APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/20/72 CST 11:08A GET 95:14 CM-1/1
CAPCOM 133100 and the attitude is good except
PITCH is 105.
CASPER Okay, I copy. Noun 33 096133100, the
attitude 000105 and 000.
CAPCOM Good readback, Ken. And in regard to
that question you had about 16-3, your present ground track
is about 15 000 feet south of the preplanned and that puts
16.1 outside the acceptable limits. 16-3 is closer to
the landing site and they would like you to go ahead and
use that.
CASPER Will do.
CAP COM And I guess the message is, Ken, just
shoot the center.
CASPER Alright, I'll do that.
CASPER Okay, I don't have it off yet, John.
What happened to our hot fire?
CASPER Okay, you want B3 off now.
CASPER B3 is OFF.
CASPER Okay, tell me when you want the 620.
CASPER Okay, that's plus 2.68 plus 109.19 plus
5 .03.
CAPCOM Casper, Houston. We're about 2 minutes
from LOS.
CASPER Orion, say again, please.
CAPCOM Roger. This is Houston, Casper. We're
about 2 minutes from LOS.
CASPER Okay, Houston. Stand by. Break.
Orion, IMMY deadband at hold. Okay, I'll go free when you
give me the call. Break. Houston, this is Casper. Go
ahead .
CAPCOM Roger, Ken. We've got about a minute
till LOS. I was just telling you.
CASPER Hi gang.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/20/72 CST 12:10 GET 96:16 CM2/1
CAP COM Orion, this is Houston. Will you select down
voice backup.
CAPCOM Roger, we're reading, but there's still excessive
noise down here.
CAPCOM I think it's about the s aie , Charlie.
CAPCOM Casper, Houston, how do you read?
CASPER Loud and clear. Let me clean up somethings,
Hank, and I'll be with you in just a minute.
CAP COM Okay.
CASPER Go ahead, Orion.
CASPER Okay, on your right side. Okay, I got it, and
it's moving in, it looks like a combination now. It's moving though,
it's ossillating at this time. Now it's steady.
CAPCOM Ken, your T2 time is good.
CASPER Okay, Hank. I'm trying to get things all
straighten up.
CAPCOM Orion, this is Houston with another procedure
for the S-band.
ORION (Garbled and heavy background noise.)
ORION Roger.
CAPCOM Roger, we want you to open the S-band antenna
circuit breaker on panel 11, wait 1 minute and then try acquisition
again .
ORION Roger -
CAPCOM After that 1 minute you can close the circuit
breaker and try an acquisition.
ORION Rog.
ORION That's for state vector, okay.
ORION We'll get VERB 74.
ORION VERB 71.
ORION VERB 71 enter.
ORION Enter.
ORION 24 enter.
ORION 24 enter.
ORION It doesn't say that.
ORION Okay, Houston. How do you, you load this
state vector by a VERB 71 and then a 24 enter and then enter the
numbers, right.
ORION No that's the REFSMATT.
CAP COM Stand by.
ORION State vector's the 240 cut. See we've got
a flashing 21. I guess you do a 24 and you going to get
it. The VERB 71 and then you've got 24 index -
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY hJlOlll 12:20CST 96:26GET CM3/1
CASPER Okay, did you read?
CAPCOM Casper, did you call?
CASPER Houston, can you read Casper?
CAPCOM Hello Casper this is Houston. I'm reading
you - there is a little bit of noise in the background, Ken,
but I'm reading you okay.
CASPER Okay, I understand that my P2 time is good.
CAPCOM That is affirmative.
CASPER Okay, it looks like my maneuver is going to
get me there about right now.
CAP COM Just as predicted, huh?
CASPER It pays to proceed different.
CAPCOM That's pretty neat.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/20/72 CST 12:29 GET 9 6:35 CM-4/1
CAPCOM Orion this is Houston. Roger. You should
enter it just as it is fed up on the PAD.
CASPER Understand, VERB 71 and then a 24 enter
than a 01731 enter and so on.
CAP COM
CASPER
enter. 66315 enter.
47526 enter. 02044
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
CAPCOM
CASPER
PITCH to 96000. Am
CAPCOM
there and comparing
CASPER
You've got good eyes
CASPER
looing through the
with the naked eye
CAPCOM
CASPER
not that far
CAPCOM
That should be correct.
017313 enter. Okay. 12560 enter 22624
75546 enter. 75546 enter. 71001 enter,
enter. 04020 enter.
Just as predicted, hu?
Ni ce machine .
That's pretty neat.
Casper R3 should be minus 00014.
(garble) Yeah, I got out of here ROLL 15,
I not corre ct ?
Roger. I was looking at your NOUN 89
it with the value in the PAD there.
Oh. Thank you very much. Thank you.
It's surprising I get a great big charge jus
telescope and I can
and the telescope.
Ro ger .
t spend much time over h
The things
from the (garble),
I m looking at now are really
CI,
CASPER
CASPER
CAPCOM
CASPER
CAPCOM
while ago (garble).
CAP COM
in about 10 seconds
Casper you re coming up on 10 seconds to
Thank you sir.
The (garble) back is running.
Roger, coming up on B2.
Okay .
Told you wrong on that Kenneth. A little
Okay Casper you're coming up on P2 now
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY A/20/72 12:39CST 96:45GET CM5 / 1
CAPCOM Okay, Casper you're coming up on P2 now
in about 10 seconds.
CAPCOM Go ahead, Casper, are you ready for a
rendezvous radar VHF range check?
w e
y our
up
Casper, Houston. If you'll give
state vector target load.
Okay, you've got it.
Cas pe r ,
to you.
Give me about 30 seconds
us accept
Houston we'd like to go on and get
Hank and I'll
Wi 1 co .
Okay, Hank
I'm ready
CAPCOM
'11 uplink
CASPER
CAP COM
the GARBLE pad
CASPER
give you a call.
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM Roger, GARBLE SPS G&N 39 293 plus 049 plus
122 097 40 17 16 plus 00 6 81 minus all zips, minus 00580 000
142 358. NOUN 44 00 674 plus 00516 00 895 005 00780. The rest
of the pad is NA set star, Sirius, Rigel 131 071 014, 2 jets
seconds quads BRAVO and DELTA in the pad and the computer
yours .
CASPER Okay, thank you very much, Hank
back to you in just a second. Okay, Ed, SPS G&N
plus 049 plus 122 097 40 17 16 plus 00 681 all zips,
00580 000 142 358. 00 674 plus
and Rigel 131 071 014, 2 jets -
16
is
it
00516 00895 005
I'll
39 293
minus
00780, Sirius
re ad
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/20/72 CST 12:49 GET 96:55 CM-6/1
CM Under 3 plus 049 plus 122 097 40
1716 plus 00681. All zips minus 00 5 80 000 142 358 00 674
plus 00 516 00895 005 00780. Series and (garble) 131 071014
2 jet 16 seconds quad BRAVO and Delta, over.
CAPCOM Is that readback, Ken and I'll give
you the (garble) pads after you do your P52.
CM Okay, Yeah, let's get to work on these
first. Thank you.
Hank, it looks like we made a little
is now. It shows we crossed out
on 10101 because they are al-
doesn't look like the case —
the burn
that corre ct ?
went to 10102
9 7:15 and we figure
it would hold you through the burn and
DAC after the burn.
Okay. Thank you.
CM
descrepancy here in the way it
the VERB 48 at 97:15 to get us
ready there, I thought, and it
I have difficulty catching it up here after
It is probably okay in its present form, is
CAPCOM That's affirmative. We
back at 96:34 and we crossed out the one at
that same depth and
we'll go to the new
CM
CAPCOM
have 509 in there.
CM
CM
around in this 509
CAP COM
CM
aline for the COAS
the time line?
CAP COM
CAPCOM
CM
The reason is being, is because we do
We can't do another DAC with it running.
Roger, understand it. Thank you, sir.
Just want to make sure with all
that we hadn't overlooked one.
Ro g e r .
Houston, what do you say we pass the
calibration maneuvering get back on
the changes
GEC
S t an dby one .
That's a good plan,
Okay, thank you.
Ken-
We concurr.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/20/72 CST 12:59 GET 97:05 CM-7/1
CAPCOM Casper, while your maneuvering there would
you want to copy the abort path?
CASPER All set.
CAPCOM Okay, echo 098 47 all zips. Foxtrot plus
01023 all zips minus 00500 Golf 09935 all zips, Hotel 101221500,
India 098350468, Juliet 101221500, Kilo 10321 all zips, Lima
098592903, Mike 105194500, November 100424286, end of pad.
CASPER That was a super (garble), Hank. I'll
read back, Echo 09847000 plus 01023 all zips, minus 00500,
Golf 09935 all zips, Hotel 101221500, Indian 098350468 101221500
Kilo 10321 all zips, Lima 098592903 105194500 100424286. Over.
CAPCOM Good readback, Ken.
CAPCOM And Casper, for your information zips and
mags look good.
CASPER Alrighty.
CASPER Orion, Casper.
CASPER Orion, Casper. Orion, Casper. Rog. I take
it we've deleted the rendezvous radar check, is that good?
I'm asking the question. Did we delete the —
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 COMMAND MODULE COMMENTARY CST 13:08 GET 97:13 CM-8/1
CAPCOM Casper, a preliminary look at your tracking
data looks real good.
CASPER Okay, I hope it is.
CAPCOM Casper, Houston, we have a go for circ and
a little reminder there don't forget to terminate the AMP after
the burn.
CASPER Okay, the AMP will be terminated after the
gimbal drive check. Is that affirm.
CAPCOM That's affirmative.
CASPER Alrighty, thank you.
CAPCOM Casper, Houston, we're about 2 minutes from
LOS.
CASPER You're okay, Hank, thank you sir.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/20/72 CST 14:03P GET 98:09 CM-9/1
CAPCOM Casper, Houston. How do you read?
CASPER Okay, they're locking up on me. Hello,
Houston. This is Casper bar now. We did not do circ, and
I'd like to talk about the TDC serval loops.
CAPCOM Understand. No circ.
CASPER That's affirmative. Presently, about
a mile ahead of the LM, and I'd like to talk about a PBC
serval loop problem.
CAP COM Okay, Ken. Go ahead.
CASPER Okay, and break in and tell me as soon
as you get DS - get ready to dump the DSZZ to pick up the
one we're talking about, and I'll leave the antenna on and
make it a little wide till you do. Okay, the text is that
we came up to the burn time and I was going through the
gimbal checks, number 1 serval started normally, and checked
out, I switched to clockwise on the THC ' s and performed on the
secondary gimbal check and started them — they looked normal. I
set the PITCH trim normally, and I went to set the YAW trim
and I've just been checking that the trim clock work worked,
and I got divergent oscillations on the YAW and TRIM indi-
cator and you could feel them in the spacecraft so I switched
to the serval power to the number 2 serval to AC 1, main A
and tried that, that had no effect, and then I cycled through
looking at the gimbal — with the AUTO drive switch in number 1
and number 2 in AUTO, and every time I selected number 2,
by some means, I had the same results. And then I tried
SCS in model and as soon as I would excite some motion in
the secondary YAW serval why it would go unstable
again. I then tried using the G&N to drive the gimbal
and I did the first half of the gimbal drive in serval loop
1 and then switched to the serval 2 for the second
half and then again the same instability showed up. Based
on the rule of 4 serval loops, I cancelled the circ. I had
no other indications in the cockpit, no warning lights, no
other ab normalities.
CAPCOM Roger. We copy.
CASPER I wasn't back running, but I don't
think that could have had any effect when SPS was going.
CAPCOM Roger. Could we get you to go to the
ARS attitude, Ken, so we can dump the data?
CASPER Yes, sir, will do.
CASPER How about if I just give you the high
gains from right here?
CAPCOM Okay, if you think you can get it up.
CASPER Okay, I've got you a solid lock on the
high gain.
CAPCOM Casper, Houston. We'd like to verify
tha t -
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/20/72 CST 14:03P GET 98:09 CM-9/2
CAP COM
oscillations were
CASPER
YAW only.
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
through the serval
started to set the
at once you had the
CASPER
normally, the
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
Casper, we'd like to verify that the
on serval loop number 2. Is that correct?
That's affirmative, serval loop number 2
Roger. And serval loop number 1 is okay?
That's affirmative.
And did I read that the first time
checks, they were okay and then when you
YAW trim, the oscillation started, and
malfunction it occured -
No, sir. The primary loop checked out
secondary loop never checked out in YAW serval.
Roger, copy. And that was first -
Normally - go ahead, Hank.
Roger, and that occurred both in SCS
and
that
G &N , is
CASPER
0 and re command
CAP COM
was a divergent
CASPER
cor re ct ?
That ' s
in SCS.
And Ken, we
oscillation, is
That's affirmative
affirmative and I tried both
1 d like to confirm
that correct?
that
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/20/72 14:13CST 98:19GET CM10/1
CAPCOM Casper, Houston, we'd like for you to run
another gimbal drive check, on the yaw axis on both SPS and
G&N and let us take a look at it.
CASPER Okay, I'm prepared to do that right now if
you're re ady .
CAPCOM Ready to go.
CASPER Okay, I'm bringing the bus ties on. Okay
and servo powers 1 and 2 are on and GARBLE configuration.
Are you ready for me to start the gimbal?
CAPCOM That's affirmative, Ken, go ahead.
CASPER Okay, here comes - you just wanted to look
at the yaw - here comes yaw number 2 - there it is and it's
oscillating now and its stamped out and that's in auto. I'll
switch to number 2 and number 2 in AUTO. I'm now going to
move the thumb wheels and well, now it's - there it goes - it's
oscillating and it's divergent and I'm turning the gimbals off.
Okay, yaw gimbal number 2 is off. I'll hold this configuration.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 COMMAND MODULE COMMENTARY 4/20/72 98:29GET 14:23CST CM11/1
CASPER
while we're above
CASPER
CASPER
at the same time?
ORION
CASPER
me , Orion , you
noise sound.
CASPER
CASPER
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
could you ask
CAP COM
ORION
don' t know i f
but that didn't wo
Garble John, you want to try the VHF ranging
it?
Orion, Casper.
Would you like to try to check out our VHF
Okay .
It sounds very garbled. If you can read
extremely garbled, and making a pulsing
are
Orion, do you read me on B duplex?
Orion, do you read, Casper?
Houston, Casper.
Casper, Houston, go ahead.
Rog, it looks like I'm losing com with Orion,
to go back to A simplex?
Will call.
Okay, you were just about unreadable. I
you can pick me up on that other configuration,
rk at all.
h im
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/20/72 CST 14:33 GET 98:39 CM12/1
CASPER Okay, you were just about unreadable I
don't know if you can pick me up on that other configuration,
but that didn't work at all. Yes, but it was coming through
completely garbeled unintelligeable . Okay - okay and if no
joy in 30 seconds we'll come back to A simplex. Okay,
now do you read me now. Your still very scratchy, hardly make
you at at all. Yes, that's pretty bad. That's not much
better, it's not near like what we got before. Let's go back
to A simplex. Hey, you sounded good now.
CASPER Hey, Charlie. Okay, you want to turn your
light on when it gets dark and how about lets try a little
ranging here before we go into the darkness. Comm now your
on configuration of ranging.
CAP COM Hey, Jerry am I on your loop: Okay, on
this conservation here, I ran this rendezvous from the mini
ball.
CASPER Hey, Stewart your on air to ground.
CAPCOM Sorry about that, Ken.
CASPER Hey, Charlie let's - hey Charlie how about
lets try out this ranging. Your in the rangeing configuration,
right? Okay, standby for my 30 seconds till I try to lock up.
CASPER Okay I've got you at .36 38 36 well there
out, how does that compare? That doesn't really.
CASPER Yes, I think so might as well keep it on
looks like we're getting ready to go in the dark here. Could
you wait till we get in the dark so I can look at you right
now I've got the sun right smack in my eyes.
CASPER Can you get any words out of Houston I
haven't heard a word from them.
CAPCOM Casper, Houston. We're working on a
problem down here.
CASPER Rog, Henry I understand that I'm not
bugging you. We'll stay off the loop.
CAPCOM Okay, we've got the data down and we've
got the strip charts and we're taking a look here and see if
we can't find some way to get around it.
CAPCOM Okay, I know if there's a way you'll
find i t .
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 COMMAND MODULE COMMENTARY 4/20/72 CST 14:41 GET 98:48 CM-13/1
CASPER
CASPER
the trash bag
IRION
CASPER
ORION
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
glmbal drive
ch eck
drive
Standby a second.
Was doing temporary battle with our friend
I have you visual. Tally ho.
Okay, I'll keep you in sight.
That old stroll is really nice.
Casper, Houston.
Go ahead, Houston.
Okay, we're getting set up for another
and what we want to do is go through a corn-
check by the numbers and have you tell us -
plete gimbal
have you do each thing and especially in relation to the YAW
thumb wheel, which way you are moving it and how many degrees
and
what's happening, and
well give
to start that.
CASPER
to see if this
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
VOX might make
CASPER
We
you the word when we are ready
ve got to get some things configured down here
Okay, was attitude - how about looking ahead
attitude is going to hold throughout the test?
Ok ay , I'll ch e ck it.
Thank you.
The attitude is good, Ken.
Okay .
Okay, Ken, we re ready to go. Do you
th ink
it
Are
easier for
Yes , sir,
you still working on your
CASPER Okay, I'm
go to VOX now and Orion -
y ou :
I* 11
52?
going to have my
head in the cock-
isn't a high school
run
t
here we go. I'm gonna
I got in the cockpit. We're
calling P40 or do you want
to
pit here for a while, but if Mr. Kettler
drop out, why we won't hit any how.
CASPER Okay, Houston,
over the switch configuration that
going to do this everything except
for something?
We don't need P40 .
(garbled) do not want P40.
Okay, I got the circuit breakers are all
on panel 8, the only ones that are out are CS logic
and the stuff on the bottom rows that don't
The switches for SCS are in limit cycle OFF,
rate low. I've got the rotation powered AC
call P40
CAP COM
CASPER
CASPER
checked over
to the probe
matter. Okay,
deadband mend,
directs are OFF
now . Th e T re
I ' m going
It's on .
to AC 2 .
number 1,
from zero
I' ve
got
i
my B mags, I'm going to unguage 'em
unguaged. I'm going to SCS control. Okay, now
the bus ties. Here comes bus tie AC.
2
over and catch the bus ties. Here comes
BC is on. Thermal power number 1 to AC 1, number
Start pitch, gimbal number 1. Mark. And YAW gimbal
mark. I have a thumb wheel drive. I'm driving it
to minus one half to plus one half, which is the trim,
The YAW thumb wheel is at plus one half
going to take it
APOLLO 16 COMMAND MODULE COMM. CST 14:41 GET 98:48 CM-13/2
CASPER to zero and back up to 1. And will set
It at 1 22. It runs smoothly in both directions. I'm making
an MTVC check in PITCH. There's a little plus PITCH, a little
minus PITCH, that's good, a little minus YAW, a little plus
YAW , that's good and stable. I'm going to CMC control. Mark.
I have no MTVC. I'm going clockwise on the translation head
controller. Mark it. I still have no MTVC. I'm bringing
on the PITCH 2 gimbal. Mark. I'm checking the thumb wheel
down to zero, up to 1, back to one half. The YAW thumb wheel
going over to 1 and let me try it again. —
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 COMMAND MODULE COMMENTARY 4/20/72 98:58GET 14:51CST CM-14/1
DEAD AIR
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 COMMAND MODULE COMMENTARY 4/20/72 99:00GET 14:53CST CM-15/1
CAP COM
SC
CAP COM
a decision on this rev, and we do have
ing about 5 revs in this configuration
that decision. We would like ya'll to
keeping position, and
approach at about 100
Hello, Orion and Casper, this is Houston.
Go ahead, Houston.
Roger, it looks like we're not going to have
the capability of spend-
before we have to make
move in to a station
the focus point of
recommending a CSM
you should be
ho ur s . An d we
at
t
re
active — move into a position
run some simulations down here
get back to you.
SC
CAP COM
ORION
CAPCOM
CAP COM
other feature here
( garble) .
on the CVC
And we re going to
problem and we'll
Ro g e r .
Casper this is Houston, you copy too didn't you'
Roger, he reads you.
Okay.
Orion, this is Houston. We
to improve our com. We want
want to try an-
you to secon-
dary power
ORION
CAPCOM
that you changed
ORION
CAPCOM
amp 1 i f i er .
Okay . ( garb le)
Orion, this is Houston,
power amplifiers?
That's affirmative.
Roger, copy.
Will you confirm
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4-20-72 GET 99:10 CST 15:03 CM- 16 / 1
CAPCOM ORION , this is Houston. Will you confirm
that you changed power amplifiers.
ORION That's affirmative.
CAPCOM Roger. Copy.
CAPCOM ORION, let's go high bid rate.
ORION You have high bid rate.
CAP COM Roger.
ORION Hey Jim this is ORION. Could we close off
main B and just cross C system A.
CAPCOM Standby. ORION we're happy with your present
RCS configuration.
CAPCOM ORION this is Houston you're in 2, if you
go to data we'll send you date vector. Over.
ORION Rog . You have it. Go ahead.
CAPCOM Roger. And ORION, we're 2 minutes from LOS.
ORION Copy Jim and we're going to up data link to
all.
CAP COM ORION we're finished with your computer.
ORION Rog. Thank you much.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY CDT 1558 GET 100:04 CM-17/1
CM
retrograde. Yeah, I
more in there. What
Joe, I think that
'm thinking maybe
do you think?
total is still slightly
I ought to go put some
CM
CAP COM
have an answer
CM
CM
get an arc on this?
vector was to start
CAP COM
CM
CAP COM
CM
CAP COM
CM
CAP COM
DUKE
CAP COM
CM
CAP COM
loud and clear.
CM
bad time and I
it was all -X.
Ok ay .
Okay, 16. This is Houston. We still don't
People are working very feverishly.
Roger,
(garble) shows 9.2. Why don't we get them
I guess I'd like to know how good my
with .
I'm sorry I can't hear you.
I know but my state vector is good.
How good is it?
That's what I'd like to know from Houston.
Stand by Ken.
Rog, I'm trying now.
Go ahead Orion.
Houston you read Capper?
Roger. That looks that way
Houston, do you read Casper.
to
to us Charley
Yes, Casper. This is Houston. Read you
Okay. Looks
tried to close at
I put in about 3
like we got a 100 hours is a
him before he realized that
and half foot per second and
got to checking, that didn't look like the right thing to do
so I took about 3 of that out and I'm doing that Jim. And so
I took about 3 of that out and I put in half per foot per second
radial at about 100 hours and 5 minutes and I put in the rest.
Took 2 foot per second posigrade and about 100 hours 6 minutes
and about 100 hours and I put in 3 stop roughly retrograde. And
my computor now shows 16.5 by 9.2. And I had a good state vector
when I started and that's probably a good value by whenever you
get a short (garble) OMNI.
Roger. We copy Ken.
CAP COM
CAP COM
you got the
that' s fine .
DUKE
mile. Is that
CAP COM
CAP COM
CAP COM
that you null
toward the LM.
CM
it looks like.
CAP COM
Orion, this is Houston. We're
estimate of seven tenths of a nautical
wondering where
mile range. No
Yeah,
correct ?
Okay ,
Ro ge r
Ok ay ,
the line at
I show us now about nine tenths of a
and still hoping.
We concur down here.
Casper, this is Houston,
We ' re
sight range and fire 5 feet per
re commending
s econd
Okay. That's still going to be mostly retrograde
That's how I got in this place to start with.
We copy you Ken.
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/20/72 CDT 1558 GET 100:04 CM-17/2
CM Okay, I'm going to hold. Can you get a
short arc going on my trajectory.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/20/72 CST 16:08 GET 100:12 CM-18/1
CAPCOM Okay, Ken, we show you coming up on
perilune now, so you'll be affecting your apolune.
CASPER You show me coming up on perilune?
CAPCOM That's affirmative.
CASPER Rog. My state vector shows 19 miles up,
and we're not - I'm just passing Smythii. Is that - does
that sound reasonable, we shifted that much in orbital track?
CAP COM Okay, that sounds good, Ken.
CASPER Okay, I guess I'd like for you to sum-
marize again where I stand. I'm a little bit confused now,
Jim .
CAPCOM Roger. We were hoping that -
CASPER I'm just passing Smythii, and my
altitude - (garble) my computer - Was my state vector
a little bit off to start with?
CAPCOM We think your state vector was fairly
accurate, Ken. And you'll be at perilune in 15 minutes.
CASPER There's still a discrepancy in -
Okay, that makes more sense. Alright. Because I'm pres-
ently at 19 miles, and I think that's probably a good
estimate. Alright if I do - You want me to thrust toward
the LM now, because I'm approaching perilune, is that
affirmative?
CAPCOM That's affirmative.
CASPER Okay. This is using up a great deal of
RCS which is going to violate the next line. Is this preferable
to trying to do regular rendezvous now?
CAP COM Ken, could you give us your position
relative to the LM?
CASPER Yes, sir. I'm ahead of him and slightly
below, and I show a mile on the EMS and I don't know what
John has on the radar.
CAPCOM Okay, we copy your position as ahead,
below, and about 1 nautical mile.
CASPER That's affirmative.
CAPCOM Roger.
CASPER Okay, Jim. To make sure there's no
confusion, I haven't done anything yet.
CAPCOM Okay. Stand by.
CASPER Thank you, sir.
CAPCOM Okay, Casper, this is Houston. We're
convinced that we want you to fire directly at the LM at
about 5 feet per second. We want to get a positive closing
rate .
CASPER Okay. That's in work.
CASPER Okay. It looks like the DAP isn't
stable now. How about if I give it a Verb 46?
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/20/72 CST 16:08 GET 100:12 CM-18/2
We copy,
a good idea?
you in
show
3.
A6?
had
I
CAP COM Roger.
CASPER Is that
CAPCOM Ken, we
CASPER I am now, but I wasn't -
CAPCOM Okay.
CASPER Does
Okay. No, it still di dn
one of those transients
th at mean 1 1 m
' t w o rk .
For some
clear to do a Verb
I think maybe I've
reason, every time
low b it rate .
it under control,
pick up CMC Auto this thing starts doing maneuvers
CAPCOM Orion, let's go
CASPER Okay. I've got
Jim. I had a bad DAP.
CASPER Okay, we
directly at the LM.
CAPCOM Casper,
that RCS maneuver.
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
now
11 now put in 5 feet per second
this is Houston. Hold up on
Okay. I've put in 3
Hold up, Ken. Okay.
Okay. Holding at 3.
feet per
Hold it
s econd.
th ere .
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16, COMMAND MODULE, 4-20-72, CST 1618, GET 100:22 CM-19/1
PAO We would like to re-emphasize that this
will be strictly for station keeping. Lunar landing is still
not positively ruled out at this time, depending on what decision
is made on the reliability in the stabilization and control
system to control the SPS engine on the service module.
Continuing to monitor air-ground from both spacecraft. This
is Apollo Control 100 hours 24 minutes.
want
n ow ,
CAP COM
CASPER
me to go
CAP COM
line
Gordon to Moon.
Okay, I guess I have, Houston, if you
of site all the way in -
We need a range and range rate reading
3 feet a second.
that's affirm,
feet closing at
ra te .
we copy?
, Charlie, stand by for (garble).
is Houston, you should
site rates .
Okay, and do you want me to keep them
all the way in? Is that the idea?
Roger, keep a positive closing rate.
Okay, might be expensive, but we'll do
a line
of
Roger,
10 ,000
of site
How do
Fine .
Yes, CASPER, this
Ok ay ,
mine, why
your going have to - your
don't you tell me what to
nee die s
do there,
CASPER
CASPER
And we have
ORION
CASPER
CAP COM
null the line
CASPER
nulled and go
CAP COM
CASPER
that .
CASPER
are better than
John .
ORION
That' s affirm.
CASPER
ORION
I j ust need
that?
CASPER
ORION
CASPER
CASPER
other way.
Okay. Is the
ORI ON
activity here so I can tell what the - when it really a
rate and when it just deadbanding.
CASPER Okay, thank you.
CAPCOM ORION requests to you select a secondary
transmitter and receiver.
CASPER Okay, Houston, ORION says that they have
already selected the secondary.
CAPCOM Read you loud and clear, ORION.
Okay
Wilco, that's sure toward the Moon.
How's that now?
Okay, that's a good place to stop
some gounges to win and I got it nulled. How's
Okay, what's my range rate?
Okay, still going down.
Okay .
Looks to me now like I'm
Okay, I'll believe your needles,
rate starting to build now?
I'm trying to calibrate
drifting the
Range rate.
the dead band
APOLLO 16, COMMAND MODULE, 4-20-72, CST 1618, GET 100:22 CM-19/2
CAPCOM 16, no answers yet, we're still looking
at it .
CASPER Okay.
CAPCOM Okay, ORION, this is Houston, we'd like
you to open the primary power amp circuit breaker on 16.
ORION Roger.
CAPCOM Okay, ORION, let's go high bid rate.
ORION Roger.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4-20-72 GET 100:32 CST 16:28 CM-20/1
ORION
CAP COM
you go back to low
ORION
up for me — it
CAP COM
range and range
CAP COM
ORION
Okay. We're going to keep
fuel point at which to cut
let
me try this one.
hold high bit
rate , reques t
Okay,
Ok ay , we c an ' t
bid rate ORION.
Is that the right direction. Okay, that's
looks like it ought to be down for you. Okay.
ORION this is Houston. Can you give us a
rate readout-
Roger. 4900 closing at 5.
Okay. And this is expensive. Rates (garble)
(garble) this way and we have some
off and switch over to LM power. It's
going to see
don't tell
really showing and I don't know how much more we're
on the way in and I'm reading, of course these gauges
exactly what it is -- but I have that's 65 percent showing on
B. And all this stuff is going to be in the -- in the Z plane.
got any thoughts on the cutoff point on Narcius .
Standby Ken.
Okay, hopefully that's most of it.
ORION this is Houston is the CSM above
hope he's directly ahead.
45 degrees above.
Roger. Roger.
Ken, they look like they are killed
optics tube. Going to need your checker
you
Houston you
ORI ON
ORION
CAP COM
orb elow you?
ORION
CAP COM
ORION
completely on
you
We
the
here in a minute. We're just getting a little glinted sun
n ow .
CASPER
ORI ON
be. Okay and
I gues s we'll
CASPER
light
light
Okay, thank you.
Boy, those rates look steady as they can
since we are going to get rendezvoused in the dark
just come up along side and hold stations
All right, sir. (Garble) right.
Yes, that's
you would thrust -- you would thrust up. Okay
killed again. What's the closure rate now?
3 and a half feet per second.
all I've got's the track align — lost
Okay,
image .
Okay CASPER this is Houston, You
caution light on your quads but it's
mi gh t
of no
p i ck
what I mean
think I got it
ORION
CASPER
the rest of your
CAP COM
up a temperature
consequence .
CASPER Okay, yes I see B is up high. Is that due
to the thruster activity.
CAPCOM Affirmative, Ken.
CASPER Or is that due to heater fail on.
CAPCOM I think it's
CASPER Okay. Rog.
CAP COM ORION this
range and range rate John.
CAPCOM Are you at 3100 or 3 and
CAPCOM Understand 68 degrees.
ORION Okay, let's watch that for a minute before
I start working on it because we haven't had any plain component
thruster activity.
Will you give us another
a half.
is Houston.
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4-20-72 GET 100:32 CST 16:28 CM-20/2
ORION before. How's the line of sight rate
doing now? Holding.
CASPER Okay.
ORION And range rate?
CASPER Okay.
ORION Now we must be going in the right direction.
CASPER Yeah.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/20/72 CST 16:39 GET 100:43 CM-21/1
CASPER Now we must be going in the right
direction, then.
CASPER Okay, I'll take some of that out. That
means I go to the south, right? How's that? Right direction?
Okay .
CASPER Okay, it looks like I'm picking up a
rate in the opposite direction in the (garble). Okay.
All right.
CASPER This is very much like the simulator
where, because of the (garble) you - it looks like it takes
a long time to pick up one of those rates.
CAPCOM Orion, this is Houston. We want you to
get the rendezvous radar and the tracking light off as soon
as it's feasible to conserve power. We understand.
CASPER Okay, it looks like I may be a little
more to the South. Okay.
CASPER How about that rate to the South, it looks
like it's building again. Okay.
CASPER Hey, I show quite a drift rate now, John.
Do you still show no out of plane.
CASPER Okay. It looks like I'm going to take
some of that out.
