fashion, you get a very bright flash; and then you get a dull flash. And then it'll come around with a bright flash, and it's got in rhythmic two flashes. As it comes around in - fashion, you get a very bright flash; and then you get a dull flash. And then it'll come around with a bright flash, and then a dull flash. 02 18 52 18 LMP That's the side and - of the S-IVB - and then the engine bell, Gene. LMP cc CDR CMP cc The commander doesn't think that I can see the engine bell on that thing. Roger, Ja.ck. looking at it? Is that with the monocular you're He couldn't see the engine bell if he had 10 monoc­ ulars. Okay. I've got the cable restowed now. Say again, Ron. 02 18 53 10 CMP And, Gene, where's your blindfold? ... 02 18 55 24 LMP Bob, couple of revolutions ago when I was looking at it, I had a much brighter view and I believe I was looking at it broadside. it may be flashing more or less end-on now. much, not - not as bright, although it's getting brighter. But it's not as bright now as it was awhile ago. It looks to me like It's CC LMP Roger, Jack. ... we've been noticing that, I think, for about I just - hadn't put it together 24 hours or so. it was awhile ago. It looks to me like It's CC LMP Roger, Jack. ... we've been noticing that, I think, for about I just - hadn't put it together 24 hours or so. as maybe being the S-IVB. I thought it was just some other particle out there. 02 18 56 27 cc Roger, Jack. CDR Hey, Robert, what's the final Cowboy score? Tape 46/9 CC Okay; I was just going to update that. The Cowboys won it 34 to 24. And by winning it, they wrap up the wild-card slot in the NFC; and so both Wash­ ington and Dallas will be in the playoffs. 02 18 56 53 CDR Sounds good. LMP Bob, that line of clouds I called a fir-tree pat­ tern that swings up towards Hawaii: Hawaii, if you will - has - also has a mushroom pattern on the top. It has the appearance as if tvo major air masses - one going from west to east and the other form east to west - have converged along that line, and the joint movement of air at the interface being south to north. And up in the area of Hawaii, I think, it tends to mushroom so that the pattern then goes back to flow from west to east on the east side and from east to being south to north. And up in the area of Hawaii, I think, it tends to mushroom so that the pattern then goes back to flow from west to east on the east side and from east to west on the west side. CC Roger. 02 18 58 27 LMP In a little while, we'll probably get a pretty good look at a - what looks like a very concen­ trated intense storm that, I think, is just - east - CMP LMP LMP CC LMP CC CDR CC CDR *** And then we' 11 put them. once we get updated a little bit. Yes, I'll get out of VOX in a minute. I was looking for the Flight Plan and stuff. And the little books. Say, Bob. Go ahead. Houston, 17. How do you read? Go ahead, Jack. Read you loud and clear. Okay, Bob, you want to update the LOI card and Flight Plan 3-82 and 3-81; is that right? That's affirmative. Which one do you want to start on? Tape 47/14 CC LMP CC LMP 02 20 55 22 cc CMP CC CMP CDR that disturbance And I'll just confirm that the - over the So - Solomon Islands is an awfully tightly wound little storm system. And right now, I finally have see New 55 22 cc CMP CC CMP CDR that disturbance And I'll just confirm that the - over the So - Solomon Islands is an awfully tightly wound little storm system. And right now, I finally have see New Zealand for the first time in a couple of days, for sure. And the South Island's got some, probably high cirrus over it. North Island looks pretty clear. That's the end that I can get right now. Roger. We saw you looking at Regulus there; we didn't realize you were looking at the Earth instead. Ron's been looking for the booster. And he me down and asked me to look at the Earth. been holding out on me. called He's Roger. Pass the torch of weather forecasting to Ron. I also have some words for you and Hey, Jack. Gene. Got some advice from the home front. The thing to do with Ron in the future is to hook up a Baby Ben and a metal dishpan. It works every time, if you want to wake him up. No. I think that's not a good way. Ron, everybody I s fine over at El Lago. doing great. Listening to every word. They are Very good, Bob. Thank you very much. Hey, Bob. We got two of those flashers out there. I don't know. They're They could be SLA . doing great. Listening to every word. They are Very good, Bob. Thank you very much. Hey, Bob. We got two of those flashers out there. I don't know. They're They could be SLA panels. in alike in intensity and pretty regular in the - the intensity, bright and dim flashes they come out with, and they're widely separated. One is about the position we called at the first time; the other one is - oh, as I'm looking at the Earth, far to the left. Closer to the center window now. 02 20 56 52 cc Roger. 02 21 01 07 LMP Houston, 17, CC LMP CC CC LMP CC LMP CC LMP CC LMP Tape 47/15 Go ahead. Yes, Bob, what is your - have it - surface tenns Hawaii today? analysis chart, if you analysis chart show for Stand by on that. Jack, according to the - - The reason I Go ahead. ask is that for using your term - No, go ahead on that, Jack. I was going to say, using your terminator time as a partial - mark for where Hawaii ought to be, Hawaii ought to be, it looks like that cyclonic circulation at the north end of the cloud bank I described, approaching that area, would be Just about on the Hawa where Hawaii ought to be, Hawaii ought to be, it looks like that cyclonic circulation at the north end of the cloud bank I described, approaching that area, would be Just about on the Hawa - Hawaiian Islands. if they're getting some weather down there now. I'm curious Stand by right now; I've got my weathennan right beside me here. Also, that major front we talked about last night as being east and south of Japan has progressed even farther and is, oh, maybe 20 degrees longi­ tude - about 20 degrees longitude from the Hawaiian Islands. And I'm making some guesses on exactly where Hawaii is. Roger, Jack. We've got nothing adverse in the Hawaiian area at all. Just a lot of winds , high winds and surface winds and surface roughness, but we don't have any bad cloud area in the