CASPER Can you tell if I'm going to -- maybe
I took that in the wrong direction although I'm sure that
that was the right. South is to your left, isn't it?. Okay,
we're going the right way then.
CASPER We've been going the right direction all
along then.
CASPER Okay.
CASPER It seems to be I'm still a little bit
out of plane. I guess that's the sensitivity there are of
radar .
CASPER Okay. How's my closer rate.
CASPER Well, that's why I just wondered to be
a little bit more plus action.
CASPER Okay, I'm going to put in a foot plus
action.
CASPER Okay. While we're using brute force, we
might as well.
CASPER Okay, that's about a foot.
CASPER How about that?
CASPER I can see the LM in earthshine now.
CASPER Okay, what's my range rate now?
CASPER Okay, give you another foot.
CASPER Okay, there's another foot per second.
CASPER Okay, I don't think those people are as
good as we're using them in here.
CASPER It looks like I need to start reversing
my inplane direction.
CASPER Okay, do I still have a positive enclosure
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 16:39 GET 100:43 CM-21/2
CASPER rate?
CASPER Okay.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4-20-72 GET 100:55 CST 16:49 CM-22/1
sort of
ahead and
ORION Okay, I'm getting you centered back up in
the COAS . Okay, do I still have a closure rate? Do I still have
a closure rate? Okay. Looks like the old EMS is just
sitting here looking at itself. Okay, I'm going to go
use the EMS on the COAS on this thing because that's working out
pretty good in here. Seems to be more sensitive indicator out
of plane. (garble) Just barely drifting in the COAS. Pretty
good here. Yes sir, in earth shine I can see the whole LM
afraid we're going to run out of Earth shine here before
completed. How's the closure rate now? Okay. Man
in Earthshine is really something. Rog. I didn't
it stopped. That looks
some residuals? Okay.
we get it
that Moon
quite get
still s how
to me like that's fixed
You
CAPCOM ORION this is
10 minutes to LOS and I have some
plan when it's convenient. Okay,
the next rev rev 15, we'll give you a
try and we'd be looking at PDI on rev
Houston, we're showing about
on our general
up on AOS , on
or no-go for another
and at that time we'd
words for you
when you come
go
16
have pads for you and procedures. Over. And CASPER, this is
Ho us t on .
CASPER Go right ahead.
CAP COM Roger, we want you to verify that you're in
AUTO dump on the water. That's pressure relief in the number
2 position. That's vertical and if you have an opportunity to
get away from the controls there, we'd like you to manually
dump the water to 10 percent on the back side. That should re-
quire about 17 minutes. Over.
CASPER
wait until we get
CAPCOM
CASPER
CASPER
CASPER
CAPCOM
configure for RCS
CASPER
I'll have
think .
to
Okay. I am in AUTO dump and
in daylight to go down there I
Okay , we copy .
(garble) I guess it isn't.
Okay. How's my closure rate?
Okay. How's the auto plane? All right.
Orion, this is Houston. We would like you
Bravo only, over.
Al ri gh ty .
to
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/20/72 16:59CST 101:05GET CM23/1
CASPER Alrighty. Now that's what I was looking to
say - we're going to lose earthshine here in just a minute.
Yeah, (garble) things you're talking about. Fix it. It's really
strange to be sitting here in the COAS here, right in the middle.
You are upside down compared to me and when you say down you mean
you're going - you're going down on me - is that correct?
Okay. It still doesn't seem like it does much. Okay I show
a lot of height rates that was officially killed. 14. Yes sir.
How much? Okay. I can see your image is about 2 degrees now.
CAPCOM 16, this is Houston. We're showing about
2 minutes to LOS and if you'll give us a range and range rate
and, Ken, perhaps you could repeat it for us.
ORION Did you copy that, Houston. The range is
710 feet, 2 feet per second, rates nulled. Did you copy, Casper?
CAPCOM Roger, we copied down here. Thank you.
CASPER Okay. Unhuh let me turn my spotlight now.
CAPCOM Yeah, I can tell I got you but it's a poor
competitor for earthshine. Beg your pardon. Rog. It will all
of a sudden look very nice. You can rendezvous into these
conditions very nicely, the only problem being that you've got
to keep referring to the reticle to get some kind of range,
because you just don't have enough good depth perception to tell
where you are .
CASPER Okay, in order to have good COMM, man you
just disappeared at the spotlight on. I tell you the spotlight
isn't nearly as good as earthshine. Really surprised.
END OF TAPe
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/20/72 CST 17:52 GET 101:57 CM-24/1
ORION We got AOS , let's wait.
CAPCOM Orion, this is Houston.
ORION Hello, Houston.
CAPCOM Roger. I have some switches and circuit
breakers we want you to take care of to try to improve the
comm situation. I'll get them to you as soon as you're
ready to copy.
CAPCOM Okay, we want on panel 12, track mode
switch OFF, on panel 16 primary transmitter receiver circuit
breaker OPEN, F-band antenna heater circuit breaker OPEN,
F-band antenna comm circuit breaker OPEN and primary S-band
power amplifier OPEN. Then on panel 11 AC BUS S-band antenna
OPEN. Over.
CAPCOM That's right, track mode switch OFF on
p an el 12 .
CAPCOM It's a long day, and did you copy those
circuit breakers, Charlie? Okay, and you do have a GO for
another try here at EDI on REV 16, and I have some words on
that problem with the TDC whenever you all are ready to copy.
ORION I've got my pencil ready.
CAP COM Okay, Orion can always tell Casper what
his problem is, but it looks like an open circuit in the
rate feedback and your serval loop. We've run exhaustive
tests down here on the west coast and east coast on control-
ability aspects and structural aspects and everything looks
satisfactory. On Apollo 9 we ran a - a similar test was
run, as you probably remember, and if such a problem did
occur up there, you could expect oscillations, of course,
of the gimbal, but you could expect a steady attitude, it
would be a limit cycle. So we're convinced down here that
we have a satisfactory control mode if we have to revert to
th at one . Over .
CAPCOM And I hope Casper copied.
CASPER Okay, Casper copied that. I guess I'd
like to note, is that thing going to diverge up to a point
and then cease to diverge? Does it become neutrally stable
at some amplitude, Jim?
CAP COM That's affirmative, Ken.
CASPER Okay, that must be some number bigger
than the one I looked at, and the only other question I had
is "Is there any connection between this, in your mind, and
the longer duration gimbal ON times?
CAP COM Okay, the answer to that, Ken, is negative,
CASPER Okay, sounds good. Thank you.
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/20/72 CST 17:52 GET 101:57 CM-24/2
CAPCOM Casper, Houston. We're on 2 loops now.
CASPER Okay, Henry. Thank you.
CAPCOM Hey Ken, I've got a couple other words
about that if you'd like to listen.
CASPER I surely would, Stu.
CAP COM Okay, most of the cases where they
appeared to be diverging to you and you shut off the motor,
would short, and some of them were just very close to the
point at which it became stable. And on some of the longer
ones, we did see the stability, but those that you called
diverging were short of reaching a stable point. It appears
that the controlab ility is not going to be any problem when -
if you would have to burn with this, according to the stroking
tests on 9, you'll get a lot of oscillations and you'll feel
the spacecraft shaking, but the attitude will not be changing.
You'll probably see the rate needles moving around a little
bit. And just to - also, what we'll probably do the burns
with the 90 degree ROLL so we'll have the redundancy in the
YAW axis platform consideration.
CASPER That sounds like a good plan. I guess
if I'd have been a little smarter, we'd have pressed on on
s chedule .
CAPCOM No, I don't think so, Ken. They appeared
to be diverging and it was a true diverging as far as you
could tell, but it was just in most cases, just short of
s t ab 1 e .
CASPER Okay, I tell you - you know the difference
in this and the simulator, where you can really feel it move,
and this old dog was really wagging its tail.
CAPCOM Yes, you know Jim was talking about the
Apollo 9 test, and he said that you really feel it in the
spacecraft. But this thing is stable, they've really checked
that out, and it'll rattle and roll a little bit, if you
have to use it, but It's stable.
CASPER Sounds good. Once again, the ground
earns their pay.
CASPER Okay, Hank. I guess I'm in need of
a general outline -
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 18:02 GET 102:03 CM25/1
CASPER Okay, Hank, I guess I'm In need of
outline of where we intersect the flight plan,
one of the things I'll be needing is a kind of
a general
and it looks like
a separation burn
from Orion again, so that I'm not setting here blasting me into
space, and then I'll need CIRC burn pad, and after that, I guess
of stumble along and try to pick up some landmark
things like that.
Okay .
My fuel is kind of low.
Okay, of course as you know we're working
we just sort
tracking and
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
the flight plan now,
wanted to make one other comment now. Do you have any other
questions, do you have any reservations about this duty, because
we sure want to get, get your concurrence, but everything looks
like it's go ,
CASPER
and Hank's got the PADs for you, and I just
CAP COM
evaluated, -
CASPER
run through
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
Ok ay ,
Well,
did somebody fly one of these CMS?
it
been flown on the hardware
these
Okay, I was just wondering if, if anyone's
things .
Yea.
In MPBC or something like that.
it's been flown in all three modes,
can
G &N , S C S
Ok ay , yes
AUTO and MPBC.
CAPCOM It's also been flown on the, on the hardware
evaluater, and of course, we did have the stroking test on Apollo
where it was flown in foot, and pretty much duplicated this exact
problem as far as cycles per second and so forth.
CASPER Alright, sir. I'm happy.
CAP COM Very good.
CAPCOM And Hank's got some good words for you here.
CAP COM Okay, Ken. I have your -
CASPER Thank you very much.
CAPCOM SEP PAD for you. You'll use normal SET
procedures, in other words you'll be below the LM facing it,
and back away with your minus X thrusters. I'll read you your
new PAD, if you're ready to copy.
CASPER Okay, just a second
Okay, I'm ready for a little SET
CAPCOM
000 357 000.
CASPER
attitude 000 357
CAPCOM
CASPER
radial inward.
CAPCOM
CASPER
NOUN
PAD.
33 102
Roger
Okay, this is SEP.
and 0 00.
Good read back, Ken.
And this is to be a,
I got my PAD book handy
30 all ZIP, attitude
That's at 102 30 00,
1 foot per second
Th at' s
Ok ay .
affirmative .
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 18:02 GET 102:03 CM25/2
CAPCOM And I have your CIRC PAD for you now, Ken,
if you're ready to copy.
CASPER Okay, go ahead.
CAPCOM Roger. CIRC SPS G&N 39 095 plus 049 plus
119 103 21 4243 NOUN 81 plus 00691 all ZIP minus 00435 000 139
358 00680 plus 00531 00816 005 00701. The rest is NA. Sirius
and Rigel 131 071 014. 2 Jets, 16 seconds QUAD Alfa and Charlie,
and then comments manually roll 90° from pad attitude for burn.
ACCEPT the final attitude and TRIM in P40.
CASPER Okay. Let me ask one question before I read
it back. I assume that I would be out smarting myself if I went
through the 90° roll in the VERB 49 maneuver rather than going
to 0 roll. I'm looking for ways to kind of be stinge with the
RCS.
CAPCOM Stand by one.
CASPER Let me read you the PAD back and then I'll
ask you another question, Hank.
CAPCOM Okay.
CASPER Okay, it's CIRC SPS G&N 39095 plus 049 plus
119 103 21 4243 plus 00691 all ZIP's minus 00435 000 139
358 00680 plus 00531 00816 005 00701. Sirius and Rigel 131 071
014. 2 Jets, 16 seconds QUAD's Alfa and Charlie. Manually roll
90° for burns,
CAPCOM Good read back, Ken.
CASPER And would you like for me to go to AC roll
for the normal roll control?
CAPCOM Ken, there's too much noise. Can you say it
again .
CASPER Would you like for me to go to AC roll
for normal roll control also?
CAPCOM Stand by. That's affirmative, Ken. Go to
AC roll.
CASPER Okay.
CAPCOM Ken, we're trying to work in a P52 here, and
we're checking that attitude and then we'll give you what we thinks
best as far as that maneuver.
CASPER Okay.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/20/72 18:12CST 102:17GET CM26/1
CAPCOM Tell them not to talk now because they are
hitting the data then every time now in downvoice backup.
CAPCOM Casper, Houston between now and SEP we're
not going to do anything and in the meantime FAO is working on
a - whether the burn attitude is going to be good for your P52
or not so just go ahead get SEP out of the way and we'll have
some words for you then.
CASPER Okay, looks like they could use a new state
vector, too.
CAPCOM Roger, they are working on the vectors now.
CASPER Okay, will it do me any good to load - yeah
I can go ahead and load this thing and let them put in a new
vector later, is that correct?
CAP COM Say again.
CASPER Is it okay to go ahead and load P30 and then
put in a new vector afterwards, or is it best to wait until I
get the vectors in.
CAPCOM Standby a minute, Ken. Ken, go ahead and
SEP we'll uplink our cassette.
CASPER Okay, thank you. How about if I do this
90 degrees to that attitude - save - save a maneuver. I'll
have to go pretty fast to get there.
CAP COM I guess there is another 10 questions, huh?
CASPER I'm almost 90 degrees to that attitude and
1 can do it. Instead of pointing and doing it along the
X axis suppose I come down and do this 90 degrees alt and do
it with the BD thruster. Playing that 1 foot per second.
CAP COM Standby, Ken.
CASPER That would get me a pitch attitude of 085
or 087 excuse me.
CASPER Okay, now he loaded his P30 and you're
looking at.
CASPER Stu, you are on air to ground. I loaded
P30. I have flown to 90 degrees from the attitude in order
to save that extra high speed maneuver to get there and I'm
going to burn it along the Z-axis. It'll be towards the moon
which is our check and I'll take it from 1 foot per second to
2 foot per second as per the normal procedures except I'll be
using the Z translation.
CAPCOM Okay, Ken, we concer as long as it's 1 foot
down radial.
CASPER Okay, it'll be 1 foot towards the moon and
we'll still count from 1 to 2 foot per second on the noun 85.
CAPCOM Roger.
CACPCOM Casper you are go for SEP.
CASPER Okay, go for SEP. Thank you, sir.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/20/72 CST 18:22 GET 102:27 CM-27/1
CAPCOM Just to clarify, Ken. You're going
to burn the noun 85 to 0.
CASPER Negative, the noun 85 will go to plus 2.
It was loaded so that it would point you in the other direction.
If I'd taken it this way, the dummy load we put in was a
minus and we normally burned it to a plus 2, I'm going to
burn toward the Moon, which is going to make this come out
to a plus 2.
CASPER We originally put in a vector, we wanted
to burn radially inward, and we put in a vector that would
cause you to point radially outward on the calculations and
then we just burned it to a larger number so a P40 wouldn't
cause you to turn around and point 180 where you were when
you undo eked.
CAPCOM Roger, copy.
CASPER You have any reservations?
CAPCOM As long as you get a flip toward the
Moon
Okay, we can do that.
Okay, it's at 30 seconds.
Okay, how's that?
Looks okay, Ken.
Casper, Houston. If you'll give us
CASPER
CASPER
CASPER
CAPCOM
CAPCOM
ACCEPT, we'll uplink,
CASPER You have it
CAPCOM And Casper, when you
the uplink, we want to go to an attitude
do a P52.
CASPER
I take it that I should enter 509 just before the P52,
leave it in until after the gimbal drive check in P40,
same procedure we had last time. Is that affirmative?
CAPCOM That's affirmative.
CASPER Alrighty.
get through with
of 000060000 and
Okay, 000060 and 000 and a P52, option 3,
And
and
the
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 18:32 GET 102: 37 CM2 8/1
CAPCOM Casper, the computers are yours.
CASPER Thank you.
CAP COM Casper, Houston. We're trying to trouble
shoot the LM communications problems and it will help if you
go to OMNI Alpha.
CAPCOM Casper, we have a NOUN 93.
CASPER Okay.
CAPCOM And Ken, what we would like for you to do is
pick up in the flight plan at 97:07, and with the CIRC crept
and just step on through that procedure wise and be sure you do
the VERB 49 after the CIRC. I have a change in your PAD attitude
CASPER VERB 49, what first to take?
CAPCOM Roger, right after the CIRC burn, we want to
be sure you do the VERB 49, and to get into the landmark tracking
attitude. We're going to do the HIGH 2 landmark tracking, and
we've got a change to your pad attitude for your CIRC. We're
going to go ahead and give you an attitude that has the 90° in
it so the VERB 49 will be more efficent, and the new attitude is
090 139358.
CASPER Okay, 090 139 and 358. I'm on my way now.
And I'll get myself into the proper tracking attitude if we don't
get all those thing worked out.
CAPCOM Roger, and we want to make sure you don't
bypass the final TRIM in P40, in that attitude.
CASPER That's affirmative. I will take the final
TRIM.
CAPCOM Roger, and in some where in here I need to
give you the new abort PAD, whenever you can get the chance to
copy .
CASPER Okay, let me get the maneuver started and let
me get myself squared away and get the timeline in my head and
then I'll give you a call.
CAP COM Okay, whenever you're ready.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/20/72 CST 18:43 GET 102:48 CM29/1
CASPER
my mind is, do
line or not?
CAPCOM
that one.
CAPCOM
leave the secondary
gimbal drive check,
do a
mode
Okay, Hank, and one question that comes to
you want the secondary YAW gimbal brought on the
Stand by, Ken. I'll get you an answer
on
the
and
down
Okay, Ken. What we'd like you to do is
gimgal motors off until you have finished
then bring the secondary gimbal motors on
normal burn, and if you have to, go ahead and down grade
if you have to, to arrest some kind of a bad rate or something
CASPER Okay. I'll not do, I'll do a gimbal drive
check with the secondary in PITCH. Are they in the same package.
It seems like there in separate packages. The secondary in
YAW is the one I'll bring on after the gimbal drive check.
CAP COM That's okay, Ken.
CASPER Or would you just rather not exercise it.
It 1 s MOX-NIX to me.
CAP COM
that way, that's fine.
CASPER Okay. It'll just verify
thing else hooked up properly. I'd like to keep this close to
the normal procedures as I can. Hey, you did copy the P52 values
It's you druther, Ken. If you want to do it
that I've got every-
CAP COM
call you on VHF.
CASPER
doing our chatter,
CASPER
CASPER
CASPER
1 foot per second
CAP COM
your LOS and AOS
CASPER
CAPCOM
CASPER
CAPCOM
CASPER
CAP COM
CAP COM
LOS and I sure
a ch an ce .
CASPER
These are all the
CAPCOM
AOS .
CASPER
CAP COM
you interested in
I did a
I also have
Roger, it looked good, and Orion's trying to
Okay, I had turned them off while we were
let me get to them.
Orion , Cas pe r .
Orion. Did you call Casper?
Okay. We'll give it a try again
radial in towards the moon.
And Ken, in addition to the PADs
t ime .
Ok ay .
Casper, Houston.
Loud and clear.
Okay, we lost you
Okay, do you want
S t an d by.
Casper, Houston,
would like to get these PADs up whenever you
How do you read?
there a
an oth er
minute .
OMNI?
We're about 9 minutes
from
get
Okay, can I catch them when we get AOS, Hank?
abort PADs, right.
Okay, and, but let me give you the LOS and
Okay, go ahead.
Roger, LOS is 10 3
sun rise?
04 51. AOS 103 51 25
Are
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 18:43 GET 102:48 CM29/2
CASPER No, sir. That's alright, thank you.
CASPER Yea, let me con sen tr ate on making sure that
all goes well in time, Hank, and I'll pick up those support PADs
at AOS.
CAP COM Roger.
CAPCOM OMNI Delta, 16, or Casper.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/20/72 18:53CST 102:57GET CM30/1
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
took a look at the
up .
CAP COM
buttoned up?
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
and it put that
pitch N 1.7 and
CAP COM
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
up on AOS next
tracking attitude that
from the VERB 49
And Houston, Casper.
Go ahead.
One thing on the plus side Hank
mass spec and said it's
is Charlie
all inside buttoned
come
mark
Did you say the mass spec is all inside and
Yes sir.
Okay, I'll relay that.
Okay, and I took the trim maneuver in P40
bias to attitude B, 90 degrees roll, plus 39
yaw, that's about right considering the roll.
Ro g e r .
Casper, Houston.
Go ahead.
Roger, you have a go for CIRC
'd like you to come up
time we
is giving us
di f f erent
after the CERT burn, it's
be in attitude 000 276 000
to that attitude. 000 276
they call for there, right
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
when you did the
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
the burn. MaYbe
and when you
in the land-
98. 22 that is a little
maneuver that was called out right
different in roll, in fact, you should
And we want you to do your VERB 49
of 0 000000
000, rather than a roll
after the CIRC burn.
Okay, I'll pick you up on the best antenna.
Roger, OMNI D, OMNI DELTA.
Okay, thank you Hank.
Ken, we'd like to know if you did a purge
waste water
A purge,
dump .
a fuel
cell purge,
Okay, copy you didn t purge
No, that's correct.
Ken, if you can work it
after the burn you can get
N o sir.
fuel cells
in, don't jeopardize
a urine dump and
a purge on all
later. That's
CASPER
thos e
ok ay . C an
Okay,
things so we can get the SIM BAY going
't work it in, don't jeopardize anything.
I'll get you a purge in there anyhow.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/20/72 CST 20:45 GET 103:50 CM- 31/1
Casper, Houston
Hello, Houston
Really
good
, Casper did
show, you want
i t
to
this
give
time ,
us a
CAPSOM
CASPER
CAP COM
repo r 1 ?
CASPER Okay, Okay, the burn was on time and for
the right duration and the residuals were plus .2 plus .2 and
0 that was after trim and the attitude for those residuals was
161.38 13296 and 0.12, Delta VC was minus 8.5 the oxidizers 32
the fuel is 34 and de ere as e- in ere as e — tag that decrease, probably
because of the short duration. The burn required a trim the
original residuals were plus 1 and plus .6 and plus .7 so I had
the roll in order to take out the Z components.
CAPCOM Roger, and would you give us the trim at-
titude again, please.
CASPER (garble) Okay, I'll give you again the
trim attitude and this is for these 2 temp residuals, that's
after trimming that was 161.38 132.96 and 0.12.
roger, copy.
And, Hank, I did complete the fuel cell
CAPCOM
CASPER
P urge .
CAPCOM
and I would
CASPER
CAP COM
01, 104 25 41,
CASPER
26 29, north 3
CAPCOM
flight plan
CASPER
CAPCOM
VERB 4 9 to 5 2
not required,
option 5 plus
CASPER
tracking we'll
roger, copy,
like to get up a P-24
Standing by.
roger, it's
104 26 29 , north
Okay that's
miles .
Good readback,
at
You completed
p as s in g .
16 3 T-l is 104
3 nautical miles
104 19 11, 24 01
fuel cell purge
19 11, 104 24
25 41, and
Ken and I'd like to get a
98:45 in your flight plan.
change to you there
go ahead.
Okay, at this point we want the delete
P-52 attitude, we're deleting the P-52 it'
at this time we would like you to go to P-20
X SIM bay.
Okay, following the completion of the
go to P-20 option 5 and plus X. I presently
the
s
affirmative .
you
di dn ' t get
up
That' s
that I
Okay, go ahead.
Roger, Echo 104 30 all
minus 00500, Golf 105180000 ,
And also
b ef ore .
I have the
have EMP 509 and running and I will terminate it following
the P-24.
CAP COM
abort pads for
CASPER
CAPCOM
01023 all zips
zips, Foxtrot plus
Hotel 107054500,
India 104172329, Juliet 107054500, Kilo 109043000, Lima 104421664
Mike 111033000, November 106251181,
Hotel
Okay, Hank, starting
plus 0102.3 all zips minus
107054500, India 104172329, juliet
CASPER
zips , Foxtrot
Lima 104421664, Mike 111033000, November
with Echo 10430 all
00500, Golf 105180000
107054500, Kilo 109043000
106251181, Over.
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/20/72 Cst 20:45 GET 103:50 CM- 31/2
CAPCOM That was a good readback, Ken, and Stew would
like to give you some words on the rendezvous.
CAPCOM Okay, Ken, I got a couple of comments about
an event of a PDI abort as far as the rendevous scheme and you
might want a sheet of paper there and jot down a couple of things.
CASPER Okay, I got a little corner here.
CAPCOM Okay, we're going to do the navigation end,
SCS and in other words the marking routine and we'll use the
CMC to maneuver to the burn attitude and set us up for the
tracking. We'll burn in SCS and there are 3 places through
here that you'll can activate that relay if you're using the
normal procedures. Now we've got some detailed procedures
we won't read to you now, if we get in that situation we'll
talk to you, but the 3 times that you want to watch out for
are don't place, the spacecraft control, and CMC with the Op-
TICS mode in manual, think you're probably pretty familiar with that
one. Don't respond to the 204 display, with the spacecraft
control in CMC, and if you make a burn you'll probably be trimming
it with G&N and wait until you've got your VERB 16 your NOUN
85 display up before going back to CMC and we can talk about
it in detail, like I say, later if we need it. We're on a
couple of these and they go pretty smooth.
CASPER Okay, Stew, the way I understand the scheme
is that for attitude holding while we're doing navigation we'll
do it in SCS and when we're ready to go to work while we'll
do CMC maneuver to the burn attitude and make the burn in
SCS to avoid this relay again. And we don't ever want to
go to CMC control with the OPTICS in manual and we don't want
to respond to 204 with the CMC command. And the 3rd one I
di dn ' t copy .
CAPCOM Okay, if you do a burn in your SCS you
depending on what you've done there, Ken, you'd probably end
up with a wheteher your flashing 99 display and we want to
make sure that you go on to your NOUN 85 display, before you
go to CMC then go ahead and trim with G&N residuals.
CASPER Okay, Houston, Rog. understand. We don't
want to go through that transient at the end of P-40, certainly.
CAPCOM Righto and that one thing too --
CASPER (garble) do not respond to 204, Stew. If
they don't respond to that do you mean don't even enter on it
go right past it ?
CAPCOM That's exactly what I mean. Don't enter
on it, of course you'll be doing the SCS burn but don't enter
on that or you will activate that relay until you switch the
spacecraft to SCS control.
CASPER Okay, as long as it's in SCS control, though
I can by-pass the 204 with no problem.
CAPCOM That's affirmative, Ken, if you hear an
SCS control that relay power is interrupted, the power to
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/20/72 CST 20:45 GET 103:50 CM- 31/ 3
CAPCOM that relay goes through the spacecraft
control switch and it's got to be in CMC.
CASPER Okay.
CAPCOM And one other point I'd like to clarify,
Ken, is that for your tracking after you go to your track
attitude CMC will start you off on rate drive and then go
to SCS control and go to a minimum impulse and PITCH and
just every now and then you might have to flip it like between
PPI and midcourse 1 it just took one minimum impulse time
and kept me right up around the 22 degrees trunion.
CASPER Rog. Sounds like you've been working, too.
CAPCOM No, you've been doing all the good work
there, Ken.
CASPER Doesn't sound like you guys have gotten
any sleep if you've checked out all these things, plus todays
problem. Whoever put that story together today deserves a
life supply of whatever he wants.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16, COMMAND MODULE, 4-20-72, CST 19:58, GET 104:04 CM-32/1
CASPER Doesn't sound like you guys have gotten
any sleep if you've checked out all these things plus todays
problems. Whoever put that story together today deserves a
life supply of whatever he wants.
Watch what you say, Ken, you don't want
your pocketbook there. And I'll give you back
to
to
CAP COM
overload
Hank.
CASPER
CAP COM
CAP COM
get your
CASPER
CASPER
thank you sir.
like to remind you
Okay ,
Rog.
CASPER, Houston, I'd
to get your (garble) direct power off.
Thank you sir.
Hank, seems to me I still have my logic
power off from early this morning and maybe I missed where
it comes back on. This is the panel 181 logic. Did you
get any words on where you think that ought to be?
CAPCOM Okay, Ken, you can leave it off for now.
And after we get into SIM bay attitude after land mark
tracking we're going to bring up some of the SIM bay.
CASPER Alrighty.
CAPCOM CASPER, Houston, we're go for PDI on the
CSM side.
CASPER Okay.
CAPCOM CASPER,
camera photo pan for you if
between now and Tl.
CASPER What do
of whack.
CAPCOM
CASPER
be just about the
CAPCOM
CASPER
loaded then.
CAP COM
here between your
good now, CASPER.
I have a mapping camera, pan
you think you can squeeze it in
you show for Tl, maybe I'm out
Roger, we've got about 7 1/2 minutes to
Okay, looks like this attitude is gonna
one for Tl then, huh?
Roger.
Let me hold off until I get this thing
go.
CASPER, Houston, we're showing a
actual CDU's and your final CDTJ 1 s .
di f f erence
Doing
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4-20-72 GET 104:14 CST 20:08 CM-33/1
CAPCOM You look good now CASPER.
CASPER Okay Hank, tell me again what you just said
about the CDU's.
CAPCOM Okay, we're getting some bad data down here,
so really we can't be sure but it looks like you ought to be
about 2 85 pitch. Is that right?
CASPER Correct.
CAPCOM It looks good from here now Ken.
CASPER Okay. And Hank I'm going to turn my VHF
transmission on and I'll be listening to you but I won't be
answering until after they land.
CAPCOM Roger. Copy. CASPER coming up on 10
seconds to T one. CASPER coming up on time for DAC on.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/20/72 CST 20:18 GET 104:24 CM-34
CAPCOM About T-2, Casper.
MATTINGLY Henry, I'm standing by to copy. Do you
want me to take that band from this Option 5 or Align?
CAPCOM Stand by, Ken. I'll get an answer
for you. And we're working on whether we got a stay or
not for T-l.
MATTINGLY Okay. Sounds like they did pretty
good.
CAPCOM They did a beautiful job.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/20/72 CST 2028 GET 104:34 CM-35/1
CASPER Sounds like they did pretty good.
CAPCOM They did a beautiful job.
CAPCOM Uh , Ken we'll one a narrow deadband on that.
We're - - we got a camera pass coming.
CAPCOM Casper, Houston. Orion is stay T one.
CASPER Okay. Thank you.
CAPCOM And Ken, while you're maneuvering to this
P20 attitude like to tell you about the flight plan.
We want you to do everything that's in the flight plan thru
(garble) up through what's in your flight plan
at 99:20 . And then we'er in the process of getting you a
whole new thing to operate from. And I have you a mapping
camera, a pan camera photo pad.
CASPER Okay, Yeah, I don't mind taking my suit off
And okay, I want to give you those pads now.
CAP COM Okay. Mapping camera, T-start 105 29 27 ,
T stop, 108
CASPER Wait a minute Hank, I don't have any place
to write these things, I don't think. I have to go look for
them. Thank you.
CAPCOM Okay.
CASPER What's the best place to work from, the
basic timeline with the real GET's.
CAPCOM I'll tell you what our overall plans is Ken,
we want to get in the camera passes tonight. Their terminator
passes, before we loose your opportunity cause it's terminator
is moving. And then we're going to do a clock sync some-
where during the night and scrub and get back on the flight plan
We'er going to scrub out about 6 hours or so.
CASPER Okay. I tell you what I got a page here
that I can work on. Why don't you give me a summary of the
next couple hours here. And I'll just write it out someplace in
he re .
CAP COM Okay, standby and I'll see if I can get
something worked up for you.
CASPER Go ahead and give me the check pads - yeah,
I ought to have those - next rev (garble)
CAPCOM Casper, Houston, you are almost unreadable
I'll have to wait until we get a little bit of COMM.
CASPER Is that better C0MM now.
CAPCOM Hey, that sounds much better. We're putting
together a little summary here for you..
CASPER Could you not pay attention to the OMNI's.
CAPCOM Okay.
CAPCOM Casper, Houston could you bring up the high
gain pitch +41 yaw 228.
CAPCOM Casper, Houston I have you a little run
down here for the next rev, if you are ready to copy.
CASPER Okay, all set.
CAPCOM Okay, at 105:20 MC flag LA cover OPEN.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4-20-72 GET 104:44 CST 20:38 CM-36/1
CAPCOM Okay, at 105:20 MC/LA cover open. 105:23
MC extend. 105:28 LA hold. 105:29 PC standby, stereo, power,
operate (T-start). MC image motion, increase (barber pole)/0n.
MC on, (T start). 105:50 AOS, 105:50 same the SIM Bay
activation. MS deploy to 8.4 feet at 61 seconds. GR deploy to
7.5 feet 53 seconds, that's 53 seconds. Then MS experiment on,
ion source standby. AP , that should be alpha P / XR cover open.
XR on, 105 59 PC mode standby (T stop). Power off (MSFN Q) .
CASPER Okay, you ready for a readback on that or
have you got some more to fill in?
CAPCOM Go ahead and read that back and then I can
give you your pass.
CASPER Okay.
CAPCOM Standby there Ken.
CASPER If it will help you any, I'd be glad --
CAPCOM If you'll give us POO and ACCEPT, we'll up-
link your state vector while you're doing that.
CASPER How about if I just give you ACCEPT?
CAPCOM That'll do it fine.
CASPER What if I'll suggest if it'll help you in —
do whatever is easiest is — I'll be glad if you want to give me
the code and tell me to have it -- have the SIM Bay in a particula
code by a given time.
CAPCOM Okay, that's a good idea.
CASPER In the front side I'll just sort of hussle
around and do whatever you suggest until we get back to a written
flight plan. I do need about 20 minutes here somewhere to get
the suit off and get the cockpit stowed. It looks like a disaster
are a.
CAPCOM Okay, I concur in that. Like to give you
the pass now if you're ready.
CASPER All set.
CAP COM Okay, mapping camera pad is T start 105 29
27 T stop is 108 28 13. Pan camera T start 105 29 27 T stop
105 59 27. And -- just pointed out that it made an error here
at 105 29 in your flight plan. The image motion should come on
after T start with this mapping camera. That was a procedural
error.
CASPER Rog. I understand that. No sweat.
CASPER Okay, let me read back to you what I have.
105 20 you want the mapper door open. At 23 we want to extend
it. 28, the laiser altimeter comes on. 29 we get the pan camera
to stand by stero and power to operate at T start which is 105 29
27. The mapping camera comes on at 105 29 27. The IMC comes on
and we put it to barber pole on the image motion. At 50 we'll get
AOS and we'd like to have SIMBAY activation. It's my understandin
you'd like for me to hold SIMBAY activation until we're within AOS
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 20:38 GET 104:44 CM36/2
CAPCOM That's affirmative.
CASPER (garbled) deploy to 8 feet, which
I got you answer, thank you. Gamma-ray deployed to 7
feet, that's 53 seconds. The mass spec experiment on
by. The Alpha X-ray door comes open,
27, the pan camera mode goes to stand
when you give me a call.
That's a good readback, Ken.
source is stand
goes on. At 5 9
power comes off
CAP COM
CASPER
caught up y et .
CAP COM
We ought to bring
data.
CASPER
forget it?
CAP COM
CASPER
time, 1 1
to copy
is 1 plus 01
an d a half
the I ON
X-ray
and the
and
the
by,
Okay
I think we've got it made. We may get
Okay, and I guess we start bringing it on, Ken
the S-band off the TV to site, so we can get the
Okay. Any harm in my doing that now, so I don
Go right
Okay, you'
ah e ad .
T ve got it. And when we get AOS next
m content while we're reading things up, I'll be prepared
some things, and be prepared to hop around and reconfigure
whatever you
CAPCOM
y o ur s ui t off,
CASPER
I'll t ak e my
10 minutes .
CAP COM
where around
CASPER
not , I'll
need in real time.
Okay, that's real good,
and get comfortable.
Okay, I'll, I'm just about
comm carrier off so I'll be off
What's LOS time?
Roger, we have LOS in about
03.
Okay. I may not be back up
just execute this flight plan.
Ken. Go ahead and get
to the point where
comm here for about
12 minutes
Some
f o r th at , but if
w o rk .
work today.
I tell
CAPCOM Roger, Ken, and good
CASPER You guys did all the
if we ever get a chance to look out that window - it's going
stand you on your ears.
you,
to
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/20/72 CST 20:48 GET 104:54 CM-37/1
DUKE I tell you, if we ever get a chance to
look, out that window, it's going to stand you on your ears.
That earth shine is as spectacular as any of the other things
which is much to my surprise.
CAPCOM I hope we're in a position now, we can
get on to doing some looking.
YOUNG Well, now, keep it a little bit there,
and we can have an lot to do while we're spinning around and —
some of those low REV's came up with some very interesting
observations. In particular, the one that strikes me most
vividly is the fact that the if you remember all those
apparent lineations we saw on Silver Spur and the places
around the Hadley in the pictures.
DUKE Those same kind of things appear
all over the surface of the moon down low. It's just everywhere
I look; in the area where there's any topographical relief and
they go in all different directions. I hadn't been able to
sort out if there's some preferred direction or some reason
for it. What I did happen to notice is I came across the
Theophilus in one of the passes. What you -- you see this in
the walls of the Theophilus cause of the interior and in the
places where there are craters around the outside or some
kind of -- it looks like some fracture or something of that
nature. It goes across the Theophilus or into it. You see
what looks like a reflection in the leaf patterns. If you
had a crater on the rim, these patterns would sort of show
like you'd expect from a shock pan and they'd be radill and
concentric to that crater, and these little lines seem to
take that kind of a twist, and the fact that some of them
go along with that topographic hives. I'll see if I can get
some photos. I didn't take any photos on this stuff cause I
didn't have a chance, but I looked out and saw some of these
things and they're just everywhere.
CAPCOM That sounds like a real interesting obser-
vations there, Ken.
CASPER Okay, I'm going to get my suit off and
if I don't catch you at LOS, I'll see you at AOS.
CAPCOM Okay.
CAPCOM The computer is yours, Ken.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/20/72 CS T 21:44 GET 105:49 CM38/1
CASPER
Hello, Houston. Casper.
CAP COM
Casper, Houston. How do you read?
CASPER
Loud and clear.
CAP COM
Casper, Houston. We need barber pole plus 3
on camera.
CASPER
Okay, 3. You have it, and would you remind
me when you get
to
about 30 seconds from pan camera to stop.
CAP COM
Will do.
CASPER
Okay. I want to mark something on chart, and
then I'll talk
t o
you for just a minute.
CAP COM
Ro ger .
CASPER
Okay, and I put the battery A on charge at
105:35.
CAP COM
Roger, copy.
CASPER
I got you out the window now, but it looks
like , like half
of
you has gone away. It's all black.
CAP COM
I hope we're in the sunny half.
CASPER
No, I bet your in the dark half, aren't you.
CASPER
That shows how long it's been since you've
b een outs ide .
CAP COM
It has been awhile.
CASPER
As I came over, I finally got squared away,
and as I came across King, I had the binoculars out, and sure enough
on the central beach down there, the things we've been
dabating for so long about whether they were streaks or out crops,
or what they were, are large blocks which are on the, the central
peak, most of the block seem to lie on the eastern side of the
peaks. However, there are a few blocks on the western side and
enough that you can tell the reason that they looked dark is they
cast a pretty long shadow, because they are pretty huge blockes.
The floor looks like it's, it looks like an old mud flow. It's
really a strange looking floor. It's got lot's of flow bands and
patterns in it. In the crater rim to the west on the interior shows
at least 3 distinct shades of this gray. The upper one is the same
color as the surface, which is a light sort of a darker gray, and
then there's a light gray band, which runs parellel to it, and
then the dark band came below that. And the light band is perhaps
a quarter of the depth of the crater wall. To the north and west
of King, I ran into somethings that looked like the same sort of
swirls we've been looking at up around (garbled) and around Riner
Gamma. These two are in the highlands, and with the binoculars
it's my impression, that these probably have a certain amount of
relief topographic relief with them. But they look, when you look
straight down on them, they look exactly like the other things
we've been looking at, and I took a quick picture of that thing
and I put it on magazine Victor and if you'll keep a record of
these things, that one is on Victor at exposure, oh, excuse me,
that's magazine November-November, and that's exposure 41.
CAPCOM We got that, Ken. And Casper, could we get HIGH
GAIN auto?
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/20/72 CST 21:54 GET 105:59 CM- 39/1
And Casper,
could we get high gain AUTO?
CAP COM
CASPER You've got AUTO now. And it's oscillating,
suppose I go back to - there it is. Okay, I have a little
tone in my headset that was beeping very softly and the
signal strength was doing the same thing,
CAP COM
comp ute r , Ken ,
CAP COM
p an camera off .
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
check the optics
figuring the SIM
okay to take the
Roger. You want to go block
and we'll show you the optics
And Ken, you're about 10
on the
per the manual,
seconds from
Okay, the computers in block, okay.
I was a little late with that one.
Okay, no sweat, we got it done. I'll
And when you're ready I'll start con-
bay.. And Hank, would you verify that it's
optics and put them to CMC or to 0 . I sure
gam,
St and
Okay ,
And if you're
don't want to
CAP COM
happen.
CAP COM
with the high
CASPER
to AUTO now?
CAP COM
CASPER
that time,
th in gs he re .
CAP COM
waiting for Oswo to
CASPER
CAP COM
your extend time go
CASPER
sorry .
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
take any chances with it.
Okay, it's okay. They say nothing will
And Ken, we've got a little trouble
We need to go back to react.
Okay, I'm in react. Want to go back
by. Okay,
AUTO it is
re ady , I'm
clear
You
ready
to go
got a
to AUTO,
good one
to start deploying
you stand by. We're
waiting here. How'd
m
Okay, Ken, would
get his data.
Oh, very well.
Ken, while we're
on the mapping camera?
I didn't time it that time, Hank, I'
Okay. Casper, is pan camera power off?
Okay, pan camera power is off. Mark it
Osow has his data now, we can proceed
with boom deployment.
CASPER
first one you would
61 seconds.
CAP COM
CASPER
CASPER
CAP COM
ray out.
CASPER
CASPER
CAP COM
barber pole plus 4
Okay, let me button this up. Okay, the
like is the - how about a mass spec for
That's affirmative.
Okay, going to deploy. Mark.
Deploy is off at this time.
Roger. You're clear to start the gamma
Gamma ray is going out .
Okay, gamma ray has stopped.
Okay, Ken, and could you give us
on the map camera.
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/20/72 CST 21:54 GET 105:59 CM-39/2
CASPER Okay, that should be one more step, right?
CAPCOM That's affirmative.
CASPER Alright, you've got it. Okay, now the
mass spec experiment is going to ON, the ion source is going
to stand by.
CASPER Alpha particle and X-ray door is coming
open. Mark. And it's good.
CASPER And the X-ray is coming to on. Mark.
CAPCOM Ken, the SIM bay looks real good right now.
Like to read -
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/20/72 CST 22:04 GET 106:09 CM-40/1
CAPCOM Ken, the standby looks good right now. I'd
like read you up but -- PI26 padlock there.
CASPER Okay, would you standby just a second
while I get some food going here?
CAP COM Okay.
CAPCOM Ken, for your information, we're planning
on your retirement. To rest, that is. At 109:30, the nominal
time .
CASPER I'm glad you clarified that. I hope you
realize I'm too young to retire.
CAPCOM Roger.
CASPER Can you tell me anything about the status
of the surface guys. Are they going to be able to get at
least 2 EVA's out of this?
CAPCOM I think the plan is now, Ken, for two
EVA's. They are busy buttoning up the LMP now and getting
ready to get some sleep. They are going to move the EVA times,
at least, the first one, is going to be tomorrow morning about
10:30 central, I think.
CASPER Okay.
CAPCOM And we're going to change our shifts around
too so I'll be on again in the morning and then S tu will get
it in the afternoon.
CASPER Okay.
CASPER All right. Now, that I've got something
soaking here, I'll be ready to copy. Okay. Go ahead.
CAPCOM All righty. TE I 26, SPS, G&N 38726
plus 072 plus 133, 125 14 2747 plus 31703 plus 11016 minus
03101, attitude, 18108 niner, 021. The rest of the pad N A
the sixth star the same as on your (garble) pad, the same
altitude, ullage, 2 jets 17 seconds, other, land of the moon
at K minus 17 niner .02 in the pad.
CASPER Okay. That's a TEI 26, SPS G&N, 38726
plus 072 plus 133, 125 14 2747 plus 31703, plus 11016 minus
03101, 18108 niner 021. Series and (garble) where the angles
are off certain pad, 2 jets, 17 seconds, lan, 17902 and that's
a minus .
CAP COM Good readback, Ken.
CAPCOM Okay, Ken, we're going to leave you
alone and let you eat now. We still got about 49 minutes
to LOS. And at your convinence, sometime a little later,
we'd like you to get the crew status report from this
morning which was omitted.
CASPER Okay. That's going to take some book-
keeping. I'll work on that. Sure would rather look out
the window, Hank.
CAPCOM Did anybody ever give you some words on
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/20/72 CST 22:04 GET 106:09 CM-40/2
CAPCOM the undervote last night?
CASPER Yeah. The word we got was that IAN is
vertically happy to get the pan camera on at the same time
the heaters all came on and I guess the (garble) was just
too much .
That 1 s the story --
Is that way you understand it?
Right. That's affirmative.
Okay. Well, I'm sorry we missed
seemed like the prude thing to do
s ure
CAPCOM
CASPER
CAPCOM
CASPER
phot os but it
time .
CAPCOM We concur.
CASPER Henry, another
be a pretty nice little gadget are
storage departments, particularly,
locker after it's about half full.
thos e
at the
s t ay
ni ce
huh?
thing that turns out to
these nets that are in the
when you get the food
The things are able to
under some (garble) of the control, and that's a mighty
thing .
CAPCOM So they have been working out real good,
CASPER
Yeah, it sure is. It's been a very help
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/20/72 GST 22:14 GET 106:19 CM-41/1
CAPCOM And Ken, you don't have to acknowledge,
but our plans are in the morning first thing to give you a
clock sink and get you back into the flight plan.
CASPER That sounds like a good plan.
CASPER One thing you've got to be careful of
up here is when you go to look outside - you kind of have
to watch it that you - you get too greedy and get your nose
up against the window and about one breath is all it takes
and it's all fogged over.
CAPCOM Roger, understand.
CASPER I think our humidity must be running
fairly high. I'm passing over a nice little guy right now,
and would guess - I haven't been paying attention to where
I am, looks like I must be probably looking to the north at
somewhere around the Guttenberg Uplands and I found some
more - a little crater that's got another large fill in
the center and a nice big crater at the top of it, and a
little crater chain around it. And, as I said earlier,
everything out here has this linear pattern or these linements,
it doesn't matter whether it's a flat surface or horizontal,
vertical, inside the wall of a crater, they all seem to
have it in one form or another.
CAP COM Okay, Ken. If our plot board up here
is right, you ought to be coming up on the landing site.
CASPER Okay, let's see. Oh, maybe I'm at the
wrong window here. You're right, Henry.
CASPER And if you remember that little black
dot that we drew on our map and talked about. There's a
little black spot about in the right area, and I don't
have my map so I just looked out at it, but I'll come back
next time and take a look. Sure looks like it is something
that is entirely different texture.
CAPCOM Are you talking about right in the
area of the landing site?
CASPER In the landing site area, but not in
the landing site - in the traverse regions, but that little
dark thing looked like a bossle of coal that was out to the
north and to the west. There's a little black dot out
there that looks like there may be something that is
distinctive. And next time I come over, I'll be better
prepared to look for it.
CAPCOM Okay, I remember that one, that was
in the edge of the plotter wasn't it?
CASPER Yes sir.
CASPER I tell you, it sure is impressive,
how much the scenery changes and the sun angle changes
and how rapidly that goes down.
CASPER Does your plot board show me over
Alpet ragi us ?
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/20/72 CST 22:14 GET 106:19 CM-41/2
CAP COM Say, again?
CASPER Does the plot board show me over
Alb et e gni us ?
CAPCOM That's affirmative.
CASPER Okay. Well, let me tell you a little somethinj
here, just to the north and mostly to the west of Albetegnius,
the ground, and I think in the higher suns, it's going to
look like - it's going to look a lot like Imbrium sculpture,
but out here it has the same modeled effect and the same
appearance that the Descartes area had at the same sun angle
yesterday. And that's almost directly south of - well it's
a little south and a little bit to the total mass and it's
a little bit to the east of Alphonsus.
CAPCOM Roger. You ought to be coming up on
the terminator now, is that right? Pretty close to it.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/20/72 GST 22:24 GET 106:29 CM-42/1
in
Roger. You ought to be coming up on the
Is that right? Pretty close to it.
Yes, sir. My view is disappearing rapidly.
You should be over Ptolemaeus now.
Casper, for your information, everything
looking real good now.
Okay. I just saw something that — I
what to make -- I'm in the — I think the
spacecraft is probably just about in the dark, but not quite.
We passed the ground terminator, and I'm looking out the window
number 3 down towards the ground trying to get a preview of
what's coming in earthshine and there's a bright flash that's
going along out there. At first, I thought there was some-
thing that was on the deck but it's apparently a piece of
debris that's in orbit with us and it's sitting there tumbling
over
CAP COM
terminator now,
CASPER
CAP COM
CAP COM
the SIM bay is
CASPER
really don't know
be a
and flashing.
CAP COM Is
CASPER It
piece of debris .
CASPER
around n ow ,
CAP COM
are ?
there s
it traveling along with you
moved across the ground, so
Yeah.
As a matter of fact, asl look
quite a few of those.
Can you get any idea how
i t mus t
far away they
CASPER
CASPER
of something
I don't know what effect that
has
comp aris on
wonder if
do that some other
on - -
No, I can't Hank. You know, it's a piece
that's out there and it's tumbling so that it
gives you an uncombing reflection. Don't feel that awkward
but it's moving at approximately the same velocity that we
are .
CAPCOM Ken, in reference to your observations of
Crater King, we got some ideas about those swirls that are
northwest of King and we'd like for you to get a
with those with the swirls of either units and I
those also have topographic expressions.
CASPER Okay. OP 2 , I have to
time because today I'm too far south to see those things up
by the other unit. I can just barely see up to Neper.
CAPCOM Roger.
CASPER But, we sure need to keep that in mind.
CAPCOM And another thing you might be thinking
about that if you get an opportunity on some REV is get
us a description of the area north of the Crater King and
including the Soviet Mountains.
CASPER Yeah, I was thinking of looking at that,
but I really hadn't planned to spend much time on King, this
time; I was just going to just kind of look at the old crater
there, but I got so interested in it that it looked like
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/20/72 CST 22:24 GET 106:29 CM-42/2
CASPER there's another crater that's just to
the east of King that has a little bisected central feature
just like King. You know, the thing that makes that old
white shape and it looks the same way. That's kind of in-
teresting, I thought.
CAPCOM Yeah, I guess we haven't seen that in
the photos.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 COMMAND MODULE COMMENTARY V 20 / 72 CST 22:3*+ GET 106:39 CM-U3/1
CASPER Yeah, Hank, I ought to be passing Flint (garbled) now.
CAPCOM Roger, it's looking --
CASPER It's really impressive how much you can see in the dark.
CASPER I don't believe you can see as much now as you could last
night. Of course, partly we're up higher than I was when I looked at it last
night. And the Earth is noticeably smaller, so I guess it's loosing it's
reflective ability rather rapidly.
CAPCOM Roger.
CASPER I was also very impressed with the way you could see the
LM's outline in Earthshine . That was something I had not anticipated. Last
night as we came across, oh let me see what it was? It starts with an H,
over on the western rim. Havelius.
CAPCOM Yeah.
CASPER We drove across that last night and you could really
see the floor patterns in that thing beautifully.
CASPER Okay, Hank, we'll see you. I ow you a crew status report
from this morning. Right?
CAPCOM Roger .
CASPER Okay, let's see if I can give you that thing now.
CASPER Okay, Alfa 1 22 0 k7 , Alfa 3 6, Alfa h negative. BRAVO
1 15 0 ^. BRAVO 3 6. BRAVO k negative. CHARLIE 1 21 095 . CHARLIE 37-
CHARLIE h- 1 segunal.
CAPCOM We copy, Ken.
CASPER Okay, then we'll try to go down the menus here. We're
looking for day k, Is that correct?
CAPCOM Affirmative .
CASPER Okay. On Commander. Meal A, you can delete the mixed
fruit, and Meal B you can delete pea soup. Meal C delete chicken stew and
add a chocolate pudding. For me you can take Meal A and delete mixed fruit.
APOLLO 16 COMMAND MODULE COMMENTARY 4/20/72 CST 22 :3h GET 106:39 CM-^3/2
CASPER You can delete bread and jelly, on Bravo you can delete
pea soup, meatballs. On Charlie you can delete the chicken stew, and I
guess that takes care of those things . The reason for so many of these -
we all deleted these canned things because we got 'em all over the spacecraft
the last time, and we decided that we really couldn't afford to do that again.
CAPCOM Roger, we copy.
CASPER And let me find Charlie's here.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 COMMAND MODULE COMMENTARY 4/20/72 CST 22: Ml GET 106:^9 CM-kk/l
CASPER Okay, here's Charlies. On meal A you can delete mixed
fruit, and jelly, Meal B you can delete sugar cookies. Meal C you can dilete
the pudding and the chocolate bar.
CAPCOM Roger, copy.
CASPER Now we are coming across Hevelius again. And I can see
Grimaldi and a couple of fractures that go across this rim and you can really
see a lot of detail here. You can see the rilles . You can see as every-
body pointed out these - They look like robins that are just dropped down
and they go all the way across the crater like Hevelius. And looks like
they go out to Procellarum and they come down to the - in fact they go all
the way down to Grimaldi, they run into a crater, and it lookd like they
might have been filled a little bit. In fact it looks the same way that
some of the rilles that are south of Fra Mauro look like they've been filled
in. And there is a very smooth little patch that's lined up with the (garbled)
that runs from there to Grimaldi. Now I'm sorry. I'm calling the Riccioli,
Grimaldi. The crater I'm talking about now is Riccioli, and it's got quite
a few fractures that run out. And it looks like a flow pattern. It looks
just like looking down on a long tongue of lava like we've seen terrestrially
I don't mean to infer that it is lava, but I'm just saying it has the same
appearance. And it is coming out of the northeastern corner of Riccioli and
it has what looks like a little ripple patterns on it like you would expect
from flow bands, but they aren't quite as accurate and they don't take quite
the same consecutive pattern that you'd expect from a full front. But this
little crater coming down from Hevelius, the rille that comes down through
there, it's a crater, then it gets a very, very smooth spot and then it runs
in and you can see continuations of these lineaments right on the cross
Riccioli .
CAPCOM Roger. That sounds real interesting.
APOLLO 16 COMMAND MODULE COMMENTARY 4/20/72 CST 22: kk GET 106:^9 CM-kh/2
CASPER Riccioli has quite a few elongate little craters around
it. Several of them are elongate and one of them is quite long. I'd say
it's maybe - it's curved and looks like it's maybe 10 kilometers long, and
they have just a slight arc to it, but it is a very elongate feature. Now
we are moving into material that's very hilly and I don't see a lot of
small craters. I don't see a lot of bright ones. You can see bright
rims in here quite well. Some things that do stand out to the west of
Riccioli are the very dramatic cross cutting grabben type rilles. They cross
in one place here almost 90 degrees to each other. Looks like I'm looking
at a very subdued old basin and these things go across the hills and right
on across the basin floor. And, I'm not sure, but I would guess that some
of these other lineaments that I'm seeing, they're running towards the north
east or more than likely things coming out of Orientale . I should be coming
in towards the outer rim of the Orientale basin. Hey, you get the same
kind of impression at the terminator when the Earth shine runs out as you
do when sunshine runs out. The only thing that's different is you don't
get to see quite as much as - everything is a lot more subdued. And you
don't get shaddows that are nearly as long, or at least not as bright. There
is also running down here, there is one ridge and I'm sure I'm looking at a
ridge, instead of a grabben. I've got grabbens that cut it. But this thing
has a bright line on it that looks like a ridge that runs northeast south-
west along with some of the grabbens. And then seems - it's one of the first
big ridges I've seen that cuts up over a highlands clump of material. That's
all just to the west of Riccioli .
CAPCOM Roger, copy.
CAPCOM Ken, we have your --
CASPER Getting ready to --
CAPCOM Ken, we've got your flight plan here.
APOLLO 16 COMMAND MODULE COMMENTARY U/20/72 CST 22:hk GET 106:^9 CM-kk/3
CASPER
Oh, yeah, we're ready for LOS. Okay, do you have time to
read it to me?
CAPCOM
I think so, if you are ready to copy.
CASPER
Alright, can you tell me where I should start.
CAPCOM
Okay, LOS will he at 107 02.
CASPER
Okay, should I writing in the flight plan or should I
be writing in something separate?
CAPCOM
1 think you "better write it in something separate.
CASPER
Okay, standby.
CASPER
Okay, shoot.
CAPCOM
Okay, 107 02 LOS. And approximately 107 10, at approxi-
mately 8 minutes after LOS configure DSC, stop/high bit rate/command reset/
forward 107 21 sunrise, 107 25 02 heaters 1 and 2 auto, 02 heaters 3 OFF .
107 38 image motion increase barber pole plus 3. 107 U8 AOS. 107 57 pan
camera standby stereo power. 107 58 13 this is your T start pan camera
operate. Mass spectrometer ion source ON. At the same time right after you
get the pan camera. 108 Oh image motion increase barber pole plus h. T stop'
108 28 13 that's all T stop for the mapping camera which I read up to you
earlier. It's pan camera standby at T stop. Pan camera OFF. MSFN Q.
Mapping camera OFF (T stop) wait 30 seconds. Mapping camera standby.
Image motion OFF. Laser altimeter OFF. Mapping camera retract. Mapping
camera laser altimeter cover closed. 108 4(0 mass spec deploy gamma ray
deploy. 108 50 return to the flight plan at last and pick up with a P20
and follow on with those activities through your presleep checklist and the
only thing different there is I've already given you TEI 26 pad.
CASPER Outstanding, you guys really do good work. Okay, I think
I've got everything here. I didn't have any questions about it. Do you want
me - how much time do we have? I don't know if it's worth reading back or no
APOLLO 16 COMMAND MODULE COMMENTARY h/20/12 CST 22:kk GET 106:^9 CM-M+A
CAPCOM Okay, we got 2 minutes to LOS. You don't have to read
back. I think --
CASPER Okay, here it comes. 107 02 LOS . 107 10 configure DSC
stop high hit rate, command, reset and forward. 21 is sunrise. 25 02 heaters
1 and 2 to auto. 02 heaters tank 3 OFF . 38 IMC increase barber pole plus 3-
k8 AOS 57 pan, standby stereo and power. 58 13 pan camera to operate,
mass spec ion source ON. Oh that's 103 Oh IMC to barber pole plus k. 28 13
T stop for pan camera, standby mapping camera to OFF. 30 seconds. 'Then to
standby IMC OFF. Laser altimeter OFF. Mapping camera retract. Mapping
camera cover closed. At 108 kO mass spec gamma ray to deploy. 108 50 return
to the flight plan.
CAPCOM Good readback, Ken.
CASPER Okay. Outstanding.
CAPCOM Okay, we got less than a minute to go. Stu will see you
on the other side.
CASPER Alright, Hank, thank you very much. You've done a good
days work. See you tomorrow.
CAPCOM Rogo.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 COMMAND MODULE COMMENTARY 4/20/72 CST 23:42 GET 107:47 CM-U5/I
Houston, are you there?
Yeah, Roger, Casper. Standingby.
Hello there .
And Casper we'd like you to go back to reac on the high
CASPER
CAPCOM
CASPER
CAPCOM
gain, please.
CASPER Okay, every time I try that it looks like it does worse.
Now, let's hold it in there this time, I guess.
CAPCOM And, Ken, sometime at your convenience, we'd like to have
you push on your biorned sensors, hitting a little noise on the data, get my
page all cleared up .
CASPER Okay, I'll get to that in just a minute. I'm flapping
right now with some - trying to make up the things we missed here. And I
just finished putting the post of (garbled) and Megelhaens on magazine
November, November and I'll try to pick up the one on (garbled) if you'll
tell me I can do it on November, November.
CAPCOM
CAPCOM
November?
CASPER
CAPCOM
CASPER
Okay, standby.
And Casper, could you give us a frame number on November
Okay, how about oh, 145 .
Okay, 1U5. I'll believe that.
Atad don't let me forget things like this pan camera
thing coming up, cause I'm setting here getting camera set up. I'm going
to try to get the Earthshine sequence in this trip too.
CAPCOM Okay, Rog. We'll give you a call.
CAPCOM And Ken. for the time now - time from the next 15 seconds
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/20/72 CST 23:52 GET 10 7:57 CM- 46/1
after the time now - within
you want to get the pan
CAP COM And, Ken,
the next 15 seconds or so, if
camera standby stereo in Power.
CASPER Okay. Thank you, sir. Standby Stereo
in Power. You've got it.
CAPCOM Roger.
CASPER Man, I tell you. Just a little reminder
like that can go a long ways toward getting something done
in here .
Jolly good. We'll try to please.
CAPCOM
CAP COM
P start time on the
CASPER
CAPCOM
CASPER
CAPCOM
CASPER
CAPCOM
CASPER
CAPCOM
we'll give you 30
CASPER
another Magazine,
CAPCOM
CASPER
got Magazine XX
to work on that
Okay, Ken, you
pan camera.
Okay .
Ten seconds, Ken.
And you've got it
Okay. Rog.
B arb erpol e
Very good;
Ion source
Okay, and Ken, on
re 3 0 seconds from the
away
On .
she goes
went grey, and
and ion source
on , Mark .
November November,
frames on that one.
Okay. I guess I was scheduled for
but I just don't have time to change it
No sweat. You've got 30.
Okay. That should be plenty. And I
loaded in the Nikon, and I'm ready to go
as soon as we get in the darkness. Well,
maybe that won't work, because I guess you've got a P52
and things coming for me.
CAPCOM Uh - Stand by on that, Ken.
CAPCOM Okay, Ken, what we'd like for you to
do after this Sunside pass, after you finish up here, is
to get a good night's sleep. We're not showing you any-
thing scheduled after that.
CASPER Okay. I thought there was a P52 or
something I was supposed to get as soon as it got dark.
I'll - I can sne ak
miss very much of
CAPCOM
thing you need to
that in there, too. I hate to
the things that we almost did.
No, Ken. It's not scheduled,
do is 108 plus 50, where you go
s ee us
The
into
las t
the
activities there in the Flight Plan
Presleep Checklist and — '
CASPER Oh,
Thank you.
CAPCOM Rog
You go right into your
we'll see you in the morning,
okay. Outstanding. Very good.
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/20/72 CST 23:52 GET 107:57 CM-46/2
CAPCOM Okay, Casper, if we can have the High Gain
to Auto, please.
CASPER You've got it.
CAPCOM Okay.
CASPER Can you look on your plot board and tell me
approximately what my longitude is right now?
CAP COM Oh, Ken, it's probably about 70 East, or
something like that.
CAPCOM You're just coming across the western rim
of Smythii, there.
CASPER Okay. Good enough.
CASPER Yeah, here comes our old friend, Langrenus .
CAPCOM Okay, Ken. We need Barberpole plus 4.
CASPER Need a little Barberpole, don't you? Okay,
that should be 1 plus what we have.
CASPER Hey, Stu, if I put 30 frames on this
Crosier, I won't get that first strip of Kant and Andel. Do
you think about -
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4-21-72 GET 108:07 CST 00:02 CM-47/1
ORION
CAP COM
ORION
(Garble) 10
( garble)
CAP COM
ORION
couple of ho
CAP COM
ORION
to sleep.
CAP COM
you to open.
to panel 11,
ORION
CAP COM
to 15
Hello Houston, ORION over.
ORION Houston, go ahead,
(garble) we had another (garble)
percent quantity is that what you got
for
see you m a
That's affirmative.
Okay, if you're happy, we'll
urs and we'll go back to sleep.
Say again Charlie, you're very garbled.
I say if you guys are happy, we'll go back
Charlie we got one circuit breaker we want
Standby a minute. The rendezvous radar operate,
row 3. Under heaters.
Okay, we got it. Stand by.
Roger. Thank you.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4-21-72 GET 117:54 CST 09:48 CM-48/1
CASPER (garble)
CAPCOM You're too weak to you there. Standby one.
CAPCOM Good morning CASPER. Up and at em.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4-21-72 GET 1117:59 CST 09:48 CM-49/1
Hello Houston, are you there this morning'
Good Morning CASPER, how're you feeling
Swinging .
good nights rest?
That's the best sleep I've
had
CASPER
CAP COM
this morning?
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
since I've been in
CAP COM
ready to get a few
me kn ow .
CASPER Okay, if you got some things for me to copy,
I'll get started on that and we can catch up on the crew status
when we get a chance.
You get a
Sure did.
there .
Hey, that sounds great. Whenever you're
things done before you're eat period, let
CAP COM
terminate the
CASPER
CAP COM
the flight plan
out of the way.
CASPER
me t e r .
CASPER
at 1.5 volts
Okay, before we get started Ken, could you
batt A charge.