Hawaiian area. I'll get the Hickam sequence re­ port here shortly, Jack. Okay, ... a little bit. The - our zero-phase point is now centered just a little south of the disturbance near the Solomon Islands. And I see no distinct change in the intensity of that zero­ phase point over what I had talked about a couple hours ago. Tape 47/16 02 21 04 23 cc LMP CC LMP CC LMP CC Roger, Jack. in the intensity of that zero­ phase point over what I had talked about a couple hours ago. Tape 47/16 02 21 04 23 cc LMP CC LMP CC LMP CC Roger, Jack. The Solomon Islands disturbance and everything is confirmed on this chart that I've got. It's very definitely confirmed in there. Okey. Well , it's a lot more obvious todey than it was yesterday; but even then it was showing pretty strong circulation. It is starting to wrap up, look very much like Therese did yesterday. Roger. Vietnam is also pretty tight, isn't it still? I'm sure of that. The one right off of Well, we can't see that one yet. Okay. Australia in general is still very clear except in the northeastern portions where it looks like they have got scattered clouds; but it looks like a pretty night - over Australia. Roger. Looks that way from the satellite photo from the last couple deys. Looks pretty nice down there. 02 21 05 34 LMP Right. 02 21 07 05 cc Jack, in looking at the sequence reports for Hickam and Hilo and that area, it looks like they just got their standard 3500 scattered, 4500 broken clouds , maybe a rain shower or two. But just their standard tropical fluffy clouds. END OF TAPE T Hilo and that area, it looks like they just got their standard 3500 scattered, 4500 broken clouds , maybe a rain shower or two. But just their standard tropical fluffy clouds. END OF TAPE Tape 59/19 mare. Still looking at Oceanus Procellarum. And now, out window 3, up to the northwest, Grimaldi is starting to show up - a very obvious dark area within the highlands of that part of the Moon - and one of the darkest mare regions that we have seen on the - on the Moon. least in the photographs, to that of Tsiolkovsky. It I s comparable, at cc Roger. 03 15 33 25 I.MP Normally, of course, we think of the dark mare as being the younger basalt flows that - on the Moon, but in our case, of course, young means something on the order of 3 billion years or older. END OF TAPE APOLLO 17 AIR-TO-GROUND VOICE TRANSCRIPrION 03 15 33 44 cc Roger. Tape 60/1 LMP LMP For our interp - If we can extrapolate from the samples returned by other missions. larger and more western end of it; the Amazing how far over - now the highlands to the west of Procellarum are - still are bright, and the contrast between fresh craters and by other missions. larger and more western end of it; the Amazing how far over - now the highlands to the west of Procellarum are - still are bright, and the contrast between fresh craters and the normal high­ land are very - are very obvious still in earthlight, particularly along the zero phase point with respect to the Earth. Rima Gamma now is - is coming a lit­ tle bit closer to our oval track in the horseshoe in the - dark horseshoe is quite clear in this light. It's a west - or northwest-pointing horseshoe, as is the complete trend of that strange feature. Ron is going to have an excellent chance to study these light-colored swirls within the mare and other parts of the Moon. We had some good views of them and Mare Marginis and to the east of Crisium - Mare Crisium, and he should - if there is anything to be seen, he should be able to see it for - during the next few days. I think CC Okeydoke. 03 15 35 50 CDR Say, Gordo, something I just noticed here in work­ ing with the GDC what-have-you. Pc gage, and in the Pz - Pc position, there is a continuous bias on it now of about, oh, 7 percent, and if I switch to ALPHA, ­ ing with the GDC what-have-you. Pc gage, and in the Pz - Pc position, there is a continuous bias on it now of about, oh, 7 percent, and if I switch to ALPHA, it goes to zero. We never saw that bias before this last burn. looked at the I - CC Roger, Gene. 03 15 36 35 LMP the high - western highlands of the Moon, and Hey, Gordy, I'm looking right up the western edge of the Procellarum mare where it contacts the - the - we're just about to fly a little bit south of Grimaldi. That edge is very irregular. There is no obvious indications that it - basins that have been flooded by mare that have formed that edge, but, again, the topographic dis­ tinction's possible in this lighter small. Now I'm starting to see that there are shadows in the craters. there are large Tape 60/2 CC LMP CC LMP Roger. That's the small craters. There, in the Mare Procellarum closest to Grimaldi, there are two arcuate rilles. Look like they are probably V-shaped in their cross section. I'm sure we've seen those on the photographs much better than I the rille patterns, can see them here. Those - though, do seem to project over into the high are probably V-shaped in their cross section. I'm sure we've seen those on the photographs much better than I the rille patterns, can see them here. Those - though, do seem to project over into the highlands. Okay. To the north of that - of mare. Just interrupt. to the north of that bay 03 15 38 09 LMP Hey, I just saw a flash on the lunar surface! CC LMP CC LMP CC LMP 03 15 39 46 LMP Oh, yes? It was just out there north of Grimaldi. north of Grimaldi. You might see if you got any­ thing on your seismometers, although a small impact probably would give a fair amount of visible light. Just Okay. We'll check. It was a bright little flash right out there near that crater. See the crater right at the edge of Grimaldi. Then there is another one north of it. Fairly sharp one north of it is where there was just a thin streak of light. How about putting an X on the map where you saw it. I keep looking occasionally for - yes, we will. I - I was planning on looking for those kind of things. Starting to see the edge of Orientale, Gordy. Way off to the west. Hey, just yell, Gene, anytime you - - Gordy, . I - I was planning on looking for those kind of things. Starting to see the edge of Orientale, Gordy. Way off to the west. Hey, just yell, Gene, anytime you - - Gordy, to the north of Grimaldi there is a large basin that is about the sam