No sooner said than done.
Okay, Ken. How about let's starting with
changes for a couple of REV 1 s here, and get that
Okay, just a second. Let me check the test
s o
hurt
it wo uldn ' t
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
wakeup 118 hours. We've already
want to get a - we don't need to
you what we want to get from you
didn't pick up last night, and a
Okay, the battery compartment is sitting right
I guess the next time we go to do a dump of stuff
to amend that too.
Roger, copy.
Ok ay , let's go .
Okay. The first item is right here at the
terminated the batt charge. We
write all this in, I'll just tell
is a thin status report which we
little bit later here, we want
to uplength the lift off
118:15 and there we want
And that's a VERB 5 NOUN
by MS FN copy on MS FN Q.
time. The first item really comes at
to put sync-mission timer to CMC clock.
1 enter 1706 enter. And then PSM verification
I guess your farmiliar with that procedure
aren
t you.
CASPER
CAP COM
they 1 ve got
Yes , sir.
Okay, and
copy out 3 registers, at the proper time,
is 118:55 delete the charge battery B.
CASPER Okay. Battery B charge
a note here where we
Okay, the next item
is deleted.
CAPCOM Okay, at - Stand by a minute, Ken. Okay, Ken
That should get you through the next couple of REV's. We're just
going to follow the flight plan. How about now, let's set up
our CRYO configuration. We would like to verify the, that we're
using the 100 watt heaters on 02. That's on panel 226, I believe
CASPER Okay, that's verified.
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 09:48 GET 117:54 CM49/2
CAPCOM Okay, and back on panel 2, we want 02 heaters
1 and 2 auto, and 3 off.
CASPER That's verified.
CAPCOM H2 heaters 1 and 2 off.
CASPER Okay, H2 heaters 1 and 2 off.
CAPCOM Roger, and H2 fans 1 and 2 off, and 3 auto.
CASPER Okay. Fans in tank 3 are auto.
CAPCOM Okay, Ken. We've got a message that says,
do not vent the battery compartments.
CASPER Okay. I won't do that.
CAPCOM Okay, the next item. We're wondering if you've
got the screens on the suit hoses. Those screens are normally
stowered in the PGA bags during launch and we don't know if you
ever got those on or not. If you didn't, you can put those on
and get increased circulation in the cockpit there.
CASPER Okay. No we sure didn't. I plugged up the
inlet side so they wouldn't get dirt in them, and then he
put the screens on. I'll do that.
CAPCOM Okay, just make a note to yourself there to
get that done.
CAPCOM Okay, tell you a little bit about the SIM bay
status here. Mapping camera is working fine. No anomalies. The
only problem we had was that retrack, and our plan on that is,
that we're going to leave the mapping camera out, except when we're
doing coupled RCS . The laser altimeter has fired 663 times, since
launch but it's starting to miss now about 20 percent of the time
on the altitudes. Pan cameras working fine, no anomalies. We've
got a margin of 58 frames. Forgot to give you the margin on the
mapping camera. We're 452 frames ahead there. Masspect is per-
forming good, and the extent retrack performance is good except that
the movement hanging up near full retraction, you'r aware of that.
However the boom has been verified safe for STS burn. The gamma
ray is getting good data. The gang is stable and it's excellent
resolution. Boom performance in nominal. X-ray and Alpha particles
are both good.
CASPER Okay. Anybody seen anything unusual on any
of their data yet.
CAPCOM That's negative, Ken. And if you'll give us
ACCEPT, we'll get on with you state vector update.
CAPCOM Stand by for clock update.
CASPER You've got it.
CAPCOM At -
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 9:58 GET 118:04 CM-50/1
CAPCOM And for your information, on plans,
we're not going to reschedule any extra mapping camera or
pan camera passes today to make up for what we missed yester-
day, we're just going to go with the flight plan.
CASPER Okay.
CAP COM And in regard to the booms, we're going
to do, follow the nominal extention and retraction for the mass
spec except we're going to try to get the retractions done
during AOS so we can watch it.
CASPER Okay, that sounds good and was the mapping
camera retract time really as involved as I thought it was?
CAPCOM Stand by.
CAPCOM That's affirmative, Ken, they got 315 on
their data down here.
CASPER Okay.
CAPCOM And in regard to your EKG, sometime when
you get a chance here, we want you to service the leads there
we want you to - want you to doff your harness, replace the
sponges and tape and don it again.
CASPER Okay, that's about a 20 minute job.
CAPCOM Just whenever you can work it in, no
real rush there.
CASPER I'll do it when I get a chance.
CAPCOM And Ken, confirm that the status looks
just about like it was when you went to bed last night, noth-
ing to report there, and I guess you can go ahead and start
on your postsleep checklist and we'll be standing by for
your crew status report and SIM status report.
CASPER Okay, I'll have that for you in just a
min ute .
CASPER Okay, Hank, I'm ready for a little crew
status update and, let's see, you want me to take the mass
spec ion source stand by now?
CAPCOM Roger, Ken. Go ahead.
CASPER Okay, it's - in standby, I'll get the
pan camera mode is in standby, and the power is coming on.
Mark. Barber pole, back to gray.
CAP COM Okay.
CASPER Are you ready for a little crew status?
CAP COM Roger. Go ahead.
CASPER Okay, bravo 115048, bravo 3, 6-1/2, the
best yet, bravo 4 none, on the menu side, the happy gourmet
says that a Meal A for CMP was a large orange juice with potas-
sium, Meal B was - and then breakfast - a chocolate bar,
sugar cookies and another citrus beverage with potassium.
Meal C - Chicken and rice, 2 orange drinks, fruit cocktail,
pineapple fruit cake. I got - I guess yesterday morning -
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CS T 9:58 GET 118:09 CM-50/2
CASPER For the Commander, you can delete the
peaches, you can delete the grits. On the LMP - you can
delete the peaches, you can delete the eggs and you can
add an extra orange pineapple with potassium.
CAPCOM Okay, Ken. We got all that.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 10:08CST 118:14GET CM51/1
CAPCOM Casper, Houston you are clear for a pan
camera power off. The lens is stuck.
CASPER Okay, I'll get that in just a second.
CASPER And camera power is off.
CAPCOM Okay.
CAPCOM Ken we're uplinking a state vector to you
n ow .
CASPER Okay.
CAPCOM Casper, Houston the computer is yours.
CASPER Okay, thank you sir.
CAPCOM Casper, Houston whenever you get a chance
we can take the gamma ray shield off and the mass spec landing
s ource on .
CASPER Mass spec landing source is on. The
gamma ray shield is off. Shield is off.
CAP COM Roger.
CAPCOM Ken no need to acknowledge, but give us a
call when you get ready to sync your mission timer.
CASPER Okay, I'm trying to catch this photograph
of updating and I'm almost over it now.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST10:18 GET118:24 CM5 2/1
CASPER
of updating and I'
terminator isn t
we're far enough
CAP COM
the line yet?
CASPER
of the pola me as
see probably the
in the chain and
it is Still with
CAPCOM
CASPER
today. Okay, now let's get
what's happening here Hank,
Okay, I'm trying to catch this photograph
m almost over it now. Well, it looks to
the
I guess
me like I'm not going to be able to get it because
quite far enough over this time,
off of our basic here.
Okay, you say Daley hasn't moved out
into
No, the terminator is lying just the west
I can see the highlands and I think I
of the craters
The rest of
first crater chain, first
in fact that may be Davy
Ditt o.
Ro ger.
I guess
I'll have to let that one go
back to where you were. Yeah,
it looks like we're a little bit
early, but it still looks like those times would have been -
those times probably weren't going to quite hack it anyhow.
CAPCOM I'm a little bit puzzled about it too
Ken, that should have been good.
CASPER
we need to catch
CAPCOM
CASPER
CAP COM
good.
CASPER
can sync the
CAPCOM
CAP COM
Okay, and I'm ready. Okay, let's see -
up on a TSM is that right?
That's affirmative.
Okay, that's what I show on 1706.
Okay, Ken we've got the numbers - it looks
Okay, and I've copied them down. Now we
mission timers to that, huh?
That's affirmative.
Ken, in regard to that data I was just
talking to Spence and he says that the - that that was the
correct time and that what they call officially is the
terminator, and the photo sending should have worked. It
sounded like, from what you said, may have been a little too
dark .
CASPER There is nothing but hard shadows down
there where where Davy is, maybe the rim of Tolanaus there and
GARBLE in that area is a little higher than we calculated
because we wouldn't have to be off by much in order to keep
you from missing it. After we talked about it there I looked
up the side to the south and it looked like further south in
the mare. The terminator did go out a little further so I
think it got caught by elevation.
CAPCOM I suspect that's the case, Ken.
CASPER Okay, I'll whip in a little P52 here.
CASPER Hey, Hank. Now there's the old earth
again and it's getting smaller. I think it's not sanforized.
CAPCOM
Ro ge r .
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST10:18 GET118:24 CM52/2
CAPCOM Ken, in your post sleep did you terminate
the jet monitor?
CASPER Oh, hey no. Let me write that on to my
post-sleep checklist right now. I wrote that in as an extra
item yesterday and forgot it this morning.
CASPER It sure pays, to have you guys watch it.
CAPCOM Well, I just happened to think of that
one and I got to thinking about your P52 using SCS and I
then I wondered about the jet monitor program.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 10:28 GET 118:45 CM-53/1
CASPER It sure does pays to have you guys watching
CAPCOM Well, I just happened to think of that one,
and I got to thinking about your P52 use an SCS and then I
wondered about the jet marga program.
CASPER For that one, you get the award for the
year. That was from —
Ok ay .
Okay ,
Ok ay ,
Okay ,
An d ,
CAPCOM
the gamma ray
CASPER
mark i t .
CAPCOM
CASPER
CASPER
CAPCOM
to you there
5 degrees to
CASPER
CAPCOM
need to update the
of the TEI 26 pass
I'll re ad you
CASPER
h e re .
CASPER The GDC
started out, I made a brief
after insertion and it was,
this thing will go for 6
I guess maybe it just —
of stabilized and
CAPCOM
And, Ken, whenever you get a chance
shield on when you get through with this.
get
The gamma ray shield is coming on
we got the 93
going to count
Ken,
I'm
I* 11 do it a 10
Casper, Houston.
at 10 o ' clock ,
the an gle s .
We' d
Kind of looks like
like to change the
for that deadband test
2 and a half degrees.
Okay. Make that 2 and a half.
And Ken, since we updated the clock, we
time on the pick for the TEI 26. The rest
good. So, whenever you're ready to copy,
TEG.
Okay, just a second
a new
Let me get my GDC
is working a
check on it.
Houston, pretty readily
hours and be off less than
lot better. When we
You know, right
and now
10 de gre es .
CASPER
CASPER
TEI- 26?
CAPCOM
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
CASPER
CASPER
CAPCOM
CASPER
to give you a
CAPCOM
CASPER
any of the UV
once it got warmed up,
it's really — really doing a
Hey, that sounds real great.
Yes, particularly if you're
Okay, why don't you give me
it just sort
good job n ow .
passing it on.
a new time for
Roger. Tick is 125 26 15.47.
Okay, that's 25 26 1547.
Roge r. That ' s 125 .
Ye ah , yeah . 125 .
Thank you.
Then I've got the purge line heaters on,
Roger, copy.
And about now, suppose I give you -- tr?
rundown on the film.
Okay, go ahead, Casp.
Just use any of the — we didn't use
film yesterday, that's magazine Oscar Oscar.
Magazine Sierra Sierra reads 20 frames
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY A/21/72 CST 10:39 GET 118:55 CM-
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
to give
CAP COM
CASPER
day , that ' s
reads about
try
And I got the purge lines heaters on.
Roger , copy .
And about now, suppose I give you -
you a rundown on the film?
Okay, go ahead, Ken
We didn't use any of the TJV film yester-
magazine Oscar Oscar, magazine Sierra Sierra
20 frames. I'm just going to have to go through
the film locker here and pull out mags and tell you what's
on them. Okay, November November is completed. And Victor,
we're only up to 8. On the 35 millimeter I used the - well
we didn't finish up that CIM role when the ALFMED was on.
It's the same status as half band, but I had to take it out
in order to get X- Ray X-ray put in. The Earthshine, which
we didn't get last night, and if we're going to get it, we
ought to get it right soon cause that earth is getting con-
siderably smaller. The - I had to take that CIM mag out,
unfortunately. And I'm going through the 16 TIU's, portions
of 2 of them, one the undocking sequences and one of the
Okay, on magazine Charlie Charlie, I'm
that's 60. And on magazine Bravo Bravo,
I think that should be all the film, Hank
Okay, we got it, Ken.
landmark tracking,
showing 60 percent
I have 80 percent.
CAP COM
CAP COM
update for you.
CASPER
CAP COM
CAPCOM Ken, I'll read this change up to you
next time. About what it amounts to is that we're going to
delete the bistatic radar and its place we're going to put
an oblique photo pass, and I'll catch you on the next rev
And Ken, I've got one more flight plan
Ok ay . Go ahead.
Stand by one minute.
Ken, I'll read this change up
're
with it. We ve got
4-1/2 minutes to LOS
CASPER
CAPCOM
for a little while,
everythings looking
see you on the next
CAP COM
CASPER
CAPCOM
in excell command.
CASPER Well, thank you. I wonder how that one
happened. It's pretty easy to kick a switch when you're
rolling around in here. You chase a piece of the flight
plan away from you or you kick a camera and that's not an
unusual thing to happen, I appreciate your telling me about
i t .
CAP COM Roger.
abo ut
Okay.
Casper, Houston. We lost comm there
We're about 3 minutes from LOS and
good. Have a good breakfast and we'll
rev.
Casper, Houston.
Go ahead.
Roger. We show
Well, thank you.
your manual attitude
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 11:37 GET 119:50 CM-55/1
CASPER Hello down there.
CAPCOM Hello Casper.
CASPER They're still here.
CAPCOM Roger. How' d everything go.
CASPER Sure do feel a lot better. Got quite a
bit numb on that little back side fixing there.
CAPCOM Hey, that sounds great. First thing off
the bat here Ken, we'd like to get a bat B charge going.
CASPER Okay. Stand by. Okay, you've got it.
CAPCOM Roger.
CAPCOM And for your info Ken the E mod we got
last night looks good.
CASPER Okay. Thank you.
CAPCOM And Ken I got a few items for you when you're
ready to work them in. I got a mapping camera photo pad, a
flight plan update and update to your rational loads in the
G&C checklist whenever you can get a break from eating there.
CASPER Okay. I'm just getting a good start on
that and I'll copy those as we go along here. Give me a
couple of minutes to get some things going.
CASPER Okay, Hank. I'm ready to copy.
CAPCOM Okay. We'll start with the flight plan
changes and the first one's at 123:26.
CASPER Okay.
CASPER And, incidentally, Ken, have you got the
urine dump charges on the last back side.
CASPER That's affirmative.
CAPCOM Okay. At 123:26 , we're going to delete
the maneuver to biostatic radar attitude, we're going to
delete the biostatic as we told you earlier. Top of the next
column there about 123: 32 , delete all that before you can
configure the S-band, following that delete the - - or VHF
following that, delete the S-band, delete the P20 following
that. Infact, delete everything in that column. And delete
the biostatic radar over to the right hand side of the bottom.
CASPER Okay.
CAPCOM Okay. Now back at 123:26 , we want to add
in there this 40 degrees South of Leake. A P20 Option 5 40 degree
South - -
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4-21-72 GET 119:59 CST 11:41 CM-56/1
CAPCOM Thing in that column. And release the
biostatic radar over to the right hand side of the box.
CASPER Okay.
CAP COM Okay, now back at 123:26 we want to add in
there this 40 degree south oblique P20 option 5. 40
degree south of oblique. Photo attitude (123:31) the NOUN 78
is plus 270 00 plus 087 75, plus 180 00. NOUN 79, plus 000 50
attitude 182 000 underlined slash 080, 000. Set high gain,
pitch 10 yaw 350 for AOS acquisition.
CASPER Okay Hank, I copy 40 degrees south of
like. You're replacing the biostatic radar. P20 option 5 at
123:31, NOUN 78 plus 270 plus 87.75 plus 180. NOUN 79 is .50.
Give me an atitude of 182 0 80 and 000 and pitch 10 and yaw 350
for acquisition.
CAPCOM That's good readback and on the next page,
you can delete the biostatic radars in both columns and at 124
take it back, let's go back to the previous page. Lost
thing there 123 31. We want to add at 123 31.
CASPER Okay.
CAPCOM Image motion on. Mapping camera on
image motion barber pole plus 3 and then on.
some-
T start,
And
CASPER
CAPCOM
still a long ways
CASPER
CAPCOM
off at T stop .
CASPER
CAPCOM
CASPER
CAPCOM
mapping camera to
CASPER
CAPCOM
CASPER
CAPCOM
following page.
CASPER
form isn ' t it ?
CAPCOM
camera photo pad.
CASPER
CAPCOM
CASPER
CAP COM
to your erasable
CASPER
Okay, you
We'll get
away .
Okay .
Then over
have the T start time?
that up to you in a Pad.
That ' s
at 12 4 32 we want mapping camera
What — wait a minute, say the time again.
12 4 32. On the next page.
Okay . I got it.
Mapping camera off. T stop, wait 30 seconds
standby. And image motion off.
Ok ay .
And could you
You've got it.
Okay and the last change is at
Delete the P52. By 125 06 there.
Got it. That sure is a super little plat-
give us auto on high gain?
125 06, the
Boy it's a beauty.
This pad goes at 121
Okay .
Okay T start is 121
Okay 121 32 18, 122
And the last item I
load from the DMC --
Just a second Hank,
Okay, I have a mapping
35 approximately.
32 18, T stop 122 32 08.
32 08.
have for you is a change
let me write
Okay, I got a pad for the erasables. Alright let me
those down,
find that.
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4-21-72 GET 119:59 CST 11:41 CM-56/2
I just wanted to write T stop times down
from it .
Okay this is in your G&C checklist on page
Okay, I'm going after it.
Alrighty, in column A OID
I miss ed
Ok ay •
I gues s I'm
I've got it.
05, change 03773
CASPER
before I got away
CAP COM
9-4.
CASPER
CAP COM
to read 03521.
CASPER I missed that Hank
CAPCOM
CASPER I guess I'm going to have to do one thing
and the other. I can't talk and eat at the same time.
CAPCOM Okay, whenever you're ready we'll -- if
don't want to do it now, just holler.
CASPER Okay, let me finish this eat period.
CAP COM Okay.
CASPER I got -- I got carried away with trying
get ahead. Hey Hank if you got time while I can listen and —
how about telling me if there's -- if you got any words on the
general EVA plan for the surface and guys are doing.
CAPCOM Okay, the guys are outside now on the surface,
they got the Rover deployed and they're checking it out and
they're going to try to do the nominal number 1 EVA plan. It's
not as far as we can predict in the future right now is through
doing the 2nd EVA tomorrow. We don't know how consumables are
going to hold out for the -- for this thing. We're going to
have to take a look at it whether there's a possibility of a
3rd one or not. Right now, I'm not so sure.
There still is some chance. Huh?
Well it doesn't look too bright but they're
you
to
CASPER
CAPCOM
lo okin g at it.
CASPER
does that come
CAPCOM
Have they got the ALSEP out yet or is --
after the Rover?
That comes after the Rover.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 11:51 GET 120:09 CM-57/1
CAPCOM Casper, Houston. This is a reminder.
About time for us to open the Alpha Particle X-Ray cover.
CASPER Okay. I'll - Thank you, sir. Alpha
cover Open to Mark, and it's grey.
END OP TAPE
APOLLO 16, COMMAND
MODULE , 4-21-72, CST 12:01 GET 120:10 CM-
CASPER
original updates
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
OID 05.
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
data there should
CASPER
CAP COM
OID07 reads now
CASPER
CAP COM
13353, new data
CASPER
CAP COM
data 65620 .
CASPER
05 .
Okay, Hank, I'm ready to copy your
Say again, Casper.
I'm ready to copy the originals.
Okay, in column A there, column Alpha,
This is on 9-4.
That's affirmative.
Okay .
The old data should
035 21.
03521.
That's affirmative.
76747, new data 76274.
Okay, now reads 76 2 7 4.
Roger. Column Bravo OID04
13347.
B13347.
Column Bravo OID 05 old data 00041,
read 03 773, the new
Column A again
now reads
new
Okay, new data 65620. Thats column Bravo
CAPC0M That's correct Ken, and that's all of
I hate to go back but along about 12506 when we
that P52, we should have deleted the 2 that went
tha t
de 1 et e d
right ahead
CASPER
of it .
0k ay ,
passing over
let me come
Moutler now
back to that in just a
second. I'm passing over Moutler now and if you remember
we talked about that funny bright ray pattern, how it seemed
to have a funny shape that it took off in one direction and
then it made a straight line in the other. Well there's
a textural difference in the ground that's underneath that
bright material. It's a - it looks like it's a - it's more
like highlands kind of overlay that's on top of regular
mare material, and it does, in fact, go along those - that
line of demarcation that we see that seems to overlay the
the - the mare type and it's - it doesn't go very
the south and it doesn't go very far to the west,
along that line where you see it and then there's a little
rakal, a little cluster of craters and ridges that goes
along with the line that goes between Moutler and that
bright ray crater with an excluded zone to the south of
him, or actually southeast. I just remembered that question
but I just wanted to pop that in. There's also a crater
directly south of Theophilus that has a dark halo around
it and maybe we'll get a better look at it later. He's
about one crater diameter south of Theophilus and it's about
the size of a little crater in the northern end of Theophilus
far to
It's r i gh t
APOLLO 16 COMMAND MODULE, 4-21-72, CST 12:01 GET 120:19 CM-58/2
CASPER And when I say dark, it
sort of a little darker brown than the rest
s re ally j us t
of the material.
And it's in the middle
Th ere ' s
of an area that's kinda wrinkled,
another little crater just to the north and east
of that that has 3 - a cluster of 3 craters around the in
northern rim and he too has a dark halo and his dark halo is
about 1-1/2 crater diameters and the larger one to the south
is about 1-1/2 crater diameters. Okay, let's go back in -
you said something about working on the P52 and I deleted
that and 1 should have deleted the POO that went with it.
CAP COM That's affirm,
until after we called it up. It's
deleted the P52 and we should also
keep the place marked yes.
CASPER
We didn't catch that
the 12506 there, we
delete the POO, just
going to try
across it.
CAP COM
CASPER
VOX.
t o
Okay, that's deleted. Alright, and I'm
get ahack on the landing site as we come
Ro g e r an d -
Were you able
to copy reasonably of
CAP COM
CASPER
be clipping
pictures of
ab le
s ame
Yes sir, maybe 5 by 5.
Okay. I wasn't sure how much it might
on ya. I've got the camera ready for our
Alphonsus and it appears to me I ought to be
to catch Alphonsus and the Davy Crater Chain at the
time. The ought to both be in the Sun this time.
CAPCOM Hey, that's real good, Ken.
CASPER Okay, we're steaming along here and I
just passed Kant and I tell you, these things aren't nearly
as dramatic as they were down in that little pass. When you
came over the Kant Platole down low it really looked like
the ground was coming up
and that bright area and
and I'm crossing the Crater Descarte
again the surface of that bright
as distinct as it did in the low
site in the binoculars now. I can
and it really is a jumbled thing.
I can see one bright layer, then a dark layer, then a bright
layer, and a dark layer on the south - or on the west side
and on the south it looks like some of the same and I can't
area doesn't look nearly
sun. I have the landing
look down in a South Ray
see the shadows very well to the north. I m
at the - now let's see here - I'm over around
got Double Spot in my binoculars and let me see
anything in that area.
CAPCOM Can you see the LM?
CASPER Well, I was hoping I
looking over
T .
if I can see
I don't think I do. Let us go back here
there is one little ridge line that goes
mean that first crater that they come up
could say yes, but
and - it looks
around the - I
to - it's Flagg or
APOLLO 16, COMMAND MODULE , 4-21-72, CST 12:01 GET 120:19 CM-58/3
CASPER Spook, I'm upside down and I'm thinking
that way too. I've got the single craters and those
terraces that we talked about that were over in Stone Mountain
don't stand out very well from here. Looks to me like you
got a lot of the same lineations that we've seen in the
other places, looks like some slumping further around than
where they are going to be going up. I don't think they'll
be able to recognize terraces as such.
CAP COM Roger.
CASPER The - the north west - I mean northeast
correction side of that extension of Stone Mountain has a -
what I would have called slumping in it were on the inside
of the crate r .
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY A/21/12 CST 12:11 GET 120:29 CM-59/1
CAP COM Okay, Ken, you've got about
minutes to go before the terminator photos.
CASPER Okay, I'm
to get myself oriented to the
getting set up now
best window. I'll
a couple of
Trying
tell you,
I know it's not supposed to make any difference if you're
it s ure does .
going backwards or not, but
CAPCOM Roger.
CASPER Okay. There's Albategnius, and he's
got a nice scaly floor and a whole bunch of the — like a
concentric ring, but I can't - Yeah, by golly, there's a
concentric ring in that thing just like there is in the
Mares. And, it goes most of the way around. In some places,
it's
ove r lai n
CASPER
quite shadowed.
CAP COM
( garb le ) . We
CASPER
CASPER
CAPCOM
CASPER
with the - like the Crater Kline hides it.
Okay. The floor of Alphonsus is still
may
An d we're
a s e con d .
the re ?
Okay, Ken.
lose co mm for
Okay .
Hank, are you still
That's affirmative.
Okay. Looking at Alphonsus,
a - You can see this obvious little
about that runs north and south
entirely different texture than
coming up on the
I'd s ay
b an d that
through there, and
what you see in the
that there ' s
we talked
th at ' s an
material on either side of it. But it is the same on either
side. Looking from north to south, I don't see anything that
I can really call a good - that says there's any topographic
relief going from south to north. There's no demarkation that's
evident that's different at all. Although there is some
of this material that's in the south that runs towards the
crater's center that does indeed look like it might be taper-
ing down and thinning out. I'll come back to that in just a
minute. Let me pick up Davy.
CASPER
get Davy on this
CAPCOM
CASPER
run - oh , gosh ,
size of Timaeus
G is ob vio us . I
not obvious that
Even the central
CAPCOM
CASPER
day .
CASPER
magazine SS
Well, I tell you, we aren t going to
pass either.
Still in the shadows?
Sure is. You can just see the shadows
I'd say a quarter of a crater diameter the
out. And it goes to just about where Davy
think I've got Davy G, but that's not - it's
I can. And the rest of it just disappears,
peak in Alpetragius doesn't show.
I wouldn't have expected that one.
No. No, neither would I. Well, another
l s now
An d ,
25 .
Henry, the frame number
on
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 12:11 GET 120:29 CM-59/2
CAPCOM Roger. Copy 25.
CASPER Okay, I get a canister change.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CS T 1221 GET 120:39 CM- 60 /I
CAPCOM Casper, Houston. The note in your flight
plan about not starting at 121:05 is still good.
CASPER Okay, Henry. Thank you sir.
END OF TAPE
APOIiO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY k/2l/j2 CST 12:31 GET 120:49 CM-6l/l
CAPCOM Casper, Houston. Forgot to ask you, did you see anything on that
last back side pass that's worthy of any comment at all?
CASPER No sir, I did not. I ... let me get my head out l of the cockpit.
CAPCOM Roger.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY k/2l/j2 CST 12:31 GET 120:59 CM-62/l
CAPCOM Casper, Houston. We're about 2 minutes from LOS and everything's
looking good. If you don't have anything else, ve'll see you on the other side.
CASPER Okay, Hank, and I'm all set up to take the Gum Nebula and I've
checked the star "patterns and they all work out just fine, so I'll see you at
AOS.
CAPCOM Good show.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY U/21/72 CST 13:31 GET 121:^9 CM-63/l
CAPCOM Casper, lets have WIDE on high gain.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY k/2l/-J2 CST 13:1+0 GET 121:58 CM-6Vl
CAPCOM
Casper, Houston. Bring up the high gain according to the flight
plan.
CAPOOM
Casper, Houston.
CASPER
Hello, there.
CAPCOM
Oh, how's things going?
CASPER
I been trying, Hank. I
know that acquisition wasn
't as smooth
as I had. thought it might he
* * .
I tried to get you to use a manual to tweak it up
a little hit and that didn't seem to help much, maybe I'm not helping at all, maybe
I'm hurting. I saw one thing that was ... it was new about the zodiacal light -rorld,
they don't realize that, that stuff is actually reasonably bright. But you get your-
self well dark adapted, then you sit out there long enought to recognize it. But
almost immediately after, oh, I'd say within .. certainly within 5 minutes ...
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 1347 GET 122:05 CM-65/1
CASPER Oh, I'd say within - - certainly within 5
minutes and maybe a little sooner after LOS. There was enough
zodiacal layer solar corona whichever is the proper technical
name that you could see a distinct horizon and it got just
more distinct there right up till sunrise. Never did see any
providence or anything like that, thought maybe we would but
I guess those are to small a scale. But just prior to sunrise
you see a lot of long streaks and that's - - when I say just prior
that's like just a few seconds before sunrise. All of a sudden
you get these very promanent rays coming out and then the sun's
right there. You don't want to be looking at that.
CAPCOM Roger. Copy.
CASPER It is right pretty to watch that stuff at
n i gh t .
CAP COM Sounds like a real pretty sight. INCO says
that they find you in narrow when you're trying to bring the
high gain up and it's - - you'll have a little better luck
with wide.
CASPER Okay. You're right, I look down that
the flight plan and saw react and narrow. And then I went back
to manual. I may have had it in there all along. Thank you.
CAPCOM Ken, I got a the biocal light mapping camera
photo pad for you and TEI 32 block data.
CASPER Okay. Stand by and let me get my books.
CAPCOM You want to start with the photo pad, there's
a biocal light you copy at 123:12.
CASPER Okay. I've got that and Alpha that kinda (garble)
back along about - - back along about King was the first chance
I had to get all squared away again from bay low light level
stuff. So I did get a chance to look as much back there as
I hoped but back around King pretty interesting stuff again,
looking at a crater and some of the beds and things that are
in it. Pair of beds and I'm convinced now that we're not seeing beds
at all. Through the binoculars it looks like those things
are dark material and light material and slumped together and
why they form shalves like that I don't have any idea. But you
can't trace them through, if they are stratographic then they
are indeed of - - not only if you had horizontally strato-
graphy you had a great deal of vertical fractures that cause
these things to slide in different proportions, cause there's
no continuous horizontal strata. And you don't realize that till
you look at it in detail. Okay. I got my update book out and
I got my flight plan here so you can take the photo pad first
if you like.
CAPCOM Okay. The first one is a - - the zodiacal
light at 123:12. T-start is 123 - -
CASPER I've got it.
CAP COM - - 09 38.
CASPER Okay. 123 0 9 38.
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 1347 GET 122:50 CM-65/2
Okay, the one next comes in 123:32. There's
there for that one because we added that In. But
the mapping caera is 123 31 12. T-stop is 124 31 02
Okay, and I - I just 3112 for the start time
CAPCOM
not a block
T-start for
CASPER
I'm writing that
again please.
CAP COM
CASPER
CAPCOM
CASPER
CAPCOM
CASPER
CAPCOM
CASPER
give me any more.
CASPER Okay. Go
CAPCOM You ready
CASPER Yes sir.
CAPCOM Okay,
133 137 12 0788 981 plus
110 015. Set stars same
minus 161.32 and landing
CASPER Okay.
in. I don't have a pad and T-stop, tell me
T-stop 124 31 02.
Okay .
And the next mapping camera pad is at 125:30
125 : 30 Okay .
T-start is 125 30 05. T-
T 125 30 05, 126 29 55.
Good. Readback.
Okay, let me mark that (garble)
stop 126 29 55
before you
ahead
for the
TEI 32 block?
38709 plus 072 plus
minus 01 202 181
seconds. Lamda
TEI 32, G&N V&S
292 20 plus 06997
as CCRT 2 jets 17
site REFFSMAT.
TEI 32, FPS G&N 38709 plus 0 72 plus
20 plus 06997 minus 01 202 181 110 015
jets 17 seconds lamda -16132 and this
133 137 12 0788 plus 292
Set stars same as cert 2
is the landing REFFSMAT.
CAPCOM Good read back Ken.
CASPER Hank, can you give me any
LM last estimated position.
CAPCOM I'll work on
earth shine photos?
CASPER No sir. I tried to
and we'd decide to close up shop before
CAPCOM Okay.
coordinates on the
that Ken and did you take any
get them in
I could get
last night
th em in .
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4-21-72 GET 122:15 CST 13:57 CM-66/1
CASPER No sir, I — I tried to get them in last
night and we decided to close up shop before I could get them in.
CAP COM Okay.
CASPER And I tell you it's going down -- it was
much more dramatic the first night than it was last night and
it's not as dramatic tonight on the night side passes, so if
you can find a place to put it, that is one thing I'd like to
get the sooner the better.
CAPCOM Okay, FAO advises that if you didn't take
any earth shines, that magazine x-ray x-ray is — which you're —
I think already have on the night coram is good for the sadonical
light rather than changing the (garble) and on this next round --
CASPER Yes sir, I plan to do that.
CAPCOM Next rev you can -- if you want to take some
earth shine they suggest window 4 and take away.
CASPER Window 4. Okay, I guess I'll have to check
the attitude. Do they -- if I take the sadonical light on an
X-ray X-ray do they have a recommended magazine?
CAPCOM Standby. Okay Ken we have a film story for
you, if you chose to do the earth shine use mag xx and window
4 and the target should be about — you should see it about 122
42. If you don't do the earth shine, you can go ahead and use
XX for the diacal. If you do the earth shine of course, with
the XX, you need the YY per the flight plan for the diacal.
CASPER Okay, I don't think it would be prudent
for me to try and get the earth shine and the sadiacal light
on the same rev.
CAPCOM Okay, copy. And the surgeon is still anxious
for you sometime to find a place to change out the sensors.
CASPER Rog. I understand that. Do you need them
all changed Hank or can you send me the one so I don't have to
waste time on all that stuff. You got to break out each one of
those little things by itself and keep track of it and then --
it takes a good 20 minutes if you change out the whole sensors.
CAPCOM Standby one. Ken the surgeon says he can't
tell which — which one of the sensors is bad, so before we
take off and do them all, why don't you try pressing down on
them and then let him watch his data and maybe we can find which
one's the bad one. Press them one at a time.
CASPER Okay. Let me -- Okay, I'll start on the
the ground. I'm pressing the ground now.
CAPCOM Okay, that didn't do it.
CASPER Okay, I'll go to the external.
CAPCOM That seemed to make it worse Ken.
CASPER That's making it worse.
CAPCOM Yeah, that's probably the culprit, but let's
try the 3rd one while you're at it.
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4-21-72 GET 122:15 CST 13:57 CM-66/2
CASPER Well, maybe that's my problem then. Okay.
CAPCOM That makes a trace a lot better Ken. I
imagine it's the 3rd one then.
CASPER Okay, I'll try to change those 2 out.
CAPCOM Okay.
CASPER I'll tell you that little sun angle change
ole North and South Ray really stand out now. You couldn't
miss those for anything.
CAPCOM And Ken for your information John and Charlie
are almost through getting the ALSEP out.
CASPER Okay, sounds good. Like an EVA should.
CAPCOM This is fabulous.
CASPER I know that's a bad one but you know that's
about all I can do for you today. That's probably safer than
having you tell me jokes. Okay with the binocs on the area now,
I'm looking down into North Ray crater and South Ray and the
interior structures of those 2 don't look quite the same. There'
alot more light dark material in the South Ray, but that may be
caused by the fact that its just -- it really has been a fresher
appearing crater all around. The area's trying to see if I
can see any shadows or anything -- there's a bright spot down
there but I think that's just a double spot itself. I don't
see anything with the binocs that I can say I — say I can't
stabilize them quite that well. Coming down the traverse route
from where they're going across survey ridge, I don't think
survey's going to be easy to spot and when you get down -- there
is one definite terrace -- looks like the -- looks like Stone
Mountain is formed with 12 3 terraces but they're much larger
than the kind of things we were drawing on the map. The rest
of that is very fine subtle lineations. The area around North
Ray, particularly up along the area that they were going on the
EVA -- I can see it now and it almost looks like that little
pile of material that runs up to the south of there track and
I'll give you some coordinates on that. I'm looking at my chart,
oh let's see, 9 Charlie, yeah let's look at chart -- 9 Charlie
and there's a -- this is pretty lousey picture but if you'll
remember at a point about CY by 79, if you'll draw a line there
and then draw a line down to about CU at 81
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4-21-72 GET 122:25 CST 14:07 CM-67/1
CASPER 79 If you'll draw a line there and then
draw a line down to about CU at 81, that represents a ridge
which shows up in the photograph and looking down on that
vertically, that looks like sort of a flow of material than
runs up over the lip of North Ray and down into it. And it
shows some craters on it but it almost looks like a flow that
runs up and down into North Ray rather than being some of the
other kinds of things we've talked about. And I didn't have
much time, I'll try to concentrate on that on the next rev.
CAPCOM Roger, good show Ken. Ken do you want the
LM coordinates at lat long or do you want the coordinates on 9
Charlie.
CASPER Oh, I'd like to have in 9 Charlie kind of
coordinates, that's about the only thing I have to reference to.
CAPCOM That's what I figured.
CASPER Let me see here if I can get -- get one last
chance on — on our old friend that Davey and see if maybe he has
decided to show his face this time. Don't let me forget the
mapping camera, it comes about the same time.
CAPCOM CASPER could you give us auto on high gain.
CASPER Yes sir, you have auto. I'll tell you Hank,
I think that the terminator has got hung up here on a high
mountain or something. It just doesn't look like it's moving
as much as it is everywhere else on the Moon.
CAP COM Roger, is Davey still in the dark?
CASPER Well, I'm not to it yet but he sure — I
don't see anything beyond it. Yeah well Alfonses and Archytas
show up nicely and here comes the crater chain by golly. Yep,
much to my amazement, the peak in (garble) still is in daylight.
Oh, I see whats happened now, there's a — there's a little hill
that's shielding -- I see where Davey crater chain is now and
it's right in the middle of a bid long shadow that's being cast
out there and it's shielding that whole area cuz Davey -- and
Davey Y show up nicely and Davey G is easy to see but the chain
itself, I can just make out and I'll take a picture -- well let's
see that's acute angle, I don't know if I can get enough to
show you but -- they sure must not have much of a lip on them
if they don't show but that -- by the time we see them, they
may be in a fairly high sun.
CAPCOM Roger, copy Ken.
CASPER I'm taking the stretch this time anyhow
because it'll show all the area around Davey and there are some
craters in there and an awful lot of them that have absolutely
no rims, which seems to me it looks entirely different than
what you see in — what you think of, at least things are all
very subdued -- they just drop in. You see glows in the low
sun you see — you see the far lip before you see the near lip
of the crater. Although there are a few that have raised rims
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4-21-72 GET 122:25 CST 14:07 CM-67/2
CASPER and they kind of are the exception here
instead of the rule, whereas most low sun angle places we see
are — I'll take a shot down just a little bit to the South
there and there the average is red craters and very few rimless
ones .
CAPCOM Roger Ken and your about 20 seconds from
T stop on the mapping camera.
CASPER Okay, going to it. Thank you.
Okay and the mapping camera is off, I'll wait 30 seconds. Man
Hank this system is really good. I don't have to give a second
thought to -- to what's going on and just by not having to watch
that clock, it just frees your hands to go do everything that
you want to do. It really — on the back side I get all bent
out of shape with myself cuz I get behind -- I start -- you just
don't have a chance to do anything except those items which are
timeline ABC and do them in exactly the sequence that they give
you.
CAPCOM Roger. The only hitch to this is that I
get interested in what you're saying and I might forget.
CASPER Well, just remember, they go in your card.
The back side goes on mine.
CAPCOM Actually though, I've got a bunch of guys
b a ck in g me up .
CASPER Well I tell you this place is so fascinating
that you just don't dare let anything go by. It's -- you know
I think you could stay here a life time and never see it all.
I guess that —
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 1417 GET 122:35 CM-68/1
CASPER Don't dare let anything go by. It's - - you
know I think you could stay here a life time and never see it
all. I guess that's kinda a silly statement because that's
true in almost anywhere you go. It sure is dramatic. At first
glance particularly the back side looks like an old gypsen
plant. It just looks like someone poured stuff all over it and
just made it - - just trying to hide it, cameflage things. The
more you look at it then you start to pick out several differences
Unfortunately I'm not smart enough to know what those things
the
Ah ,
it .
mean but I m
do and maybe
CAP COM
came ra Ken .
CASPER
image motion
CAPCOM
CASPER
let me give
I ' m n ow at
CAP COM
CASPER
baby s quare . I
chance while we
trying after.
CASPER
CAPCOM
CASPER
CAPCOM
CASPER
back to my self.
CAPCOM
CASPER
CAPCOM
s omething ?
CASPER
light. What
CAP COM
comm there is
sure we got some folks down there that certainly
if we get enough data why they can piece together.
Are you going to stand by now with the mapping
yes sir, I went to stand by and I took
Ah ,
off.
Okay. Thank
Thank you, I
a reading of
you
35.
you.
forgot to tell you
magazine SS before
Roger. 35.
And I guess we can sorta say we
don't think we ought to keep trying
will but I'm not going to keep
ab o u t it
I forget
have filled th
that. Get a
And as a back light I'll keep on magazine
Roger. XX
( garble)
Say again Ken.
sorry I was playing my tape recorder
XX.
m
Ken
S ay
Rog
are you free right now?
again Hank.
Are you free right now,
the
are you doing
camera for the zodiacal
I'm sitting up
did you need?
Okay. I was just thinking in case we loose
one little change - - after we get LOS where you
have to configure the DSC, since we ve added in this mapping
camera pass oblique. We want to get high bit rate instead of low
bit rate .
CASPER Okay. Let me write that down. Figure and
then says low, you want me to go high. Okay, and if you remind
of that just before LOS.
CAP COM I intend to and in regard to your comments
about King were there any other things on the back side that
you had of interest.
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 1417 GET 122:35 CM-68/2
CASPER I found a couple of items back - - mostly to
the - - I think almost all of the things I had a chance to look
at this time were to the - - to the West of King. Between there
and about AOS I have a chance to look at the swirls, the look at
King and a crater where I first felt like I found - - my first
comment was that if there's ever a crater on the Moon that's got
stratigraphy exposed that's got to be it. And I hope that's
wrong because there wasn't any where I was looking. And I took
a picture of that one. And there was another little bright ray
guy - - a littl e splashed out crater that looks like so many
bright ray ones except that it seems like he's built up on
a mound. Got this nice mound with real bright crater in the
center of it and all the bright ray material is splashed around
it. That too was - - that was about South of Flemming I think,
somewhere in that neighborhood.
CAPCOM Okay. We'll see if we can locate it.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 14:27 GET 122:45 CM-
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
frames are on
CAP COM
CAP COM
the mag, and we
CASPER
CASPER
thing and still
CAP COM
CASPER
t
Hey, Hank.
Go ahead.
Could you tell me - confirm how many
Magazine XX? Is that 70 - total?
Stand by.
Ken, there should be 48 total
show you with 42 remaining.
Be 8 total. Now, okay.
Okay, so I can take 8 frames on
have plenty for the zodiacal light.
That's correct, Ken.
Okay, there's one. This stuff isn't -
even yesterday. The first
There's number 2. Number 2
strip, but rather an interesting (garble)
crater; and I'm coming up on - I believe
frames on
this
just isn't as bright as it was
night it was really something
was not a part of a
that runs through a
this is Grimaldi.
CAP COM
CASPER
crater feature
CAP COM
CASPER
CAPCOM
looks like on
CASPER
I thought was
looking at here,
know if I can get
Roger. We show you north of
I'd swear I'd recognize that
Le t ' s see -
(Garble)
Grimaldi .
d o ub 1 e
You're right. I'm west. It's Riccioli.
Can you see Riccioli three. That
the map a double - a double-ring crater.
Yes, sir. Yes, sir. That's the one
north of Grimaldi, and that's what I'm
Okay, this is the area where - I don't
a photo of the things aw last night
that were really interesting
bright. I'm not sure I
I don't know if this is
They had some
can see it all.
going to - Okay,
- It's not as
Yeah, there it is
my third 1 here -
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16, COMMAND MODULE, 4-21-72, CST 1437 , GET 122: 55 CM70/1
CASPER Okay, my third one here in this sequence
was taken of the crossed (garble) and as I commented before
when you look out in the dark you get a very dramatic
terminator just like you do from the Earth shines like you
do from the upshine and there's a place - oh I'll try to get
a picture of this because it shows - there's this bright
blank on the horizon which is obviously a big mountain chain
and I would - it sticks up quite a number of degrees above
the horizon. Okay and I guess that's all I'm gonna try to
take in this sequence and I'll get back to the. Now I'll take
one up to the north here, there's some more interesting things
and we'll still be safe. Okay, okay, now I'm on frame 13 so
that was frames whatever we had before up through 13 and I'm
going back now to the zodiacal light configuration.
CASPER Sure do get some interesting sensations
when you try to float around in a dark cockpit here and you
run into a camera or something and you try to figure out
what it was that just tapped you on the back.
CAPCOM (Laughter). Roger.
CASPER Okay, we're in configuration for zodiacal
light. And you want me to do that at 12 3 05 on time. Is
that correct?
CAPCOM Ken, I guess you just don't start earlier
than that.
CASPER I'm talking about the DSE now.
CAPCOM Casper, Houston, configure the DSE at
12 3 06 .
CASPER 123 06. Okay.
CAPCOM I guess you can do that and then start
the zodiacal light any time after that.
CASPER The zodiacal light has to start on
this pad time I think.
CAP COM You're correct.
CASPER Hey Hank, if you run into Puddy around
there somewhere you might tell him that - ask him to tell
Stoner and Temple that all those hours they put in configuring
the CMS so that it would have the right stowage and all the
little goodies would be in place has certainly paid off. Now
I can run around - I reach for things and get it all down
without feeling like I'm pressed for time, and it's thanks to
their keeping that thing in flight the configuration.
CAPCOM Okay, I'll relay that Ken.
CAPCOM Casper, Houston, you're looking good at
LOS and we've got about a minute to go, don't forget your
DSE.
CASPER Okay, thank you very much. See you in
about 40 .
CAP COM roger.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 15:30 GET 123:48 CM-
CAP COM Casper, Houston.
CASPER Hello, there.
CAPCOM Hello. How'd it go on that rev?
CASPER Well, that's right interesting. On
the zodiacal light, I got it done and took the last frame
just as the Sun - I took the frame and it said stop the
tape and the Sun came up. So I guess that all worked out
pretty good. In the process, I missed the settings for a
quarter of a second and possibly one of them for a half,
because when I turned the filter, it came off. And I
figured there wasn't any sense in taking it with the filter
in other than its 90 degree position. But the rest of
the stuff managed to get done on time. And we rolled out
at 31:09 and turned the mapping camera on at 31:09. So
you missed about 6 seconds.
CAPCOM Roger. Copy.
CASPER I guess it was - Maybe I made it. It
was right close - Yeah, 31:12 is when you wanted it.
That was a tight maneuver.
CAPCOM Ken, do you have your man Charlie handy?
CASPER Okay, Hank. Go ahead.
CAPCOM Okay. Our best guess for the LM is at
coordinates 80 and Charlie Alpha .7. That's about 200 meters
northwest of Double Spot .
CASPER Okay. That's 80 and Charlie Alpha .7.
CAPCOM That's affirmative.
CASPER Okay, we'll go take a look.
CAPCOM And I do have one other Flight Plan
change for you. That occurs at 126 : 44.
CASPER Okay, go ahead.
CAPCOM Okay. You know, we told you earlier we
didn't want to risk playing around with that Mass Spec Boom,
so we want to delete the Mass Spec Retract to 8.4 feet.
CASPER Okay. That's deleted.
CAPCOM And at 12829, since we've didn't pull it
back, we don't need to deploy it again. We can delete
the Mass Spec Deploy.
like
CASPER
H ank
, are
you
still
there ?
CAP COM
Roger. Did yo
>u copy
that last?
CASPER
N o .
You
just
stopped talking, It
S o un de d
CAP COM
Oh ,
okay .
CASPER
I copied
delet
e the
Boom retracti
on .
CAP COM
Okay
At
128:
29, delete Mass Spe
c Deploy
CASPER
Okay
Th
at' s
caus e
it's aire ady
out .
CAP COM
That
's affirmative.
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 15:30 GET 123:48 CM-71/2
CAPCOM Ken, your bio-med letter looks good,
now; and I guess that's about all I've got for you at AOS.
Did you see anything on this last backside that's worthy of
commen t?
CASPER Oh, yeah, around Mendlestam I was
looking at some interesting flow features. And again,
I'm using the term flow feature to mean that's the kind
of appearance it has, not that that's what it is. And
right at AOS - Oh, maybe 3 minutes after AOS - I mean
LOS -
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 1540 GET 123:58 CM-72/1
CASPER Hank, right now I'm looking at some little
cross Smitty. And I'm looking at some features that upon one
of the subdued filled craters that we see on the northern edge.
I - - it's out on a - - outta where I can reach it now, what I
was looking at was a crater that all subdued typical of those
features in Smitty and they have an outter ring and I think
probably the crater I was looking at is the one that's a
ab o u t - -
CAPCOM That auto on the high gain Casper, when you
ge t a ch an ce .
CASPER Okay. You've got auto. I guess the one
I was looking at is the one that's on the map about 85 degrees
- - no make that about 84 degrees East and about 2 degrees South,
there's a large one there. Then on the North, east side of
it, there's little bright ray craters that I first caught my
eye on. Then there's an artuic pattern that goes with it that
concetric to this large crater. And this bright crater is right
at the head of it. This concetric material is very light color
and it it were in a straight line you'd say it was ray
material. It's possible it doesn't look like a raised rim like
the other rims on the concentric crater on the big basen. However,
it looks like this little bright ray crater is right at the head
of it and it's the bright ray crater that appears to be domed
up and just a slight rise then there's a bright crater on top
of it. And then what looks like this other ring which is
concentric to the big crater. We ought to have that on pan stuff
so I won't have to worry about it. Cause it's almost directly
into the ground track.
CAPCOM Roger. Can you see Maple from there?
CASPER Not now, I probably could have then.
CAPCOM How far to either side East of the ground
dite do you think you can adequately see?
CASPER Not very far. These windoww really - - you're
really restricted. Let me see if I can give you a gouge here.
CAPCOM I was just curious. We're going to be coming
by Laparouse and Capuanus shortly and was wondering if you could
get a look at their central features.
CASPER Yeah, I know you can't see - - no I'm almost
positive you can't see that far.
CASPER We'll flying what North of - - South of
Black now right? So that means my window #3 is straight down.
CAPCOM That's affirmative.
CASPER Okay. I've got old Laparouse and Ansgarius.
Well wait a minute, maybe not. Okay, I can see Loparouse, I
missed him. I got out here a little bit to late. I should be
looking into - I was always getting confused here. Must be getting
close to the subsolar point. It's terrain features are really hard to
distinguish. I do see Captain and (garble) and the central
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 1540 GET 123:58 CM-72/2
CASPER feature (garble) is more obvious than the one
in Captain from the sun angle.
CAPCOM You just passed the subsolar point Ken. About
3 or 4 minutes ago.
CASPER Yeah, it's a - - pretty hard to see things
although I guess I'm equally impressed how much you can see of - -
in - - apparently see a lot more than these photographs have
s hown us .
CAP COM They're all with a McClearn phase now.
CASPER Yeah, I have trouble with them up here just
like I did in school.
CASPER Okay, I'm looking at the central features
in Langrenus and you can see blocks with the telescope here. There'
actually some fairly large ones on the - - on the western slopes
of the Eastern part of the horse shoe. And there appear to be
awful lot of them in the little band that appears to be out - -
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4-21-72 GET 124:05 CST 15:50 CM-73/1
CASPER And there appear to be an awful lot of
them in the little velouvium band that appears to be out to the
South. And I'm trying to look at some of those dark patches
that are in the Southern walls. They look like flat dark blocks
of material that are in, along the terrace material and I really
can't make out a great deal. Terraces in this area are extremely
wide and fairly steep and the walls here look relatively steep
compared to the other walls around the Moon. This is really a
nice attitude for viewing things. I can see natavious as stacks
up great big central peak -- I think that's natavious because
natavious B is down there. Okay, I'm looking at SCA and SCA A
and there around the the elongate of the 2, there doesn't
appear to be anything that you can pick up with the binoculars
except it looks kind of mottled. The interior is sloped like all
the rest -- the interior didn't look particularly different on
the rounded one. It looks like there's a resistant -- several
resistant layers in the sides and I got a picture of those.
Look like they're standing out and it does look like there's a
connection between the 2 craters. Some subtle thing comes
out in the direction of the tail and then as you come out to the
west, there's some darker material that runs out and looks
smooth and stands out and comes out into the mare and it almost
looks like dark material might be -- might be over the crater,
although I'm sure that the white -- the light streaks on the —
are the things that are suppose to be coming out. It does
appear to me though, that when I look at the -- I've got a
place now where I can see the light tail and the — and the
regular mare together and I got a picture of that -- that's
frame number 14 on magazine Victor and that — it looks to me
like there is a higher crater count -- of large scraters in the
light rayed material than there is in the darker material.
CAPCOM Say that again Ken about the crater count.
CASPER It looks like it's higher in the light rayed
material than it is in the darker stuff, which is I guess what
you would anticipate. If you're a band of bright rayed craters
frame number 15 is one of those, it's just coming up on -- oh
lost my place. Yeah, it's about half way between oh the be-
ginning of the highlands -- Gutenberg highlands and where
( garble) is .
CAPCOM Roger.
CASPER And Hank, at this higher sun angle now when
we get down here and we look at this place where the -- where
we were talking about the bright rays that seem to take a funny
shape between boulder and the little crater out to the east of
him, it's not real obvious now that there's anything more than
just some bright material inbetween it.
CAPCOM Roger.
CASPER I'll tell you these sun angles really can
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4-21-72 GET 124:05 CST 15:50 CM-73/2
CASPER play tricks on you. And I'm looking
at Mouldler now and I got a really good view of him and we
discussed the possibility of having material come in from the
north and run down inside of him and it's not that obvious when
you look down on it from here, there's material that runs over
you see a little high and as you look down inside, you see light
dark material, the same kind of combination you see in other
craters. A naked eye — it looks very much like there's an
expression that says this ridge to the north ran down inside
there and formed that little tongue, so when you look at it
in blown up detail you see some vertical — now I can see places
where I can see a flow pattern that's run down in and as a
matter of fact, I'll get a picture real fast. Hope that gets
i t .
CAPCOM Do you think that -- just looking at a map
here — do you think that what you're seeing could be an ex-
pression of the rim of Descartes?
CASPER No, no I sure don't because this has a nice
margin that curves down in and rolls down as though it had --
it starts where there's a little -- little terrace, a little —
looks like part of a crater terrace and it runs down inside and
runs out and forms that central feature and it runs down on the
floor and it certainly appears that it came and rolled down on
there after the crater and all its slump features were already
there. And — we'll have to come back to the question of its
relation to theophilus.
CAP COM Roger.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 16:01 GET 124:19 CM-74/1
CAPCOM Ken, for your Information, John, and
Charlie are at Flag now.
CASPER Okay, I'll wave to them. I'll tell you,
NASA needs to recruit some octopuses. I could really use
a couple of more hands.
CAP COM Roger.
CASPER Okay, I'm going to concentrate on North
Ray, and I distinctly believe that the area that the traverse
is drawn on that goes up on the North Ray and comes up on -
material looks like it is flowing around. It is part of the
basic furrow Descartes unit that is mapped back further to
the east, and it looks to me like it runs down around the
crater and drapes into it.
CASPER I can see evidence of stratigraphy in
North Ray, and lots of it in South Ray; and as we come across
at - Boy, I tell you the general topography down there looks
about the same all the way across the board.
CASPER And just at a cursory glance, we're coming
up on Albategnius now; and the material that's over to the
east of it, that kind of hummocky, undulating material, is
furrowed, and it looks very much like the material around
Descartes. I said it did in very low Sun, and it has the
appearance of having many of the same characteristics.
CAPCOM Have you got pretty good shadows in this
area now, Ken?
CASPER Uh, the shadows that are right here,
coming across Albategnius, they're pretty well cleared out.
You just get the shadows from the very big peaks and the -
CASPER In fact, Ptolemieus - it's almost com-
pletely clear of shadows. Alphonsus still has some. I can
pick out the crater chain, now. It's just now getting out
of the shadow; and sure enough, there is a great big little
ridge that lays across the front of it; and it's been masking
it all this time. Four of Ptolemieus looks to me like all
the rest of the Cayley material. It's got a great deal of
craters, as you can see from the pictures. I would say that
hundreds of them are rimless; and as they get a little larger,
they start to form with - very subtle rims. I guess I can't
say that they're all rimless. There is one - looks like a
fracture, about in the middle, and it may be scarp that's
caused by a fracture, or it may be a flow pattern.
CASPER And, as we come up on the Davy chain,
it appears that they do have - they don't each have an indi-
vidual rim. There is mottled material in this area, and -
I'm going to try and get that Magazine. I think you need
to see this. Can you get me the settings for - to take a
picture on this real fast?
CAPCOM Stand by.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 COMMAND MODULE, 4-21-72, CST 1611, GET 124:29 CM75/1
CASPER Houston, VH VW.
CAPCOM Okay, I'll - we'll see if we can get
them Ken.
CASPER Okay. I'm gonna take one here now at -
that was 56 and 1-1/25, I'll take a 2 /5 0th. Second ones a
2/50th and that ought to bracket it, I hope. And that's in
the crater Gene itself. It just - it appears that they're
essentially rimless but the whole area down there is kinda
mottle d.
CAPCOM Roger, do you use the EL for that?
CASPER And a very pretty scarp. No, I used VHVW .
CAPCOM Casper, Houston, your coming up about
20 seconds to T stop.
CASPER Okay. Thank you. Give me a call at
T s top .
CAPCOM Lock it, T stop.
CASPER Okay, we're at T stop. Thank you. Okay,
and that's - we're now in frame 36 on magazine SS.
CAPCOM Okay, you can go standby on the mapping
camera and image motion to off.
CASPER Okay, standby and image motion off,
barberpole ray. It's very interesting Hank, I've got a
little stranger back here that's trailing me, must be one
of Casper's friends.
CAP COM Alrighty. Well -
CASPER There's a little light just sitting out
there. I guess he's - I have no idea how far away it is -
you know it - I had the impression it's like 10 feet but it
could be a 100 feet or a 1000 feet but it's apparently some
little particle that's in orbit with me and it's probably
rotating, it's winking. I first saw these last night when
I thought I had seen something on the ground, then I realized
that it was moving at the same rate I was. Every now and
then I look out and I see these particles that are reflecting
around me.
CAPCOM If you see a blue one winking you better
pull o ve r .
CASPER Mass Spec guys might be interesting.
And if I hear someone say beep beep I'll wake the SPS or
something. The mass spec guys might be interested in that
tho ugh ,
CAPCOM Okay, They are listening.
CAPCOM Casper, Houston.
CASPER Go ahead.
CAPCOM Rog. To make up some of this SIM bay
data we lost here we'd like to make a real time change since
we got to maneuver over to the north oblique here in about 40
minutes or so. We'd just like to now make a maneuver to
APOLLO 16, COMMAND MODULE, 4-21-72, CST 1611, GET 124:29 CM-75/2
CAPCOM plus X SIM bay and we'll take SIM bay data
to you after roll on over (garble).
CASPER Understand you'd like for me to go to
plus X forward SIM bay attitude now.
CAP COM That's affirmative.
CASPER Okay. I can do that and eat at the same
time .
CASPER Henry, I understand you want me to go to
the north of light photo attitude.
CAPCOM Negative, now we want you just to go to
the plus X SIM bay.
CASPER Or just to the - Okay, fine.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4-21-72 GET 124:39 CST 16:21 CM- 76/1
CAPCOM You playing music Ken?
CASPER Yes sir, how do you like (garble) from space?
CAP COM Sounds alright.
CASPER I know you don't like him even -- you don't
even like him at home. I tell you this has got to be absolutely
central. It's too much fun to be anything else.
CAPCOM Okay, I see you're at attitude.
CASPER Okay, thank you. Good call, that will keep
me from having to do it again.
CAPCOM And Ken, to fill you in, what we're after
to get as much of this SIM bay data as we can, since we missed
some of it. The (garble) needs alot of it and if you
got your flight plan in front of you at 125 15, we're suppose
to now — then move over to the 40 degree north oblique. FAO
says that maneuver takes a maximum of 3 minutes, so if you could
delay starting that until whatever you figure's a reasonable
time before the mapping camera T start, then we can — we can
get a pretty good slug of data in there.
CASPER Okay, be glad to do that. How's our little
laser coming along. Is it doing any better or any worse?
I guess we haven't had it on since you gave me your report though.
CAPCOM It's still toggling Ken, I guess when we
get it back running again, we'll be getting about 80 percent
with it.
CASPER Okay, is that ladder network working? Or
is it a different problem?
CAP COM It's working okay Ken.
CASPER Hank can I give you some comments that really
are not pertinent to anything we're doing but little observations
that I had a chance to make and I'm afraid that I'll forget them.
Got too many things stored up in my head now.
CAPCOM Okay, go ahead.
CASPER But one of the things, I just sitting here
looking at the equipment and — some of the things that have
caused more interest than others in what we were doing and one
of the things that is at the heart of alot of your time in this
spacecraft is fixing something to eat and without discussing
whether or not you need to eat this much — just the idea that
even if you try to eat part of it — it takes an awful long time
to fix each of these things and one of the big hangups is we all
get clustered around the water gun. We've talked about gas
coming out of the water gun and this is not the drink port but
the food preparation station and if you -- one of the ways we
found we can induce gas bubbles into the water was by depressing
the plunger before it had had a chance to complete its stroke.
When you let it complete its stroke, it seems to give you a nice
relatively gas-free shot of water and it looks like that the
hot water gives you more for an ounce than the cold water does
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4-21-72 GET 124:39 CST 16:21 CM-76/2
CASPER but If you're very meticulous about waiting
till you're sure that the plunger's made its full travel and
then count to 10 or something before you push it again, the cold
water isn't quite as short as it looks like it is and I don't
really know how to explain why we have gas bubbles sometimes
and why we don't. It's almost as though the gas separator --
may not affect the problem. We started out in the first couple
of days and we didn't have any gas — I guess about 2 days, then
on the 3rd day, we started getting gas in the hot water and we
were getting like 50 percent gas. We tried the cigar gas
separator and that -- that after we got it flushed out the
first time it seemed to work pretty well and then it started
getting gas so we decided to try the — the prototype model and
when we put it on the feed station why as soon as we put it on,
why we made a squirt and nothing came out and decided to try it
again and by then it was obvious that it was building up pressure
inside — that the food station was putting out water and it
wasn't coming out the other end and we never did get water to
come out the -- the outlet side of the new gas separator and it
looks like it has a crack in the top, on the inlet side and the
water was bubbling out of that — it was coming out under pressure
when we took the thing off, why you could tell that the check
valve or something had never been open, so we really don't know
whether that thing has any affective use or not. And it seems
like the more water you use the more gas you get and I don't
I'm not sure I completely understand that. You get more gas in
the hot water than you do in the cold water but the water I've
been getting out today and yesterday has been almost gas-free.
I can spin it up here and I won't get -- I'll get a zone of less
than 10 percent gas and that's 10 percent of a 7 ounce food --
juice bag. The other day we were getting 50 percent and I
really can't psyche out exactly all the causes for it. The
cigar food — cigar dispenser there has some problems of its
own and everytime you get through with it, it dribbles and it'll
dribble for quite awhile, but I found that if you put the little
cap on it right away, that it quites dribbling and it's only
that initial dribble, the rest of it from there on is easy.
I really don't expect anything to be done with these comments.
I didn't want to -- we were suppose to evaluate these things
Hank and rather than write them down -- it's alot easier to put
them here and I'll get them off the tape after the flight.
CAPCOM Okay, I took notes there on most of that.
CASPER Okay, I'm sorry I should have told you first,
I really wasn't anticipating you having to copy all that. I'm
kind of rambling and being verboust but I can see I'm just not
going to get everything I see written down. And I probably ought
to go ahead and get it jotted down some way.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY A/21/72 CST 1632 GET 124:50 CM-77/1
CAPCOM Ken, it looks like the next accent in the
flight plan for you is around 125:13 where it says (garble) I
think we've scratched out everything ahead of that.
CASPER Okay. I'm taking advantage of that to get
the lead done. Maybe we'll have a chance to look at the back
s i de this ti me .
CAP COM Okay.
CASPER Hank, there's one other thing I'd like to
comment on before I forget it.
CAPCOM Go ahead.
CASPER That's the cockpit temperatures. I didn't
notice the little gauge and it doesn't never move. I think it's
gotta - - I think it's plugged into a dummy mode somewhere. But
the cockpit temperature does infact change quite a bit. And
on the way out in PTC with the three of us in here, it never
really got cool enough even for people that's warm blooded as
Charley and I. And we were wondering you know geeif it was like
that in PTC what was it going to be when we got in orbit. And
the first day in orbit there it was - - it really was kinda
hot and stuffy. And I don't know whether it got cool but
last night it was nice and cool and infact I woke up this morning
because I was cold, that was the reason I woke up. And in the
past I've had a hard time sleeping sometime because it was warm.
I don't know whether that's caused by going to the 60 circular
orbits or whether that's caused by having only one body to take
care of in here instead of three. But it was very obvious
unfortunately we'll get a chance- - I couldn't tell you yesterday
I was wearing a suit so I never was really confortable most of
the day. Anyway when John and Charley get back we'll notice again
and see if it gets hot again.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 16:42 GET 125:00 CM-78/1
CAPCOM Casper, Houston. We're about 2 minutes
from LOS and everything's looking good from this end.
CASPER Okay, Hank. You're cutting out, but I
unde rst and.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16, MISSION COMMENTARY, 4-21-72, CST 172 8 GET 125; 46 CM- 79/1
on
the
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
CASPER
this last rev.
terminator and
Hello, Houston, are you there today?
Hello, Casper, how did it go?
Just fine. Having a ball.
Got all kinds of neat little things seen
Had a chance to start watching right at
just kind of watched the scenery as it came
by in AOS. And I think I did wonders for the magnification
of these binoculars by cleaning the lens. I'd about given
up on them and decided that they weren't as good as I thought
they were, till I found out that one side had somebody's
big greasy thumbprint on it. Somebody probably being me.
CAP COM
CASPER
up to frame 37.
CAP COM
some PADs for you.
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
everything velcroed
H ank .
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
Roger.
And, right now
Roger.
on magazxne victor
Victor frame 37
I ' m
And Ken, I got
Okay, let me get my pencil and paper.
First ones at 126:20, a UV photo pad.
Okay, hang on a second. Let me get
down. Okay, say again the time, please
126:20.
Okay, 126:20. Alrighty.
Okay, P start is 126 19 26.
Okay, 126 19 26.
And, just for info, somewhere around
126:35 we're going to get you a state vector update. The
next PAD time is at 127:18.
CASPER 127:18. Go ahead.
CAPCOM Your gamma ray deploy time to 15 inches
is 14 seconds .
CASPER Okay, that will be 14 seconds.
CAPCOM And your T start for your PAD - mapping
camera pad right there is 12 7 27 5 8. T stop 130 28 19.
CASPER Okay, 12 7 2 7 5 8, 130 28 19.
CAPCOM Okay, and the pan camera is 128:13.
CASPER Okay, stand by a second.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 17:39 GET 125:53 CM- 80/1
CASPER
128: 13 did you say?
CAP COM
PAD.
Okay. What's the next one now. At ah
Roger. 128:13. The pan camera photo
CASPER
CAPCOM
CASPER
CAPCOM
say, you saw some
CASPER
the more you look,
CASPER
until you get use
turned inside out
CAPCOM
CASPER
CASPER
CASPER
them over.
CAP COM
information on
Ah - in case
observations
on the Moon ,
occur in the
Cognitum and
highlands from -
CASPER
CAPCOM
CASPER
CAPCOM
the central
CASPER
highest of what?
CAP COM
Go ahead.
P-start is 12 8 19 , 09, 128, 20 , 47.
Okay. 128, 19, 09, 128, 20, 47.
Okay. That's about all the PANs . You
interesting things on the back side, huh?
Yeah. The real Moon's just like photos,
the more you see.
You'll be happy to know though, that
to it the craters on the real Moon get
like they do down there, on the photographs
Really?
Real frustrating.
What'd you say, Al .
It's not always clear which way to turn
Understand. Hey, I
some
i
got
you
a little
are interested.
Roger
of the gamma ray results if
you're interested in doing some sort of global
relative to the color or character of large areas
early gamma shows that the highest regions
maria areas in the west and including Neubium,
Poselar. The next highest are in the central
Is the highest up in the maria to west
Roger, in the west. Ah Neu -
Neubium (garble).
Right. And, the next highest is in
highlands from Neancler to Alphonsus.
Okay. You say the highest regions,
Just ah -
I guess that the highest - highest
counting rates in the gamma spectrometer.
CASPER Okay.
CAPCOM Third highest, is maria the Curtius
area, and the lowest regions occur on the far side highlands
CASPER Bill, I can't ah - I can tell you they
sure look different, they're all black over there.
CASPER That's always intreging when you
can't see something.
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/24/72 CST 17:39 GET 125:57 CM-80/2
CAPCOM And, Ken, these light colored markings
you reported near King Crater, the west of King. Brooks
says those are near Crater Abbawaupha. And, these may be
similar to the swirls of Avenyetus, but not identical. And,
for your information the markings of Abbawaupha he used the
term antephotal or opposite to Euchellie on the western part
of y o ur track .
CASPER (laughter)
CAP COM That means that it's 180 degrees from
th e re .
CASPER In other words, it's offly, rog., rog. -
It's awfully hard to find a place where there ther -
180 degrees away there won't be a crater on the Moon.
CAP COM Roger.
CASPER He'll understand.
CAP COM Casper, high-gain on the auto. Auto
on the high -gain.
CASPER Sure can.
CASPER I got one's that better for him this
time though. I'm not at all sure that those swirls that
I saw of the northwest of King are really like the others
or not. I tried to get a look at it (garble) this time,
but still a little too far to the north.
CASPER You know, Henry, one of the things
that impresses me, is when you look at the mare surface
in very high sun, like I'm doing now, a lot of the very
shallow craters that have just very suttle sweeping walls
either together in a chain or in groups; when you see this
at high sun it looks exactly like swirl patterns. If you
didn't know what it was, you'd probably would wonder
about it also.
CAPCOM Roger.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 1749 GET 126:07 CM-81/1
CASPER And Hank, would you give me a warning about
126 : 18.
CAPCOM Will do.
CASPER Hank, looking in the bottom floor of Messier
I think it's the original Messier that elongate one. The bottom
dark material has a little ropy white material that runs down the
length of the crater. And at one end it looks like it's - -
sort of like high water mark on the Northern and Western end of
that it looks like it may have been a high water mark and maybe
the stuff had just dropped down. And you see little blocks of
that stuff - - kind of like the whole thing had been floating and
it just sunk a little bit. When I look in the wall of the other
one, the round one it appears that there's a depression in the
North west side where it's kind of pushed in and things may have
run down in there. I had the distinct impression that there was
an original crater that is not part of the bright one that we
see now that's over on the western side. Yeah, as a matter of
fact, Messier does show a secondary crater, and I have the
impression that that was an old crater that kind of smooth and
darkened and looked like the rest of these older craters. And at
Messier (garble) on top of that or at least forms subsequent to
that and it kind of broke into that wall.
CAPCOM Roger. The map shows an indication maybe
there might be a secondary there.
CASPER Yeah, I had thought maybe that was a cherius ,
kinda like a slump feature, but apparently that's not the case.
I wish we had some low sun pictures of this. Uh , a crater and
the bright splash rays that I took a picture of before. It's
about half way between Messier and Centerinus. I swear it's on
the top of a very shallow rise. And it appears to me that there
is a very slightly darker albedo in the material underneath it
that goes out about the same diameter as the bright ray. Now
it might be that the bright rays are giving that characteristic
just because they may be tenuous (garble) they don't show up by
themselves but they may be there. There's another one a little
smaller than - - it's about half way between the one I just
described and Centerinus. And there's one that I agree with Stu
that has black things that drape down inside it like that might
be one of them. But maybe when I get closer it'll look like
shadows, it's kinda hard to tell from here. There are an awful
lot of blocks around it it appears. Uh , looking now at this
bright depress crater that's next to it - - I'm going to try and
get a picture of that the next time I get the camera available >
because this white stuff runs down the side of a very smooth
brown crater and the place where you can see it is right out
on the floor in the bottom and it has a very strange appearance.
It didn't - - the white stuff is like it ran out and it just stopped
abruptly. There's no toe on it or anything.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4- -72 GET 126:17 CST 17:59 CM-82/1
CASPER Houston about a minutes to go for
Okay, thank
And Ken you
just got back in
you sir .
don ' t have
their LM
to acknowledge but
and they've just
Okay, I think it shows that we're at the
however it looks like we're not up to Descartes
CAP COM
your UV.
CASPER
CAP COM
John and Charlie
rep res s urize d.
CASPER
prime to do this,
yet, and the camera's pointing along towards Kant.
CAPCOM Okay, flight plan calls for leading it by
2 min u te s , Ken .
CASPER Okay Hank, I got it
mistake there, I didn't
firings during the time
didn't get to free.
CAPCOM Roger. And Ken, the guys are back inside
I don't know whether you heard it awhile ago or not but
EVA 1 was a total success. They had a 7 hour and 11 minute
done .
get the engines off.
that I was taking the
I guess
I didn't
p i cture s
I made one
hear any
but I
an d
the
EVA.
CASPER
significant to say
CAP COM
CASPER
the saw that they
CAPCOM
all breccia, they
i gni a.
CASPER
CAP COM
surprised by that.
CASPER
Yep yeah. Now it's
the geologists go.
CAPCOM
last night when you
CASPER
I mean all I had to
t r ous e rs . Up to
almos t too hot .
CAPCOM Roger,
CASPER Okay,
Outstanding. They have anything particularly
or --
I didn't catch all that, let me ask --
Did they get any surprises in the things
di dn ' t expe c t .
I guess the big thing, Ken, was they found
found only one rock that possibly might be
Is that right .
Hey, I guess the
guys were a little bit
That calls for a session with
back to the drawing boards or
this one.
where ever
Hey, Ken, Ron's asking what you were wearing
got cold.
I was just sleeping in my sleeping bag —
do was get up and put on my jacket and
then just getting into the sleeping bag was
we're at frame 60 on magazine 00.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16, MISSION COMMENTARY , 4-21-72, CST 18;09 GET 126;27 CM-83/1
CASPER Okay, I got a real good look at the Davy
Chain now and they are definitely all rimless. There are some
they run kinda northeast, southwest and their are a couple
of very suttle constructional features that just look like
little - little bubbles of material that run more north and
south. They cross the Cichus Chain but - in fact, where
they cross it it kinda breaks it up but the craters in the
chain themself don't look like they have any rims at all.
CAPCOM And Casper, Houston, you're coming up on
about 15 seconds to T stop for the mapping camera,
CASPER Okay. Thank you. And the mapping camera
is of f .
CAPCOM And Ken, have you done the rest of the
th in gs the re ?
CASPER Coming up to it now. Thank you. Going
to standby. And image motion off, and it's barberpole and
gray. And here comes the gamma ray shield. Field is off
n ow .
CAPCOM And if you'll give us accept we'll uplink
s t ate vector .
CASPER Okay, you've got her.
CAPCOM Casper, the computer's yours.
CASPER Okay, thank you. Okay, and I'm taking
magazine XX out of the 35 and I'm going after magazine ZZ.
CAPCOM Okay.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 18:19 GET 126:33 CM-84/1
CASPER Hank, you know, I mentioned to you
yesterday that that old GDC was really hanging in there.
And I think it's drifted less today that it has before.
CAPCOM Hey, that's just fantastic. I never
saw one in the simulator like that.
CASPER No. We asked them to put in big drifts
so that we wouldn't get in the habit of trusting it - you
know, without keeping in mind you've got to keep dressing
it up. And so help me, this thing - I'm going to run you
a drift check here when I get through with this maneuver,
but I'll bet you it's - you know - one degree an hour in
roll is about it .
CAPCOM Casper, Houston. Can you terminate
the Bat B charge?
CASPER Sure can. And it's Off.
CAPCOM Okay, and we want to get gamma ray shield
On.
CASPER Okay. The gamma ray shield is coming
on n ow .
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4-21-72 GET 126:47 CST 18:29 CM- 85/1
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
Hank ?
CAP COM
CASPER
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
noise but I hear
CAP COM
CASPER
looking or is it
CAP COM
CASPER
they only run one
CAP COM
whether we've got
they are going to
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER on the delta.
Ah, you're already on the delta.
Boy, it sure sounds bad.
Yeah, it does. Anything else go
with that
Say again.
Does anything else go with that?
Hank do you read me at all?
Roger Ken, I'm reading you.
Oh okay, I just wondering. I got a lot of
you loud and clear whenever yon talk.
Roger, same here.
Any word on how the LM consumables are
too soon to tell?
I haven't heard anything yet, Ken.
Have they said anything about which -- if
more EVA, which one they'll run?
Standby. Ken, they're still looking at
enough consumables or not. However tomorrow
proceed with EVA 2.
Ok ay .
CASPER Houston, we got
here to LOS and everything looks good from
probably do a shift change in here, during
and I'll see you in the morning. A nights
figure your DSC at 127 01.
CASPER Okay. 12 7 01, I had high
minutes
'11
just a few
this end. We
LOS tool come on
reminder to con-
bit rate and command
reset. Okay, thanks a lot, Hank. You've been a big help today
See you in the morning.
CAP COM Okay.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16, MISSION COMMENTARY, 4-21-72, CST 1839 GET 126;57 CM- 86/1
All dead air.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4-21-72 GET 127:44 GST 19:26 CM-87/1
CAPCOM (garble) Goldstone.
CAPCOM And CASPER Houston standing by.
CASPER All right, Stu. Be with you in just a minute
as soon as I find out where I am here. I just took a picture
and now I don't know how to tell you where I am. Aah, it's
really bad when you switch from window to window and try and
figure out where some of these things go to. Okay, Stu, I'm --
I don't think we got any -- any open items.
CAPCOM No, we're — we're pretty clean here. I ' va
got a question for you, if you look at the landing site again,
but that can wait until after you finish with campaign and so
forth .
CASPER Okay, that's probably a good idea. I got
a pretty low saturation level. I'm -- I got a good look at the--
at both the (garble) that your bright ray on should (garble) on
this last pass and I really don't know what to make of all that
— that — you're right about the location of the bright rayon
campaign, so I guess you win on that one. The thing that I
thought was rather intriguing about that was that there are all
kinds of big blocks all around the outside of it and all around
on the inside too. You get -- it looks like a great big mud pie.
I really don't don't know how to put it all together. It
certainly doesn't have the characteristics of any kind of a
violently explosive thing and I got to looking around at some
of these other craters and I was speculating on whether or not
they're — the fact that everything is soft back here on back
side and how that compares to the front side and I guess one of
the things that strikes me is that everything back
isn't that soft. It's soft in the that the colors
and the —
I interrupt Ken.
you don't have deep crevices
CAP COM
CASPER
ahead.
CAP COM
here for --
CASPER
quite aways
CAPCOM
CASPER
CAPCOM
Could
in
here really
are very uniform
Go
about in the area
be
to look
from
Okay, you probably just
at (garble) your V6 .
Oh, thank you. Looks to me like I ought to
Campaign .
Okay, you are. It's just -
I'm just now coming up on Smy thii .
Rog, I agree with that. This is the
you've got listed as to start your preparation, and yea,
probably got about 5 or 6 minutes.
CASPER Okay. Yea. I tell you all those hours we
spent looking over these things so you can recognize them with
out the map was sure a big help. You can just look out there and
general know about where you are. Except there places here on
the backside where I still have to get my map out in order to sort
our what I'm looking at. It does look an awful lot alike in places
time
you
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 19:26 GET 123:44 CM87/2
CASPER yet, you look down in it and I think the only
reason that everything here looks alike, is it just like every-
thing back here has been dusted with something.
CAP COM Yea, I -
CASPER There's still these, there are sharp features.
Yea, there rims and crater that are sharp, and there are steep
sides, and there's all kinds of things that don't go along with
the concept of being weathered down and old. And with the binoculars
they really bring in an awful lot of things, and yon see that there
are, there is absence of the little tiny craters, and all is an
over abundance of great big guys. On a small scale you don't
see nearly as much. It's just like everything back here had
been dusted over, and not so long ago on a geologic scale.
You do see flow fronts and all kinds of thing back in there,
and just like you do in the Mare surfaces and you see little -
haven't seen any ridges to speak of, but I've seen an awful
lot of flow fronts that run up and down things. And I don't see
an awful lot of elongated terrain that we would characterise with
Descartes, except the, way back near the 180 point. And the
rest of it is almost unique to the backside, I think,
CAPCOM Okay. All that sounds real great, Ken. Hey,
that bright ray on (garble). What did you make of that dark stuff.
Does that really drape over the side?
CASPER Well, I haven't been in a place where I can
see that, and look down on it, but during our first REV after DO -
no, yea, the first REV after DOI, we passed right a beam
on that guy, and I got you a nice oblique shot of it from what
looked was right next door. And it's got very sharp rims on
it. It's got dark material around it, on the inside and the out-
side, and I guess it's draped, but it looked to me like it was a
very sharp feature. It had all the appearances of a, of a, what
you would have think was of a fresh strata volcano would look like
as a little-bitty guy, and white stuff looks like snow on it.
CAPCOM Very good, and thank's for taking my picture.
CASPER That was pretty spectacular cause we were about,
only about 30 miles high at the time, and that makes, really did
make it look like it was right next door.
CASPER I did find one place up, I think it's in
(garble), where I'd swear there's a hole in the side of the
crater wall, and stuff is -
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 19:38 GET 127:56 CM-88/1
ORION Hello, Houston. I'm Up on Comm. How
do you read? Over.
CAPCOM Okay. You're five-by there, John.
ORION Okay. Coming out of my suit, now,
Tony .
CAP COM Okay.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY A/21772 CST 19:41 GET 12 7:59 CM-89/1
CASPER Well, that might be better than my
music. (laughter) you never know.
CAPCOM No, if you can't play me "Ridin Old
Paint," I don't want any singing either.
CASPER Okay. Well, have it your own way.
You don't know what you're missing.
CASPER Oh, we sure picked a lousy attitude for
this observation.
CAP COM Thank you.
CASPER I don't care what they say, hanging
upside down I don't do so well.
CASPER And, we're sitting here in an awfully
high sun angle, which makes ah - the features difficult
to identify. But, I have Ansgarious located, and there's
Loperous. And ah, old Loperous looks like an old Langrenus
with a big star in the center of it.
CASPER Boy I tell you. You can hardly make
out much of anything about the Captine due to this high
sun. No I'm afraid I won't be able to see anything about
Captine. We're past it now and at this high sun you just
can't make out much of anything. He's a little too far off
the ground track in this attitude to come to what we are
doing here scrunched up in the corner of a weightless. And
I guess I'm looking almost straight south now. Boy, there's
one set of peaks that stick up down there that are really
huge. Stick up over the horizon and they look like the Andes.
CAPCOM Okay, we copy that, Ken.
CAPCOM (garble)
CASPER Say again, please. Okay, Stu, you said
you had some questions you wanted to ask or something.
Look at this time.
CAPCOM Okay Ken. This is just a sort of a
general question about the terraces and --
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 19:51CS T 128:09GET CM90/1
CAPCOM Okay, Ken this is just sort of a general
question about the terraces in stone mountain and if you get
a chance, why look down around the south end of that EVA 2
traverse down around station 5 and just might look in that
area and see if you can give any tense on how definate those
terraces are. They are going to try to establish that station 5
on the first terrace and you think it looks definate enough
whether that's a no sweat operation or just how easy it looks
to determine between the first, second terrace so forth.
CASPER Okay, I kind of looked for that and let
me take another look specifically at that. It appeared to me
that - probably on the ground wouldn't know you were on the
first terrace, but let me take another look at that. I'll
check it out this time. And again, we're only guessing what -
you know - trying to guess what it would look like if you
indeed were that far down.
CAPCOM Rog and this is sort of a no sweat type
question Ken, so don't worry too much about it, we'd just like
to have you lap that area again.
CASPER Okay. Did they get a chance to drive the
rover around very much?
CAPCOM Yeah, the rover went real well I think
they had got it pretty much everything in on the first EVA
that they had planned on.
CASPER I bet those are two tired guys by now then.
CAPCOM Yeah, I expect they probably are Ken. They
got in 56 pounds of rock today.
CASPER Very good, we got a place for them. Did
Hank tell you we've got a couple of little casperillos flying
alon g with us ?
CAPCOM No, I guess I don't get that one, Ken.
CASPER Well, the first time I noticed, it was I
guess it was yesterday evening, in fact, maybe you were on when
I say the little particles flying along with the rafters after
the ground goes into darkness and you're still daylight. I
think you can see all these things against the ground, and they
all flicker and speckle and they kind of tumble along and this
morning we came out and I guess we were going minus X and I
looked out the center hatch and here was this little thing
just flying formation on me and in the dark I couldn't tell
how far back it was. It was just in there - apparently it
was tumbling because it was giving it little flashes in and
out. And it didn't look like it was opening or closing or
anything else - it just was sitting there.
CAPCOM Yeah, that sounds like a real live Casper
to me Ken.
CASPER Well it's so small it's probably a Casperill
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 19:51CST 128:09GET CM90/2
CAP COM All right.
CASPER I'm looking at the - down at the central
peak in Theophilus and it has all that same cross-patched, up
here it's on the shadowed side that we saw on Silver Spur and
Had ley •
CAP COM Okay.
CASPER Okay I put power on the pan camera and the
barber pole is back to gray.
CAPCOM Okay, I copy that. Good. Standby stereo
and power and you are a minute and 20 seconds from T start.
CASPER Okay, passing over COMM. I'll tell you the
old landing site really stands out now. You couldn't miss that
for anything and wasn't that obvious at the lower sun. Unfor-
tunately, I'm a little too far south to be able to give you
a good answer on those terraces but I'll give a hack at it.
CAPCOM Okay, copy that and you are 45 seconds from
T start.
CASPER Okay, and I'm just over here standing by.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY h/21/12 CST 20:01 GET 128:79 CM-91/1
CAP COM
You're 10 seconds from T start.
CAP COM
And (garble)
CASPER
(garble)
CAP COM
Okay .
CASPER
And I have a barber pole on gray.
CAP COM
Okay, and you've got an image motion,
you want barber
pole .
CASPER
Beg your pardon.
CAP COM
Okay, you want to take your image motion
to barber pole .
CASPER
I'm back to the observation.
CAP COM
Okay .
CASPER
Does that take priority or the observa-
tion ?
CAP COM
No, go -
CASPER
Yes or no.
CAP COM
No.
CASPER
Yes, I think they will be able to recog-
nize that they '
re on the first terrace.
CASPER
Oh, I don't know. Over by Cinco, they're
not that obvious, they are further around to the west, but
I ' m not s ure th
ey'll recognize the first terrace. They
might recognize
Cinco.
CAP COM
Okay .
CASPER
Okay, I'll get the image motion now.
CAP COM
Okay, you're 10 seconds to T stop.
CASPER
St and by .
CASPER
Roger. Standing by for T stop. Okay,
back to standby
And we're barber pole on the image motion.
CAP COM
Okay .
CASPER
Thank you sir.
CAP COM
Roger.
CAP COM
Okay, and the lens are stowed, you can
go PC OFF.
CASPER
Okay, pan camera power is OFF.
CAP COM
Got you.
CASPER
Boy these -
CAP COM
And are those high gain AUTO, Ken?
CASPER
You'd swear that you ought to be able
to see the LM with these binoculars. I think if you knew
where to look exactly, you might be able to see it, but
you couldn't hold anything in your hand, any more sensitive
I'll tell you,
the Cinco craters stand out very nicely and th
Crest Crater is
very obvious from up here. But it looks
like the path you've drawn to go from station 5 to 6 and 4,
that path looks
to me like it runs down a sort of a batalt
of material that' you're going to drive up and then those
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 20:01 GET 128:79 CM-91/2
CASPER White lines we've got drawn on chart 9
Charlie, really aren't obvious at all. When you get over
around more on the South Ray side you start to see these
things, but it's just not at all obvious that they're going
to see anything down that path.
CAPCOM Okay.
CASPER They've got a good n av system, they
should be able to find Cinco.
CAPCOM Okay, now I heard earlier that you could
see Double Spot with binoc's. Is that right, Ken?
CASPER That's affirmative.
CAPCOM Okay.
CASPER They're really neat.
CAPCOM Okay, and I'm sure they passed on to
you that the LM should be 200 meters northwest of Double
Spot .
CASPER Yes, I just - every time I've gone over,
I've been looking for something I thought was probably more
worth while then just the gee whiz of my saying I saw the
LM.
CAPCOM Yes, I agree with that priority.
CASPER I wish - I really wish we'd have gotten
into North Ray, maybe they'll still get a chance cause it
looks to me like that's a pretty interesting path up there,
interesting from the fact that it looks like it's construc-
tional, that ridge that runs up to North Ray Crater.
CASPER You know that central peak that we've
all been looking at in Alpetragius, and thinking it was so
big, it can't be so terribly big because - at least it can't
be terribly tall cause it's just now sticking its nose out
in daylight. And the terminator passed here a long time
ago.
CAPCOM Okay, good observation, Ken.
CASPER Boy, that straight wall really shows up
from here at this sun angle. That's a pretty interesting
thing. It's interesting enough to rate number 36.
CAPCOM Okay, and I guess you're rocking on
ready for you terminator photos here.
CASPER Yes, I'm sitting right here waiting to
get a little closer to them. I got Lassell and Alpetragius
B, all lined up for siting.
CAPCOM Golly.
CAPSPER There are a lot more of these sharp de-
pressions, I don't know whether to call them Grabins or what,
but these little sharp lines that run across - there's a lot
more of them then I would have guessed you'd find.
CAPCOM I suspect they're showing up now in
the little sun angles -
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY A/21/72 CST 20:01 GET 128:79 Cm-91/3
CASPER Yes, they really stand out in the sun.
One of the things - I'm looking at one right here that's
next to Lassell C - I'm going to start my strip and talk a
little bit while I'm doing it, and that's at - just to the
north of Lassell C in that highlands clump that's next to
it there. And it looks like in the low sun on the outside
of it, you see all kinds of craters. You know the typical
low sun angle pictures of crater patterns. Down in the
floor of this thing it's just as smooth as a whistle, like
someone had drug a - something heavy through there and just
made a deep impression.
CAPCOM Okay, got you.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 20:11 GET 128:29 CM-9 2/1
CASPER You know, it's not real obvious whether I
see the in point to that strip. I think we draw and I think
I see but it looks like an awful lot of other craters in
this little sun. We'll have to wait till the higher sun to
see if there really is a difference.
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
deploy .
CAP COM Roge.
CASPER Mark,
CAP COM Okay,
CASPER Okay, I'm going to turn oil now.
looks to me like at 12 seconds, I still had a barber pole.
Let's say I'm retracked. Try again. Oh, wait a minute.
That thing was already 15 inches out. That's what it is.
Okay.
Okay,
47 on
Ok ay ,
Magazine
SS.
it'
SS is now reading 47.
time for a little gamma ray
it's coming out.
we got you marked.
I'm going to turn off
It
Okay
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
light 8 -- I had
tapes. You said
SIM bay 5 Casper
CAP COM
flight plan away
something here.
CASPER
CAP COM
there about.
CASPER
CAP COM
there that may look
steps done and what
motion off for that
of the ordinary.
CASPER
purpose of this was
All right.
Am I correct?
That's correct, Ken.
Okay. I just — my tape -- this dim
the lights turned out. I didn't see the
it was already out. That sort of makes it
n othing .
And, Ken, before you put away your
there at that exercise, we'd like to remind you
of
Al 1 righty .
Okay, if you
Go ahead,
want to turn
over to 129 25
Go t it.
Okay. You'll see the right-hand change
funny to you but we really want those
we re doing is turn
pass and that's why
it — the image
it
a little out
Roge. I understand,
so that they can get
This is — the
a calibration on
just how much motion comes so that I can tell the zero points
smear comes on the film, Is that correct? That's just a
gee whiz thing.
CAP COM Okay, Casp.
CASPER The information "Gee, whiz" to me I guess
it's important to the people to have to make maps out of this
stuff.
CAPCOM Roge.
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 20:11 GET 128:29 CM-92/2
CASPER Okay, anything else for I do myself in?
CAPCOM No, about the only thing I've got, Ken,
is your temperature for the sleep period. I guess there's
a couple of things we could do like we could leave some
power on to increase the load or we could try to move the
temp invalve or we could -- I guess you don't have any --
CASPER I'm sorry. I wasn't meaning to be
complaining. I was merely wanting to record or remark to
a significant change in the cabinet. Sometimes — starting
yesterday, sometimes, and I don't know when compared to what
we have had and that was not something I was asking for relief
on. It's very comfortable.
CAPCOM Okay, very good.
CASPER Sorry if somebody put any time on it.
CAP COM No, it's no problem. We're glad you're
h ap p y .
CASPER I thought that it was kind of interesting,
and I don't know because I'm in a 60-mile orbit or whether
it's because there's only one guy in here adding heat to the
atmosphere, and I guess we'll decide that when John and
Charlie climb in.
CAPCOM One explanation is that you lost two
roommates but also, that cabin ran what I thought a little
chilly and -- do you notice it getting a little clammy going
through the dark pass?
CASPER Well, it's not doing so bad today.
Yesterday, on the dark passes, all the windows were fogging
up and every time I breathed, I had to go wipe the window
off. It looked like I was standing in front of a pet store,
and I haven't had that trouble today at all, and it looks
like it's slowly drying itself out. We had an awful lot
of condensation in here. It showed up during after LOI . All
down into the SIM bay was a great big puddle of water and we
had not been aware of any collection of water anywhere before
that but it obviously had been there. It didn't come out
of the tunnel but it just sort of finally all condensed.
And any time you go into clean out the suit circuit return
screen, right down in the bottom of that compartment, you
can see that there's a -- there's condensation on some of
the lines and there's a little moisture on the bottom of
the compartment.
CAPCOM Okay, we got those and I'll not talk
to you for awhile here so you can have at it.
CASPER Okay. As a courtesy, I'll turn VOX off
too .
CAP COM Okay.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 20:31 GET 128:39 CM93/1
CASPER Hey, Stu.
CAP COM Go ahead.
CASPER Do you folks have any, if you don't have
anything more to pass up on this pass, I'll set my alarm clock
to remind me just before LOS, but I'd kind of like to take my
comm carrier off during the excercise period if that wouldn't
bother anybody.
CAPCOM No, that's fine with us.
CASPER Okay, and I've got my tone booster hooked
up, and if you want me send the crew alert and I'll come talk
to you.
CAPCOM Okay, we can handle that, and it looks like
we have nothing else, and if you come up before LOS fine, if not,
we'll see you around.
CASPER Okay, see you in a little bit.
CAPCOM Okay, and if I miss you at LOS, I do want
to remind you about, you've got to configure the DSC on this
p ass .
CASPER Rog, I've got my kitchen clock set for that.
CAPCOM Okay.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 21:25 GET 129:43 CM-94/1
CAP COM
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
extra trouble
CAP COM
station here.
Casper, Houston, standing by.
Okay, Casper, Houston. Standing by.
Hello there .
Greetings. You're loud and clear.
And so are you. Looks like we had
locking up that time.
That was — reacquired with the ground
It was switch here, Ken, and there's nothing
wrong with the good ship Casper.
Oh, yeah. I was going to chastise
No, I just happened to notice — I was
noticed that earth was quite a ways above
looked down and there wasn t any signal
got to wondering about it.
You 1 re get ting
I don't think
CASPER
you guys for that,
looking out and I
the horizon and I
strength I was —
you guys are sanforized. You're getting smaller.
CAPCOM Hey, if you've got a couple of minutes,
at your convenience, I'll give you a tentative master plan.
CASPER Okay. Let me put some of my toys in a
nice resting place and I'll be with you.
CAPCOM Okay. This is not a flight plan update,
Ken. It's just going to be a general summary of what we're
lo ok ing at .
Roge .
Let me get
then I'll — so
Swi t ch b anks .
Roge. At your convenience.
Hey, Stu. I noticed that this thing
lot on any sharp sound in the cockpit.
I'll turn the vox level now.
CASPER
CASPER
pho to p as s an d
go into that.
CAPCOM
CASPER
tease an awful
This is getting
this thing set up
I'll be ahead and
for the
then we'll
ann oy m g .
Ken .
CAP COM
CASPER
Haven't been hearing a thing right then,
Okay , fine .
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 21:35 GET 129:53 CM95/1
CASPER Okay,
CAPCOM Okay,
updates for you in a bit too, when you
all set.
I'll have
ab out
here's the way the plan is
3 flight plan
get a chance. But
looking. We'll have no TC2 on
our shaping burn, we'll do PCI about 3 REV's prior to LM
liftoff, which will be about 4 hours later then the flight
plan shows. We're showing liftoff of the LM for about 175
44 and in the place of the nominal PCI time, we'll be doing
the bistatic radar. They will have the third EVA.
be - they're shooting for about 5 hours on it, and
their prime objective is North Ray. EVA 3 and the
will be done on the same day, and to hold down the
that will make it about an 18 hour day. We'll hold
It'll
of course,
rendezvous
crew time,
on to
the LM through the rest period and jettison the LM the next
day. From your standpoint everything will be fairly nominal
up until about liftoff minus 6 hours. It will be pretty
close to what we're showing in the flight plan now. Of course
we'll have some updates as they work the scientific stand-
Oh
p oin t of it,
CASPER
CAPCOM
CASPER
have guessed
CAPCOM
bit with we skipped
the objectives left
an d
A
approximately a day early.
on th e
TE I will be
day early?
That's affirmative.
Any particular reason, I mean
other things, but not that.
Well, I guess it goes down
the P C2 by considering the
Everybody is going to be
out around a day early.
- I would
into the
Sim bay and
happy and
a satellite
decide to ship you
CASPER Okay, we're going to launch
from the orbit we're in, is that the idea.
CAP COM Yes, it'll be the orbit after PCI and
there's no sweat on the lifetime, they're guarantying a
lifetime of at least a year and looking to have a fairly
reasonable perigee even after a year from the orbit after
PCI .
CASPER Okay.
CAPCOM And that's about it,
specifics will be coming up to you and I
updates just any time you're ready, no sweat.
CASPER Okay, go ahead and copy.
CAPCOM Okay, the first one will be
31 minute s .
CASPER Go ahead.
CAPCOM Okay, we want to delete the
camera retract and at 130 34 delete the mapping
laser altimeter cover closed.
CASPER Okay, delete the mapping camera
and the cover closed.
of course all the
have 3 flight plan
at 130 hours
mapping
c ame r a
re t rac t
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 21:35 GET 129:53 CM95/2
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
changed to 1/250.
CASPER
CAP COM
other note - flight
camera will be left
CASPER
CAPCOM
CAP COM
CASPER
anything,
Okay, and at 131 19-
Al right .
Okay, your speed on your camera is
Ok ay,
Okay ,
that's 1/250.
and just to ease
your mind on that
plan note - we're going to - the mapping
out during your dump and the sleep period.
Okay .
Okay, and at 132 hours.
And Ken, I've got one more at
Okay, you dropped out there.
get
thing after -
I di dn ' t
132 .
I didn't
hear any-
and you just went silent.
oh let's see, what was the last thing I got
from you, I got the configuration change in the camera and
understanding that the camera was going to be left out all
night, and that was all I heard.
CAPCOM
your dump, I
t rue .
CASPER
CAP COM
change at 131
ready to copy
CASPER
CAPCOM
heaters AUTO,
CASPER
3 fans off at
CAP COM
CAPCOM
Oh, okay. It will also
just wanted to verify with you
be out during
that that was
Yes , I got that.
Alrighty, and you
got the shutter speed
19, and my next change is at 132 when you re
Ok ay ,
Ok ay ,
H2 fans 1 2
Okay ,
132 hours.
Okay ,
And
the flow of Montostam when
talk about it.
CASPER Okay, let'
I ' m re ady .
we wan t to
3 OFF.
H2 tanks 1
add H2 tanks 1 and 2
and 2 to AUTO and all
that' s the end of
Ken, I've got a few
you got a chance
s see
I got
the update,
questions about
- you want to
a few minute s .
Why don't we talk right now.
CAPCOM Okay, I'll just run through the 4
questions, why don't I just give them all to you and then
I can go back over them, but we would like to know in what
part of the floor is the flow. We'd like to know how large
it is. We'd like to know the direction of flow, and on the
spot observation of whether you think it's a landslide or
a lava flow.
CASPER Okay, I covered some of that again on
this last pass, I guess, let me - say those questions again.
CAPCOM Okay, and one -
CASPER I want to write a few key words down.
CAPCOM Okay, in what part of the floor is the
flow?
CASPER Okay.
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 21:35 GET 129:53 CM95/3
CAPCOM Want to know how large it is.
CASPER Okay, go ahead.
CAPCOM Okay, and what is the direction of flow.
CASPER Okay, and your last question was origin?
CAP COM Roger.
CASPER Okay, let me see if I can get a map here
that I can give you some reference on. The kind of flow
that I'm talking about back there is sort of like the flow
from - that you see in mare materials. It's not a big thing
that you can trace back like you can some of these other things
we've seen. It just sort of appears as a flow front, I'm not
sure where it comes from and you can see it run down in the
craters and around them. And from that - I made a little more
objective analysis of the stuff that you see on this back, this
last pass when we came across on what we call the farside high-
lands. And it's my general impression that these flows, maybe
I'm using the wrong term, they look like flows, they have all
the characteristics of a flow front, and yet there's places
where they go along and you'll see - with a scarp going
down to the east and all of a sudden it'll get a little con-
fused and then the scarp will be showing up going to the west.
And then you'll see places where - there's one place in
Mendalstam, I think we have a picture of it, where this
scarp that looks like a flow front, curves around in an arc
to the right, and it's got material that comes from behind it
and also it sort of turns back in underneath itself and then
it just disappears. There's no flow front where it disappears
underneath, it's just a very strange thing. We see that in
several other places. A similar appearance is in the photo-
graph that Faruch and I were looking at of Bohuenb erger . It's
on a much larger scale, of course, but it's the same kind of
a problem, where you see a unit where it is obviously over-
laying another, and yet it's overlaying itself by one - the
original unit happens to overlay. It's like a chain where
each ring overlaps the other one on a closed circle. And
it's very confusing from that point, and let me look at my
map here and see if I can give you some better handles. I
think I took some pictures back there to mark it.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 21:49 GET 130:07 CM96/1
CASPER Okay, Stu. It looks like the map is no
help, and the only picture we have onboard that I can talk about
is in the visual photo book. It's V-1A, and if you look at the -
remember Mendelstan has the big central crater and then two little
craters, or kind of looks like Concentric craters with a bulls-eye,
and the flows that I was looking at, were almost on the - I guess
that you could say, on the northern side of the big crater, and
they run down into several of the smaller craters up there. And
the general direction was with the flow scarp, and I'm calling
it, facing the, facing to the west and runs into the crater on
the northern side. That's, after looking at more and more of
this highlands back there, I'm begining to believe that these
are not actually flow fronts at all. They just happen to look
like that if you look at them in short sections. But I think
there must be some other process that effecting all this.
CAPCOM Okay.
CASPER But, I'm afraid that the specific kind of
questions you asked, in this case, I'm really caught out to
lunch. I can't make specific things when you say how large.
They're, the length of these things that I can trace are the
same size as, as the crater that I was looking at, and I guess
that must not be that central one, but one of the ajacent ones.
One of the ones on the north. But they're quite long, and they're
all of the area. They're in craters and their outside of them.
They're on the floors. You see these things just about everwhere
you look back there. For origin, they're just, it sort of defies
my imagination. I see nothing that looks like sources anymore.
CAPCOM Okay, we got that.
CASPER I guess that's, I guess that's a brief summary
to say that I'm really not as smart as I wish I was.
CAPCOM That sounded pretty good to me, Ken. And
we'd like HIGH GAIN to AUTO.
CASPER Okay, there's AUTO. Now, gamma ray shield
off, ah ha. And it's off.
CAPCOM Okay.
CASPER And, I'm going to start in on my strip here.
And just for planning purposes in the future, I know we've got
those templets out, and when we looked at all those templet on
the chart we said "Gosh, you know you must be able to see a lot
more from the window", but photo targets like this one are in
the extreme of what you can reach from our window. I guess they
really didn't, they didn't exaggerate those things too much at
all. You can see more if you put your face right against it,
but by the time you get a camera in there, your field of view
that you can control the camera in is greatly reduced.
CAPCOM Okay, is it true of the hatch window also
Ken, you know that's the one we talked about that looks like
you're bound to be able to see more -
CASPER Yea, it's not as true there, because you
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 21:49 GET 130:07 CM9 6/2
CASPER have, yea, you can certainly see more and
you can, you can get around it with the camera a lot better than
you can with these sides. You run into, you bang your head
against R12 , and you push it into the comm panel and there's
always something where you want to put your head.
CAPCOM Hey, I agree with that. I've been in that
same corner with the 500.
CASPER (Laughter) Yea, one of those folded kinds
would be very nice, but even that, I - in looking at it , I was
holding my 250 against the window here with the increased diameter,
you'd buy a little bit with that folded one, but not a terrible
amount cause the darn diameter is going to bit you. When you
look at anything other than perpendicular to this side hatch
window, the two window panes are so thick, that you can't look
very askewed.
CAPCOM Okay.
CASPER Okay, we've started our photo strip.
CAPCOM Okay.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 21:59 GET 130:16 CM-97/1
CASPER
that's frame 61 on
CAP COM
CASPER
CASPER
to the barber pole
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
really is a hummer
CAPCOM
CASPER
the front side,
Okay, that's a good place to quit, and
Magazine Papa Papa.
Okay, Frame 61
Yes , sir.
Okay, the image motion has stepped up
and back to OFF.
Okay .
And the gamma ray shield is back on.
Okay .
I'll tell you, Stu, that straight wall
out there.
Sounds awful beautiful, Ken.
Yeah, and all the things that are on
I'll have to admit that in many respects it's
more interesting. I'm not sure that there's any more to
be seen or learned here, but it's -- there's enough extra
variety and it's easy to recognize it's something that's
different. You don't have to look so hard to see what's
the same. When I looked down at the individual sections of
material, I looked at this Cayley down here and by looking
at the total mass — Alphonsus — the floors that Cayley
filled, it looks just the same on the detailed scale as the
stuff on the backside does and the rims around the craters
like Alphonsus, that material looks just like the stuff on
the backside. When you get down to the detailed level, it
all has the same features on it. The only thing that I see
that's quite a bit different is that I don't see any of
on the backside anywhere.
Okay .
Maybe we can talk to Fido and working
you disorbit the front side.
Yeah against one of those synchronized
these real systems
CAPCOM
CAPCOM
up something while
CASPER
k in ds .
CASPER
just to the west
highlands there,
there's a little
to the west then
I'm looking down here now at the area
and south of Lassell seat, one of those
and if you go straight south from Lassell,
tip of a highlands material that runs out
stops and then if you think from there
draw a line, I would guess it's almost due west. It
looks like there's two entirely different materials there
like you'd built it out of two fabrics and then put it
down. The one to the north is darker than the one to the
south. It's split by a very straight line, and there's a
very distinct difference in the albedo or the shade of gray
that the mare has.
CAPCOM Okay.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 22:09, 130:27GET CM9 8/1
CAP COM
camera off.
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
closed. Mark
CAP COM
Ken you're under 1 minute to mapping
about 45 seconds-
sir, thank you.
are ten seconds, T stop.
And it is stopped.
And
You've got
All right
Okay, you
Thank you
Rog.
Okay , I'm
Okay .
And the laser
Ok ay .
Okay, and the alpha X-ray
Barberpole and gray.
Ok ay .
at s tandby
is off mark
cover is coming
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 22:19 GET 130:37 CM-99/1
CAP COM Okay we've got.
CASPER Okay I guess I'll torque these. Although
it seems like a shame.
CAP COM Yes we see them and go ahead and torque
them. Oh that beauty is nice.
CASPER It really is. Hey Stu, none ever said
anything about the P23's. Anyone in the back room know how
they came out? What kind of an altitude we ended up with?
CAPCOM Yea Ken, we've got that. I looked at
it there a couple of days ago. A little blurb they had written
here says the mark data was real consistant and I think it
was something like 33 kilometers, but let me check that out
for you .
CASPER Okay I'm just curious. I didn't feel
like I had as much trouble with that horizon as I anticipated,
as far as knowing where I'd oughta be. My problem was getting
the spacecraft there.
CAPCOM Ken, I remember your comment here yester-
day about the sextant and the telescope really looking swing-
ing. Do you have any change in that at all? And particularly
the reticle on your sextant. How's that look to you and
how's the lunar surface look through the sextant? These are
just all my own personal questions. So don't take much time
on them.
CASPER Rog. Right I -- yea I -- No as a matter of
fact at one time I looked in there and saw the sextant was really
blurred and I thought oh here we go, just what you said.
And I got to looking around and I found that these eye pieces
vibrate on there quite badly. And I guess I shouldn't use
vibrate badly, but they unscrew and I've got a lot of tape
wrapped around them now to keep them on. And they change
focus and I had to re f o cus the thing. (music) And once I
got it focused it's — if I turn the reticle lights up to
full intensity why I get a little bit of a smear, but not
much at all. When I look at the images on the ground,
like in the tracking, I took a look during the practice track-
ing period and boy I tell you that was just as nice -- the
only problem when you're down low and looking through that
28 power your field of view is so small you wouldn't
recognize your own house if you flew over.
CAPCOM Rog. Copy.
CASPER I still I'm still not having as much
success with the telescope as I — as I ought to and I'm
trying to psych it out. I was going to try to take a look
here a couple of times. I'm not aware of any light in the
telescope right now, but you just can't see any stars in
there. And I'm wondering if the earth is enough still that
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 22:19 GET 130:37 CM-99/2
CASPER it might blank them out. Because they're
obviously there when I look out the window, but they become
a great deal more obviously once I get on the back side or
in that double umbra. And I thought I'd try to make a note
to check that in the telescope on this pass. I know when
the LM was on the nose that really made a big difference,
because all I could see was LM.
CAPCOM Hey, I agree with that you get a very
good picture of the LM clod.
CASPER Yes, I can see the clod in the radar. I
can tell you all about them.
CAP COM Rog.
CASPER But even in earthshine it was — it
was — you could — you could pick out all the features in
earthshine. It was really amazing. It was just -- just
beautiful. And last night, or whenever it was when we were
playing around there, why if I had a little more confidence
in depth perception we could have done our station keeping
without any lights or earthshine. You get once you leave
earthshine through you really need that old docking light.
And the docking light much of my surprise isn't good
for much outside of 500 feet and at 500 feet if you ever
lost sight of the target you probably wouldn't pick it up
again. Until you get into 300 feet then, then it holds the
target and space illumination to see things and tell relative
motion. I didn't turn all the cockpit's lights down too dim
because the LM strobe is such a beauty. And finally we turned
the strobe off just to save power and time on it. And we
had no problem at all, but the -- I'd pass the LM guys how
bright that thing was in their face, but I had the impression
that it wasn't so terribly bright.
CAPCOM Okay. Thank you.
CASPER Got another little piece of amazement
here that you'll -- you might appreciate. It took me by
surprise. I did it -- I started on my check -- the GE -
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 22:32 GET 130:50 CM-100/1
CASPER Got another little piece of amazement
here that you'll — you might appreciate. It took me by
surprise. I started out and I checked the GDC drift when —
right after we got on our way and they were running pretty
hot, they were about 7 degrees an hour, if I remember right,
I got it written down somewhere, I won't look for them now,
but maybe it was like 6 degrees but they were pretty drifts
cause this was sometime after I got — I checked one set
of B banks before TOI and one after, and I did a GDC align
at a 127 hours. I just did another one. This is a 130 45 , so
that's 3 hours and 45 minutes and the two were off by 2 degrees
in roll, 1 degree in pitch, and 3 degrees in yaw, and that's
the way this thing has been operating for the last couple
of days, and I don't know what finally got into to square
itself away. At the time the platform went dilly up there,
why, they were about 12 degrees apart and they had been
alined probably no more than a couple of hours before that,
and I noticed the following day, I started watching the
GDC and I noticed I didn't have to aline it very often, and
it just seemed like the more it runs, the better it gets.
CAPCOM Hey, that sounds jolly good, Ken. I
had suspected that you had been keeping a rather close eye
on the GDC.
CASPER I tell you, every time I zero the optics,
I think about 50 checks pulling the switches in here.
CAPCOM Rog.
CASPER Do I have your attention?
CAPCOM Rog. I suspect that the GDC stays pretty
well alined too.
CASPER Maybe you know something that I don't.
CAP COM Roge.
CASPER Something else has surprised me, Stu,
maybe you remember. I can see a definite horizon for the
moon within a minute or so of LOS, and I guess, that's the
diagonal light of the solar corona showing up there, but
I really didn't anticipate seeing that nice dark disk, and
there's — it's just like seeing the earth horizon on a
dark night* It's really there.
CAPCOM Okay, Ken. We got that.
CASPER Do you remember seeing that much horizon?
CAPCOM No, I sure didn't, Ken, but I had very
few passes where the orientation was where I could see that.
CASPER Yeah, I understand.
CAPCOM And, Ken, we're about a minute and a
half to LOS.
CASPER Okay.
CAPCOM And I want to remind you to configure
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 CST 22:32 GET 130:50 CM-100/2
CAPCOM that the FE on that --
CASPER Okay, thank you very much.
CAP COM Tally good, we'll see you in a little
bit.
CASPER All righty. Have an extra cup of coffee
even you don't drink the stuff, I need some.
CAPCOM Okay. I might try to even drink coffee
for you, Ken. How about that except chocolate.
CASPER Well, we probably both want the same
thing right now.
CAPCOM Rog.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/21/72 23:24CST 131:42GET CM101/1
CASPER Hello there, Stuart.
CAPCOM Hello, greetings, Casper.
CASPER I just took another look at our old friend
King, looking at him this time from the north looking south
and west and there's no question in my mind now that there
definitely is some dark material that's on the top of the
central peaks that's on that western side, before I couldn't
really tell if there was and it looked like there was some
blocks that might be casting shadows, but looking back at it
there is something on there that at least changes the albedo
and nothing else, and it's not shadow and I've got a picture
here on famed Victor Zona hopefully will substantiate that.
CAP COM Hey, that sounds jolly good.
CASPER GARBLE stand and took another look at the
craters we talked about and there are two places in there
where I think I see these close garbs that I was talking about.
And one of them is at - let's call it 163 degrees east and
about 2-1/2 deg re e s south, and you see a little blob that the
artist has drawn in there and that looks like that's part of
what I'm looking at appears to be in the GARBLE, kind of like
a p r ob e de al .
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 09:18 GET 141:35 CM102/1
CAPCOM Good morning, Casper.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 09:25 GET 141:42 CM103/1
CAP COM
Good morning Casper, you stirring around
yet
Casper, Houston.
Hello, there .
Good morning. Did
Ye s sir.
Casper, Houston. We
Thank you.
Okay, and the gamma ray shield is
Roge r .
And the pan cam power is coming on
Roge. Go ahead.
Okay, Bravo 15 051. Bravo 3 6-1/2.
On the chow. Meal A had scrambled eggs
potassium. On meal B had coffee, orange
drink with potassium and a beef steak. Meal C delete the
frankfurters add turkey and gravey and coffee.
CAPCOM Okay, we got it. And Ken your consumables
were just about back on a nominal for the cryo and the RCS
is 150 pounds above red line.
Ok ay ,
CAPCOM
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
CJPCOM
CASPER
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
CAPCOM
CASPER
Bravo 4 negative,
orange juice with
you have a good night?
show you in CMC 3.
off .
Mark .
and
i t
get
CASPER
CAPCOM
your tape
CASPER
Roger,
vector up.
You've
that's sort of holding it's own, isn't
and if you'll give us ACCEPT, we'll
got it.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 09:34 GET 141:51 CM104/1
CAPCOM And Casper, we're clear for power off on
the pan camera.
CASPER Okay, power's coming off. Mark.
CAPCOM Ken, I got some words of the SIM bay status.
Do you want to listen?
CASPER Okay, fire away.
CAPCOM Okay, the mapping camera is working real
well, except for that extension problem. We're, have a margin
of 203 frames. The laser altimeter is still degrading. We're
down to where we're getting about 70 percent of the good altitudes,
30 percent of the time it's fouling up. Pan camera is over
exposing the film but we can process a great deal out of that
out, however, we loose some resolution. We're 58 frames ahead
on that. The mass spect is purking along real good. No immediate
evidence of PURGES or water dump in the data, and we've got that
retraction problem that you're aware of, where we'll leave it out
except for burns, and the gamma ray spectrometer is doing excellent
work. We've got good peaks for thorium, silicon, and potassium
and the X-ray and alpha particle are nominal.
CASPER Okay.
CAPCOM And the computer's yours.
CAPCOM And Casper, Houston. I have got some flight
plan changes for you.
CASPER Okay, go ahead.
CAPCOM Okay. The first one is at 142 hours.
CASPER Alright, go ahead.
CAP COM Delete the charge battery A.
CASPER Okay, that's deleted.
CAPCOM Okay, at 14 3:15 -
CASPER Go.
CAP COM Delete the VERB 48 load.
CASPER Okay, VERB 48 is deleted at 143:15.
CAPCOM Okay, at the same time 143:15, we want
to add P20 option 5 minus X forward SIM attitude. Maneuver
completion time of 143:32. Your NOUN 79 is 3°. Set HIGH GAIN.
CASPER Okay, at 143:15 it will be option 5 minus
X SIM bay, NOUN 79 3°, 143:32 is maneuver completion time and
I would guess the HIGH GAIN ought to be about 0 and 170.
CAPCOM That's affirmative, and immediately follow-
ing that, we want to go to the CSM experiment EVA check list.
Gum nebulae into the photo sequence B, page X 2-8.
CASPER Okay, then we do, get ready fox the Gum
nebulae sequence B on page X 2-8.
CAPCOM That's affirmative. This will give you some
warning here, because after your eat period, it's probably not
enough time to get that before you have to start it. Okay, at
143 -
CASPER Okay.
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 09:34 GET 141:51 CM104/2
CAPCOM 143: 35 -
CASPER Yep.
CAPCOM Aquire MS FN with a, the manual Y 0 and 170.
It just changes the angles you've got. Normal acquisition S-band
greater than one half scale you know then react now.
CASPER Roger.
CAP COM Okay, at 144:15 -
CASPER Okay.
CAPCOM Go to POO then VERB 49 maneuver to DSM, that's
space measurement slash Gum Nebulae .2 attitude, and the
is 305 136 298, and the maneuver completion time is
dup
att i tude
144:25 .
CASPER
DSM/gum nebulae
completion time
CAP COM
14 4:15. And at
CASPER
CAPCOM
back to 14 4:26.
CASPER
the maneuver is
CAP COM
as you get into
shield on now.
CASPER
CAPCOM
CASPER
CASPER
10 I want to go
305 136 and 298,
to POO VERB
Maneuver
49
Okay, at 144
. 2 , the attitude
144: 25.
Roger, and that was to be accomplished at
144: 30 -
Yes , sir.
It calls for a P52. We want to move that
Okay, you want to do the P5 2 as soon as
completed at about 144:26.
That's affirmative. Right in there as soon
the dark and could you give us the gamma ray
dup space measurement, the
gum nebulae photo sequence
And, the
And HIGH
You have
Ok ay . At
gum
B.
shield is on .
GAIN to AUTO,
it .
144: 30 , it's time to
nebulae, and at 144:
Page X 2-8.
s tart
31,
the
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 9:44 GET 142:01 CM105/1
CASPER Okay, and how long does that thing take,
Hank, that's about -
CAPCOM Okay, the gum nebula, I mean the deep space
measurements start at 144 30, the gum nebula photo sequence -
if you want to build you a little tape there, they should run
from about 144 36 to 144 50.
CASPER Okay, that's 144 36 to 144 50.
CAPCOM Roger. That's when the photos are going
and you're getting deep space measurements all the time that's
going .
CASPER The beep space business, I don't have to
do anything.
CAP COM That is affirmative, Ken.
CASPER Don't have to do anything during that
time though, is that correct?
CAPCOM And at 144 35, of course, delete that
verb 49 manuever.
CASPER Roger.
CAPCOM And Ken, that gets us through the next
REV. I've got a few more changes, but if you like, we can
wait till the following REV to read them up.
CAPCOM You're coming up on (garble) time now.
CASPER The stuff that comes up right at - okay,
the stuff I have to do between the time I have LOS and the
time I pick you up again is still good so why don't we just
put it off and let me get going on my gegenschein.
CAP COM Okay.
CAP COM Ken, we understand that mag ZZ is in the
Nikon and FAO says they ought to have plenty of film to do
the gum nebula.
CASPER Okay, fine. Thank you sir.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 09:54 GET 142:11 CM106/1
ALL DEAD AIR
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22772 CST 10:28 GET 142:46 CM107/1
CAPCOM Casper, Houston. No need to acknowledge
we're about 2 minutes from LOS, all your systems are looking
good. Just a reminder to figure your BSE to half bit rate
record for command reset at LOS.
SC Okay Hank. I copied you on the (garble)
thank you.
CAP COM Roger.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 11:14 GET 143:32 CM108/1
CAPCOM Casper, Houston.
CASPER Hello, there.
CAPCOM Hello, how did everything go on the back.
CASPER Oh, we got a lot of very dim photographs.
CAP COM Roger.
CASPER Actually we got them all in. Times worked
out just perfectly.
CAPCOM Okay, I'll get you SIM report whenever you're
ready, and when you -
CASPER Only, ah - Okay, let me give you that. I just
was turning the page. I did have one comment on the first frame
on that antisolar sequence. I think it's probably not part of
the gegenschein experiment itself. I think it's more zodical
light business, but it's a 5 minute exposure and we took it with
the spacecraft say my heads down, and nearly in a local horizontal.
The camera was pointing 30° down and it looks td me like it would
went ahead and moved in earthshine, in the field of view. So I
suspect that's not much of a, not a very good frame. The rest of
the sequences went fine, and the pointing attitudes pointed us
right into places on the chart. And I have attitude errors on
the antisolar sequence, I'll just give you the attitudes at the end
and we started from the proper attitudes. It was 165 257 and 354.
The second part of step 4, was 16 7 258 and 357. The attitudes in
step 7, 169 264 and 0. The attitudes in step 10, 164 275 and 359.
Magazine Zulu-Zulu has has 15 exposures taken.
CAP COM Roger, copy, Ken.
CAPCOM And, Ken. Whenever you get a break there in
your eating period, I got the rest of your flight plan changes.
SC Okay. Let me get a couple of bags ahead here.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/2 CST 11:24 GET 143:42 CM109/1
CASPER Hey, Hank, a little curiosity here that -
I guess it's just gee whiz, I've been noticing some things
like I've got 2 leads tied to the G&N handrail, and I've got
a pair of scissors strapped down here in the LEB on a tether,
and I've got a trash bag up in the tunnel. Most things in
the cockpit give you troubles with floating around. Really,
you've got to pay attention if you want it to be stable.
But the trash bag never leaves the tunnel. And 2 leads,
every time I've looked at it, has been pointing - its been
hanging up instead of hanging down as you would think, in
the CMS. And my scissors are generally up and I have de-
cided that gee, that's my imagination, that can't really be.
There's no preferred direction. And I got to thinking about
the thruster configuration we have given us, the all minus
X thrusting, whenever they do fire for attitude control,
and so I thought I'd take a look here while we were in
attitude hold, and sure enough in attitude hold, the 2 leads
didn't go up and the scissors do stay down, and I guess
that was when we were free most of that time rather then
in attitude hold. Apparently, you can see the effects over
a long period in the cockpit of the minus X firings for
attitude. I thought that was kind of unusual.
CAPCOM Yes, very interesting.
CASPER And let me get a bag open here and I'll
be ready to copy while I am drinking.
CAPCOM Okay.
CASPER Okay, go ahead.
CAPCOM Okay, Ken. The first change we want
to look at is at 145 14.
CASPER Hank, if we're going to do this during
this actual eat period, the best thing for us to do is
probably for you to read them very slowly and I'll copy
all I can and when we get to the end, I'll read them back
to you.
CAPCOM Okay, at 145 14, this is a minor change,
in that mapping camera photo pad. The longitude there
where it says 15 9.9 to 20.7 degrees west, that should be
23.7 degrees west, and this is just for your own information,
and that's 2-1/2 REVs .
CAPCOM Okay, the next change is at 146.18 on
the next page at 146.17 really, where it starts there with
gamma ray shield off. Delete from there through image
motion off, that's delete gamma ray shield off, mapping
camera off 2 stop, wait 30 seconds, mapping camera standby
and image motion off. At 146-24 there, where in this block
for mispent update, we won't be giving you a mapping camera
photo pad, instead it will be a pan camera photo pad, this is
just for your information, and it'll be copied at 148-10.
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CS T 1124 GET 143:42 CM109/2
CAPCOM And Ken, we need high gain AUTO, and
we'd like to verify the position of the DSE recorder switch.
CASPER Okay, you've got AUTO and the DSE is in
record and forward high bit rate.
CAPCOM Roger, copy. And Ken, the next change
is at 146-27. We want to delete all the little business
there with the gamma ray, gang step on up 4 step, step 7
shield on antenna, delete that whole line. Okay, the next
change is 146-30 at the top of the page. This is a minor
change, the film experiment status should now be plus 1111
and 02222. And if you flip the page over at 147 hours their
SIM status should be the same as before plus 111102222. At
147-12, delete image motion ON, delete mapping camera ON T
start, and also delete that block for the photo pad, mapping
camera photo pad. Okay, on the next page at 14 8 hours, right
at the top of the page we want to add, gamma ray retract to
7-1/2 feet, the time for retraction is 2 minutes 26 seconds.
At 148-05 add: Pan Camera standby, stereo power verified,
Pan Camera operate at P start. And Ken, somewhere out be-
side that, you can build you a little block if you like, to
copy the pan camera photo pad.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CS T 11:34 GET 143:52 CM110/1
CAPCOM - come around to 5 DAPS you can build you
a little block, if you like to copy the pan camera photo pads.
CAP COM At 148:17, add pan camera stand by, at T stop.
Pan camera off. MSFN cue, and gamma ray deploy.
CAP COM At 148:29 , where it talks about gamma ray
gang step et cetera, delete the middle part of that so it reads
gamma ray gang step on center.
CAP COM That should be shield on.
CAPCOM To repeat, that should be gamma ray gang step
shield on center. And right under that, at 148:30 there, delete
map set retrack to 8.4 feet.
CAPCOM At 148:30, at the top of the next column,
the SIM status should be plus 1111 02222.
CAP COM At the top of the next page 149 hours, SIM
status code should be the same as before plus 1111 02222.
CAP COM And at 149:18, the block there that refers
to pan camera stand by stero power operate T start. That little
group, this is a note. Do you see how it should be moved up.
Says that the T start that occurs at 149:16.
CAPCOM At 149:30, the SIM status code should be
plus 1211 22222.
CAPCOM And, Ken. That's all of them for now,
CASPER Okay, Hank. Let me read them back to you
and I'll just start, start back here. The last one you gave
me at 149:30, we got the status code as 1211 and 22222. We
move the pan camera block that's now at 149:18 up to a point
where the operate comes at 149:16. SIM code on that page is,
is 4 sticks and 04 duces. Same status code on the top at 148:30,
148:29 is gamma ray gang step on, or shield on. 148:20 is gamma
ray deploy, and at about 148:17 it's pan camera stand by at T stop,
and then off at MSFN command. 148:15, it's pan camera stand by
stero power and then operate at T start, and I've got a block
ready for T start and stop. At 148 even, it's gamma ray retract
to 7 and a half feet. That's 2 minutes and 26 seconds from
full retract, from full extention end.
CASPER I've deleted the mapping camera pad at 147:15.
I've deleted the block mapping camera at 147:12, oops, except for
the image motion increase, which still goes in there. I've got
a status change at the top of 147. The bottom line is now 02222.
146:27, we delete the gamma ray line. Big change at positions of
the pan camera photo pad to 148:10. Deleted the little block of
items starting with gamma ray shield off and ending with image
motion off at 146:16. And the mapping camera photo pads, 145:12 is
2 and a half REVS and ends at 23.7 west.
CAPCOM Okay, Ken. That all looked good except at
14 8:30. We wanted to make sure you deleted the masspect retractions.
CASPER Yea, sure did. I'm sorry. I just (garble)
step line .
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 11:34 GET 143:52 CM110/2
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
CASPER
of minutes ,
CAP COM
mas spe ct
re adback
out
I'll go
Yes, I'll leave the
Okay, that's a good
Okay, Henry.
If you don't have anything
back to feeding my face.
Go right ahead. I won't bother you,
else for a couple
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 11:44 GET 144:02 CM111/1
CAPCOM SAO capcom, is the T CA time in the flight plan
p ret ty good.
CAP COM I was on the wrong loop, Ken. I was just
checking a time for TCA to Descartes, and it's pretty good whats
in the flight plan. John and Charlie are on their way up to Stone
Mountain out of CINCO. Their about half way there.
CASPER Outstanding. Did they, halfway
Mountain, or halfway to Stone Mountain.
They just passed Survey Ridge.
Okay. Was that real obvious to them.
Yes, it was, and the suprising thing
trouble recognizing when they are on a ray. It's
to them on the surface.
Is that right. What looks different when
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
have no
obvious
CASPER
thei r on it.
CAP COM
the way
up to Stone
is , that
th ey
ve ry
It's just an enormous
just the way the terrain is all turned up
tell this stuff has been thrown on top.
CASPER Beautiful.
CASPER Ken, the guys are on the first one of
terraces there, they have just passing station 5 now, and
were able to recognize the ray, just by the block count.
CASPER Okay (garble).
amount of blocks, and
and then they call
tho se
they
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 11:54 GET 144:12 CM112/1
Hey, Henry. How do yon read Casper now?
Reading you 5 by 5, Ken. How me?
Oh, loud and clear. I guess you probably
comment about the glint over on Stone Mountain.
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
di dn ' t ge t my
CAP COM
a while. I gave
they w e re .
CASPER Okay, and
went on VOX, I just realized,
just gotten in a position as I
and I was taking a look at it,
Ne gative .
you a call a
I haven't heard anything for
while ago to tell you where
I answered you, and I guess I
Just as you said that, I had
passed overhead to the area,
and I had 2 things in mind.
One of them was to inspect by the landing area and I got
there to late to tell whether I had seen any of that. And
then, the next thing I did was to look over toward the ter-
races and see how they looked today and I looked over towards
the terraces and it was kind of strange because I was looking
around and I'd say, maybe you could see at this sun angle
like there might be a terrace out there, and you can see Crest
crater very plainly, and the Cincos , you have to be - I have
to be on top of the landing site to see it, and by the time
I got around to that, I was downstream a ways. But I got a
flash of light right at the base of Stone Mountain, just a
glint like a piece of metal flashing in the sunlight. I'll
betcha anything, I got a reflection off the Rover, if at about
that time they were right at the base of Stone.
That's about where they were, Ken. It's
your V49 manuever.
Okay, thank you.
And John called me up there, they're at
CAP COM
about time to
CASPER
CAP COM
Cin co .
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
that fast.
CAP COM
gimbal angle
CASPER
CAP COM
photo pad up
nebula thing,
CASPER
CAPCOM
145-12. T-start
CASPER
CAPCOM
motion change as
CASPER
CAP COM
anymore , while
start
Aire ady •
Yes, they're making good
It doesn't seem possible
time .
they could go
eye on your middle
Ken, you might keep your
on that.
Oh , ok ay .
And I need to get you your mapping camera
there before we get too involved in this gum
go ahead,
this is to
be copied at about
Okay,
Okay ,
is 145 -
Got it.
1840. Key stop 1501605 , and the
called in the flight plan are good.
Okay, D-start 1451840, stop 1501605.
Good read back, Ken. I won't bother
you're setting up.
image
you
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 11:59 GET 144:12 CM112/2
CASPER Okay, one other thing I wanted to tell
you about in the Descartes area. You remember the little
cone shaped thing that we looked at on the plotter.
CAP COM Roger.
CASPER It's to the north and mostly to the west
o f Knub .
CAPCOM That's affirmative.
CASPER Okay, well I've looked for it on 4 REVs
now and I identified the feature that it looked like it was
and it doesn't look like that at all. Just a little soft
mound with a crater in it, and it doesn't look any different
then all the other craters when you look at it from here.
CAPCOM Well, that's interesting, but disappoint-
ing.
CASPER Yes, I was too, and actually, that's
about the same score for the one that's out here by Lassell.
CAPCOM Oh, is that right?
CAPCOM In the photograph for that one there,
northwest of North Ray, it sure does look like it had a lot
darker material around it.
CASPER Yes, I know it does and I haven't had a
chance to look at it straight down, but it - from a blank
it sure looks the same as all the rest of things around
the re .
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CSX 12:04 GET 114:22 CM113/1
CAPCOM And Casper, Houston. When you get out to
do that P52 and go to SCS, ah, G&C suggest that perhaps you
ought to picture that close to gimbal lock. That middle gimbal
line or you might
CAP COM
SC
SC
that go away if I
CAPCOM
SC
CAP COM
bit a head. Star
SC
CAPCOM
SC
go minumum dead band and uncage
And a low rate on that, too.
Okay, that's not a bad plan.
Okay, and I've got a 405 here,
wait another minute.
That's affirmative.
You say affirmative on that.
That's affirmative, Ken. You
12 and 13 should be avalible.
Okay, 7 and 13, thank you.
That's 12 and 13.
Okay, 12 and 13.
the B mags
Hank
Will
wait a little
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 12:10 GET 144:28 CM-
SC Al, there's
nothing In the sextant at all. And the telescope,
haven't been able to pick up the star patterns in.
-- that's interesting. There
I still
CAP COM
SC
to press on with
1 ate r .
CAPCOM
SC
in front of
CAPCOM
you 1 ve been
SC
SC
, an d I
CAP COM
SC
to wait
has got
CAPCOM
flight plan
SC
FAO is checking into it, Ken.
And I have nothing on Star 13. I'm going
the Denebola and see if I can catch this
Okay, Ken
I suspect
those s t ars .
Ken ,
to Denebola.
Roge .
Yeah ,
we got something like the moon
maybe you can get that P52 after
That's what I
ve
Hank
h ave
this
got the
-- I
pointing
m
looked
at th e
going to try .
outs ide here ,
moon .
op 1 1 cs
Roger .
Yes, as a matter of fact, I'm
awhile here just to clear the moon.
Denebola sequence.
Roger. You should be
about 36 after.
Are you sure somebody verified that these
going to
It think
clear according to
long exposure times we're taking are going to be satisfactory
when we've got a brightly lit moon in the field of view?
And we looked at all this kind of stuff on the original
when we started coming back trying to — these things in
here on real time. I wonder if some of those things need
to be verified.
CAPCOM Roger. FAO is checking and this was
th e PI req ues t .
SC Okay, I -- we'll go ahead and take them,
but you ought to be aware that I got a beautiful earth lit
moon out here. I just passed — I believe that's Rima
Ursullas and you know, you can see features not as good as
the first night but boy, they're still a real big obvious
figures out here.
SC At least the star patterns all check
out. I've got Canopus and Regor and Atraix and all those
stars in sight.
Well, that's good.
Casper, Houston. FAO advises that they'd
wait the LOS to do the photos.
Okay, understand that you want to wait
, that'll ought to get us a little darker
like
till
s cene
CAPCOM
CAPCOM
for you
SC
LOS. Okay
t o
CAP COM
You might be —
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 COMMAND MODULE COMMENTARY 4/22/72 12:20 CST 144:38 GET CM/115/1
CASPER None, the less. Okay, that ought to get
us a little darker sheen.
CAP COM He might be pressed to get that P52 in
there after that but we'll just have to do the best we can.
CASPER Well, I'm not sure you going to get a
P52 in there either, Hank seems to me like I'm supposed to go
to a north of flight photo attitude.
CAPCOM That's affirmative and why don't we just
go ahead and scrub it -
CASPER (garble) just to make that thing - That's
what I was just going to suggest, good plan. And I'll catch
52 the next time we get in the dark, because the platform
obviously knows where it is, so we'll go ahead and get this
north of flight in here and I'm going to have it looks like
that maybe a tight one too, just to get to it but we'll get
there if we have to use a higher rate.
CAP COM Roger.
CASPER Hank, you asked me earlier about the con-
figuration of the DSE switches, was there some problem the
last time I reconfigured?
CAPCOM Inco had some data that showed it
wasn't in record and he was puzzled about it.
CASPER Well, I see I'm suppose to configure it
again in just a minute do you want me to cycle things or
anything like that?
CAPCOM Ken, Inco's going to take care of it this
time, we would like for you to verify though that you are
in the proper configuration, at this time that we thought
that you'd be busy taking all of these pictures here, I
told him to go ahead and configure it at this end so you
wouldn't have to mess with it.
CASPER Okay, I'll just verify it then.
CAPCOM And oh another check, Inco verified there
was no problem with your configuration.
CASPER Okay. I may be mistaken, Hank, but I
believe that I can see the outer two rings of Oriental now.
I'm just coming up on the Earth-side terminator and I can
see a big circular basin that's really a big guy, fills the
whole window. I can see reflections off the far rim and
off the near rim and I've got two concentric rings with
some flat area some little build ups in it really looks
hilly in there. That's a spectacular sight, which we
could see it in daylight.
CAP COM Roger.
CAPCOM Okay, Ken, we're about 4 minutes from LOS
everything's looking good down on this end and just to pass
on something about the guys on the surface, they got a real good
view of South Ray from where they are they say that - that the
crater the ejecta from South Ray is two different kinds of
material. There's some dark material and then a light
material that we call ray material so he said there's other
APOLLO 16 COMMAND MODULE COMMENTARY 4/22/72 12:20 CST 144:38 CM115/2
CAPCOM ejecta right along with it in all directions
but it there's dark and light.
CASPER How about that? I think I told you yesterday
that - that it appears to me that the interior of North and
South Rays are significantly different.
CAPCOM Roger.
CASPER South Ray shows a great deal of dark and
light splotches and North Ray just doesn't show that real
dramatic difference.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 13:14 GET 145:32 CM116/1
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
I went to a
Casper, Houston.
Hello, there .
Hello. Did you have a busy REV.
(Laughter) Yea, that was a little tight,
half degree persecond and we made it. Seems like
had somethings that I needed to bring
me see if I can findout where I wrote
you up to s peed
them down.
on .
Let
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 13:24 GST 145:42 CM-117/1
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
earner a .
CASPER
the power ' s of f .
Casper the computer's yours.
Okay, thank you.
Casper we're ready for power off on the pan
Okay, I'll get that in just a second. Okay
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 13:34 GET 145:52 CM118/1
CAPCOM CASPER you're awful quite.
CASPER Yea I'm doing a little hous ecleaning .
CAPCOM Roger. And I here your radio running
while you're doing it.
CASPER Oh yea. This ones kind of appropriate.
Are you familiar with Mr. Holtz's Sweep the Planets?
CAP COM No I'm not .
CASPER Well it seemed like that was an appropriate
thing to bring along.
CAPCOM Roger.
(Mus i c)
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY kill 111 CST 13:44 GET 146:02 CM119/1
CASPER You know, Hank. You wouldn't think you
loose something in only 12 feet. Right now, I probably got
more things lost than I've got found.
CAPCOM (Laughter) Roger.
CASPER Somewhere I lost the ring site that goes on
the TV camera and the Hasselblad. And it's probably where ever
I put it. And unfortunately I just don't happen to know where
that is. I guess that really the only piece of operating equipment
that I have misplaced, and that's pretty good considering the
shambles that this place generally stays in.
CASPER It's really puzzling. I've been setting
here, one of the reason I'm not saying an awful lot, is I'm trying
to get some kind of an idea in my head as to, how you would describe
the differences between the front and the back of materials, and
that's really hard. Does everytime you look for a objective
thing, you really kind of find that there's alot of similarities,
when you get down to the details. It's not clear that the backside
is, would be that much different from the front if we'd put a few
mare's in there and a couple of the big rilles. One of the things
I noticed about most of the craters on the backside are the larger
ones. Even the ones with the steep interiors do not have any kind
of a block or (garble) around the outsides. I should say none, but
it's very seldom you have to stop and look for each block. But
there are a few craters like Chebyshev and a couple like that, in
fact they have large blocks around the outside. King is anogher
one that has the outer flanks of King look very much like the center
feature in the interior.
CASPER Now, I got North and South Ray again, and -
CAPCOM John's probably at station 5 now, Ken.
CASPER Okay, I guess I really can't say I see them.
CAPCOM They're packing up to move on down to station
6 now .
CASPER Okay. I can see 1, 2, 3 distinct layers, and
it looks like several streams of material that go from the interior
of South Ray over to, one of them points out goes in South Ray
and over lift and down the outside. And it points over towards
Baby Ray, and I'm trying to look at the material. All those things
where you said we could see all those (garble) and things that we
looked at back at in the (garble) Descartes, just don't show, Hank.
CAP COM Roger.
CASPER And I'm looking down into the floor of Delambre
and it looks like Delambre has two different units. One that kind
of floods In from the west, it looks like it sort of fills the floor
there. All that stuff we talked about and all those things we
looked at in the plotter are apparently below the resolution of
what I can see with these binoculars. And in general as the sun
comes up, my first impression with the lower sun, was that the
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 13:44 GET 146:02 CM119/2
CASPER material to the, of Stone and Smoky were the
same and the Descartes (garble) material was also part of the
same thing. As the sun angle comes up, it starts to change it's
charater a little bit, and it's looking more like the plotter
photo' s .
CAPCOM Roger. It sure seems that the sun angle really
effects what, what you're able to see, and I guess you about ready
to look at Alphonsus. Is that correct?
CASPER That's correct.
CASPER Yeah, we're just coming up on Alpetragius,
(garbled) now. I wish we could get a couple more of those
light photo passes. That was the one time when the windows
were really pointing in the direction you would like
to have them. Other than that you have a permanent crick in
yo ur ne ck .
CASPER I've looked at Alphonsus on quite a few of
our revs and if the low suns there was absolutely no - nothing
I could say about dark halos around those little craters. Now
this time I look at them and there is a very obvious dark
halo, and it looks exactly like the dark halos you see around
the two craters to the south of Theophilus. I've looked for
some topographic or surface features that might be different
between the northern and southern halves of Alphonsus and I've
had absolutely no luck at all with that. I see now one, two,
three, distinct dark halo areas and probably a fourth one.
The rim of Alphonsus and the rim
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 1354 GET 146:12 CM120/1
CASPER I see now 12 3 distinct dark halo areas
and probably a fourth one. The rim of AlPhonsus and the
rim of Theophilus are inseparable. Here I am right now,
I haven't quite gotten to it yet. The long north south
trending linament that runs through Alphonsus looks just
like the photographs and does indeed run up there, and it
runs through the wall and looks like it's an extension of
the little crater chain that runs through Theophilus. Hadley's
Rille and the floor of Theophilus looks just like it does in
Alphonsus, I don't see any really significant difference.
The only thing I can say about the dark halo area is, in
Alphonsus, is that, now I can't get the binoculars on them.
I can't get close enough to the window. And if you remember
that one that we looked at the blowups of I'm looking at that
now and yeah, there's a slight albedo difference or a darking
of the material around it. It doesn't look any different than
any other down there. It's filled on the western flank, it
has a slightly raised rim around the eastern side, it's very
subtle, it looks very subdued. It looks just like all the
rest of the craters that you all over the rest of the Moon,
nothing significant about it, except it's setting. I really
don't see any relationship between Davy and Davy's chain with
any other feature that shows Theophilus or the surroundings.
(garble) I can't even get over far enough to take a good look at
Alpetragius. Balmer is just about out of the field of view.
And one thing I am going to try to take a look at and I don't
know if we have enough sun yet, and I'm going to use these
bi-level red and blue filters and take a look at LaSalle Sea.
And see whether or not there's any enhancement that's com-
parable to what we've seen in the photographs of the red and
blue filters. And just looking at these things directly through
the filters you don't see anything there at all, I didn't really
think you would but it was an interesting thing to try.
CAPCOM Roger, copy.
CASPER And I do see a lot of, that little crater
that is out to the west of LaSalle Sea, the one that looks
like it has a little (garble. It's very obvious now that
the sun come up higher and it does look a little different,
but there's so many of these little craters and little moun-
tain things that stick up through the floor of the Mare, but's
not real obvious that that's anything out of the ordinary.
CAPCOM Can you see a little bright ray there?
CASPER Say again.
CAPCOM There should be a little bright ray, I
think isn't it? Right near the perspective dark cone?
CASPER Uh , I didn't see any bright ray around it.
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 13:54 GET 146:12 CM-120/2
CASPER No sir. And you can see all of Fra Mauro
area now and Rlma Parry system stands out. You can see Parry,
Bonpland And most of the highlands material that's over to
east of Fra Mauro, itself all has the same appearance as though
it belongs to the same pattern.
CAPCOM You ought to be approaching the terminator,
now. Is that right?
CASPER Yes, sir. And I have been rather impressed
with the fact that most of these little grabens or rilles, in
the low sun it appears to me that the floors of these things
have a lower crater density in general than the outsides of
the craters, the crater density on the outside would be of the
rille itself. You can see this in low sun angle quite dramatically
And just to the west of Fra Mauro area we've got another rille
coming up. And in places it looks like it has little, little
ridge around it. When you get to real low suns in this very
model surface it looks more like your looking at some of those
sponges and things you see on the ocean floor than it does any
part of the Moon, way it will look when the sun comes up.
Okay, Hank, do you have a couple of photo pads for me?
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 14:04 GET 146:22 CM121/1
p ads
it
s t op
CASPER
for me?
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
pan camera pad
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
148 17 14.
CAP COM
former corona pad.
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
CAPCOM
camera pad, T start
CASPER
CAPCOM
CAP COM
I've got a couple
to get up on the
CASPER
CASPER
CAPCOM
Okay, Hank, so you have a couple of photo
I sure do.
Okay. Why don't you fire away.
Okay, the first ones at 4 - 148
10 and
Okay .
T start 148 07
Okay. T start
Okay .
14,
for
T stop 14 8
pan camera
17 14,
148 07
14
At 149 05 on the next page your
Okay .
149 02
149
And
149
149
Roger,
And if
comments
16
25 p an
pan camera.
56 .
02 56.
the same page, down at 149
16 24, T stop 149 38 04.
24 and 149 38 04 for the
good readback.
you've got your scratch pad handy
I'd like to - questions I'd like
Guillo you mentioned a while ago.
Okay, standby, let me get it.
Okay . Go ahead.
Okay, you described this big hole with a
black blob and the question is, is the big hole a crater or
does it look more like a volcanic vent?
CASPER Well it looks to me like a
all the rest of the craters around here except
crater. Like
it occurs in
But I ve been looking for similar
of these big real large
craters in their walls too
you - does
(laughs) Well, I can't
Okay, we just want
the blob look at
the side of a crater wall
features and there's quite a few
craters which have similar sized
so I wouldn't say that anomalous
CAPCOM Roger and do
all like lava?
CASPER
right now to see —
CAPCOM
q ues tions .
CASPER -- a few things look like flows. One of
them is - Yeah, obviously that one of the things I don't
think we're going to be able to answer that question. At
least I can't. But it looks just like the material you see
coming down the side of the mountains to the north of Flagstaf.
get close enough
you to have these
I know that s lava,
thing, I don't know
back side where you
you follow them far
get lost. Now this
but, whether this is the same sort of
because there is so many places on the
see what appears to be flow lines and if
enough, you find some place where they
one has a real dark sediment material
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 14:04 GET 146:22 CM-121/2
CASPER When I say real dark, I mean dark compared to
the rest of the Moon and it's - it seems to be consisting
of 2 different flows or 2 different units; one much lighter
and closer to the regular lunar surface. Both of them are
darker though and the dark ones look like the same kind of
dark material. I say it looks the same as what you see
subtle expressions in the little domes in King along the
cen tral pe ak .
Casper, could you put took the
Oh! Yes sir. It's on.
Thank you.
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
CAP COM
on how large
CASPER
me get a
laser altimeter
Let
due
the
the
the
the
Okay, and
this feature is?
Oh , Oh, I
scale on Guillo.
west of the wall pointing
crater is about, between
could you give us an estimate
was afraid you'd ask
The crater is in the
to Loboschesky and I
a quarter and a third
that?
almos t
would say
the diameter
a quarter and a third
crater Guillo up to
diameter of the crater is between
total depth from the floor of the
rim.
CAPCOM Roger, copy. And re-re- you got another
opportunity to look at this thing on the next rev, I think.
Our figures here show that your time of closest approach is
147 31 04. And you should be able to see it through window
4 and then window 3 as you go by. And this is just information
if you do want to take another look and take a stab at these
questions and any other things you see about it.
CASPER Okay, I been - I commented on this thing
I thought, some time yesterday, the first time I saw it. I've
been looking at it periodically. Unfortunately it ocurrs at
the same time King does and you get all wrapped around the
action trying to figure out which one you need to work on.
CAPCOM Okay. Just threw this out in case you
wanted to take a look at it.
CASPER Yeah, thank
couple of pictures of it.
CASPER Let's see. I'll try to whip off
for you here before I start to exercise.
CAPCOM Hey, that's real good, Ken. We were hoping
you'd donate a couple minutes of your exercise period to that.
CASPER I'm so far behind on exercise now that I
never exercise again. It's really going to hurt when I
back and have to go to work.
CAPCOM Ken, you have been getting some exercise
You haven't been omitting these exercise periods have you?
CASPER No
that just isn't much.
I got you a
a P52
may
get
No. But that just isn't - you know -
I can hardly get a heart rate enough
em
to even tell it's there. Doesn't seem like I can change
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 14:04 GET 146:22 CM-121/3
CASPER with the equipment we have.
CAPCOM Okay. Well, we want you to take full advantage
of all these.
CASPER Naw, I'm getting my exercise. (laughs)
Yeah, well, you feel better when you get through after having
done something like that. Even though I don't think it's
enough exercise to amount to anything.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 COMMAND MODULE COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 14:14 GET 146:32 CM122/1
CASPER Amount to anything (laughs) Yeah, well, ya
feel better when you get through having done something like that.
Even though I - I don't think it's enough exercise to amount
to anything. It just makes you feel better. I advocate doing
' em .
CAPCOM Casper, we have the angles. You're a clear
start.
CASPER Okay, I'll catch it at 50.
CAPCOM And you better get your camera set up, Ken,
for the sun ray photos.
CASPER Okay, thank you.
CAPCOM And when you get to that, you might as well
do your exercises. I don't want to interfere with that. I'll
just give you a brief call prior to LOS.
CASPER Okay.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY A/24/72 CST 14:24 GET 146:42 CM-123/1
CAPCOM Casper, Houston, do you read? your looking
good at LOS. And we'd like you to verify the DSCS doubles.
CAPCOM Casper if you still read the surgeon says
you got your heart rate up to 90 now.
CASPER Hank, according to that theory it sounds
like the hardest work I've done in this flight was lift off.
CAPCOM Roger. Hey, Inco, says he's going to take
care of the taperecorder but you might ought to verify.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/24/72 CST 15:12 GET 147:30 CM-124/1
CASPER Hello there.
CAPCOM Hello, Ken, how did it go on the last pass?
CASPER Oh, it went all the way around, came back
out front side and got exercise, got some terminator pictures,
and got a good look at Gooyo again. I guess I'm going to have
to going to have to make a few corrections to my size estimate
on that thing at Gooyo. It looks like the crater that it's
coming out of is really like half the size of the Gooyo, feature.
Instead of what I'd said before, about a third. And not only
that but the I saw something else this time that was also went
unnoticed before. The crater is located right at the top of
the rim and works its way down to about half way, then this
dark material comes out, and there's 2 shades of this dark
material. Then this striation that shows up is like all the rest
of these lineaments we've been seeing all over the Moon. And
I think I remember saying something as I passed Theophilus
on one of our early REVS, right after we got here, that it
looked like these patterns that we see that are all over the
surface are on the sides of every hill and every vertical
surface they all seem to follow the contours of any local
topography. There's a like at Theophilus I first noticed
it here on the crater rim, there's a lot of little craters up
along the sides and those little craters that are up along the
sides left impressions down inside the these striations that
run around the rest of the Moon, or the rest of the crater
interior. And that happens every where you look.
CAPCOM Could there be fractures or something like
that?
CASPER Well that was what I was wondering if these
are shocked reflections or something like that. Then I guess
that still is a reasonable hypothesis. Except these things
are all over the surface, every where you look, places where
you really wouldn't expect to see shocks, but you know maybe
they're there after all.
CAP COM Did you happen to observe going by King
this time anything up to the north, any expression at all of
the Soviet Mountain?
CASPER Yeah, I been looking for those for quite
a few REVS now and I cannot follow the rays of King out to
the north and make any conclusions at all about. I can see
some of the ray material that comes down from King but or
comes out from King, I should say, but I'm really having no
luck at all tracing that stuff to the north. Then I started
looking for the Soviet Mountains and when you look north and
south way out on the horizon there you get the impression that
there north and south (garble) very subtle constructional build,
but I'm not sure isn't just the way we're looking at it, be-
cause every time you look cross sun you're going to see that
sort of pattern. Anything that's there is going to show up
and if you put it enough of these craters together they are
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 15:12 GET 147:30 CM-124/2
CASPER bound to make a line, so I can't really
say that I see one, it appears to me that if there is there's
a very, very shallow rise which instead of calling it a moun-
tain range I would call it more like a plateau front similiar
to the Kant Plateau rise as it comes up from behind Theophilus.
CAPCOM Could you give us high gain auto position?
CASPER You have auto.
CAPCOM Okay, I guess the laser altimeter is down
to about 50% now and the ground site is not going to goover that
part so we're not going to get any laser information to give us
any data on the topography in that area
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 15:22 GET 147:40 CM- 125/1
CAPCOM See the laser altimeter is down about 50
percent now. And the ground track is not going to go over
that far, so we're not going to get any laser information to
give us any data on the topography in that area and that's why
we're particularly interested in your observations of whether
there is actual rise in the topography there or not.
CASPER It's real hard to say. I'd say if there is
it - it's like a plateau though, acts very subtle.
CAPCOM Ken, could you give us wide beam width
and then back to narrow.
CASPER
back and
CASPER Okay,
Okay .
You want me to try auto again.
Okay, Ken, go back to auto.
Okay, think you got it that time.
Anything else to report on your backside
go
t ry - er .
A-a-a that doesn't
I get ya got
seem to help. Let me
it back in narrow
CAPCOM
CASPER
CAPCOM
CASPER
CAPCOM
observations, Ken'
CASPER
CAPCOM
backside observations?
CASPER
there again. The more I study that one feature,
with it, which is sort of what you would expect,
nice cause it
like there is
Say again, Hank.
Do you have any other comments about the
N aw , I guess there's some stuff around King
the more I
And kind a
s right on the ground tracks so often. Looks
a lot of material that I would call an ejecta
see
blanket that comes out from it. It seems to climb up the side
of craters around it, surrounding it. And it looks definite
like there is some kind of a flow and again I would characterize
it more as a mud flow than anything else. It looks like it
comes out of that southeastern corner. The stuff that goes
out to the northeast and to the northwest is all, looks like
it comes out a lot faster.
CAPCOM Roger. Can you see any expression on that
central feature out to the north?
CASPER Say again, please.
CAPCOM The central feature there - the Y in the
King crater. Can you see any expression of that out to
the north, through the north wall of the crater up toward the
n orth ?
CASPER Naw, no better than you can looking at the
photographs. There's a lot of light material up there that
has what looks like dark material sticking through it. It
looks that way very obviously, looks like there's rocks and -
it's still hard to determine if that's rocks or if those are
shadows, but I've seen it a couple of time looking back from
the - from west to east and it still looks like hard shadows
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 15:22 GET 147:40 CM-125/2
be dark material or a block at
so it must
shadows .
Roger. We're going to have the rest of
up date for you later in this rev Ken, and
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
thought for
CAP COM
CASPER
about - have
you'd better.
It b el on gs
CASPER
least, rather than
CAP COM
your flight plan up date for you later in this rev Ken, and I
noticed it's supposed to be your eat period and I don't want to
eat up to much of that, if you'll pardon the expression, so I'll
hush up for a while.
After a pund like that.
Roger .
That was so bad, Hank, J.t belongs on our
the day board.
Roger.
Hank, did the surface guys say anything
they seen any different kind of material? I guess -
I understood all they saw yesterday was breccia. Have they
seen anything else this morning?
CAP COM Standby.
CAPCOM Ken, most of the things they've seen today
are breccia again. They did find one rock they thought was
crystalline, but there is some doubt about it.
CASPER. Well, based on our past experience, when
you see
guess .
crystalline rock it s best to be quiet about it, I
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/24/72 CST 15:42 GET 148:00 CM126/1
CASPER Okay, the gamma ray is coming to retract.
Mark .
CAP COM Roger.
CASPER Barber pole and my watch has started.
CASPER And Hank, how about if I put the pan
camera to power at the same time I take the image motion so
I can have a couple extra seconds to look at the landing area.
CAPCOM That's fine, Ken.
Okay, image motion is barber pole, pan
by stereo hour, barber pole in gray.
Copy .
And the gamma ray boom is coming off,
CASPER
camera is stand
CAPCOM
CASPER
mark .
CAPCOM
CASPER
features in
CASPER
and banding
looks like.
CAPCOM
CASPER
CAPCOM
going to get
CASPER
going to go
Roge r .
Boy, as the sun angle comes up, now, the
the landing area are really fading out.
There is more evidence of terracing
in Smokey Mountain than there is in - (garbled) it
to
How close are they going to get to that.
At this sun angle I can see 1, 2 say again.
I was just curious how close they were
those bands on their trip to North Ray.
Yeah, well, the other thing is they were
down to Ravine and looks to me like the material
at Ravine is about the same material thats around North Ray.
If they get there and come up the way their scheduled to it
looks like their going to be in the same unit that they would
have gotten down at Ravine. You really have to look at this
stuff at all sun angles because you see different things
from hour to hour, really amazing. How we doing on the
pan camera?
CAPCOM Still got a little over a minute to go,
I'll give you a call.
CASPER Alright, sir. It sure looks like that
stuff that comes into the - looks like North Ray was blasted
into a piece of Smokey Mountain what it really looks like.
And the Smokey Mountain and the stuff out to the east of
there is really probably all from the same stuff.
CAPCOM Casper, about 15 seconds to T start.
CASPER
CAP COM
Ok ay , we
Roge r .
re operate barber pole and gray
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 15:52 GET 148:10 CM-127/1
CASPER You, know it's very Interesting down here
in Alpetragius there's a lot of the linear features that line
up with the Imbrium sclupture. They come right down, come through
Alpetragius go through the central peak, come right to the south-
ern wall they go on out and one of them goes on down and hits the
rim of Arzachel.
CAPCOM That sounds pretty interesting there, Ken.
CASPER I'm looking at LaSsell Sea and a little
highlands that's by it. And remember we had a red and blue
color difference and right now the southern piece with a crater
in it is sort of a tan color and northern piece is gray, when
I look at the Mare I see a big swatch of the tan colored Mare down
to the south that goes over towards Guericke and I see a tone
of darker gray material. The area around LaSSlleSea has the
tan tone to it, and it goes out about as far as our little
cone and little bright crater next to it, that's about the
outer limits, maybe just a little beyond. Then there's a
patch of this tan stuff that's down to south and about lines
up with Arzachel Rille that's over to the southeast then there's
a patch of the gray colored Mare down inside of that. There's
just a little circular piece. And looking at the Lassell Sea,
feature , I look at it in detail it appears to me that this
tan stuff on the south end of it has fewer craters than the
stuff to the north, although not an awful lot, but there's
little pitted craters all over the northern part, there not
in the southern part and there are a couple of light streaks
bands that appear in the southern (garble) that you don't see
in the n o r th .
CAP COM Can you still see Lassell?
CASPER Say again, Hank.
CAPCOM Can you still see Lassell?
CASPER Just barely, yeah.
CAPCOM Okay, I was just curious why we don't see
that little dark feature that's been reported there near the
bright one. Up to the west of Lassell Sea.
CASPER Oh, you do, Hank, I didn't mean to say
you didn't see it. I said it doesn't look like what we saw
before. What we thought we saw. It's a smooth sided
thing uh , let me get the binocs on it. Smooth sided but
through the binoculars it doesn't look at all like a cone.
It looks like a little dome with one side of it broken out.
CASPER And there are several little domes out
here now that I hadn't seen before.
CAPCOM When you say side broken out, do you mean
like a fractured out piece, or does it look more like a crater?
CASPER Well through the visual, just through you
eyeball it looks like — we'll have to catch that again
later, but it looked through the eyeball like it had a crater
in it.
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY kill 111 CS T 15:52 GET 148:10 CM-127/2
When I got the binoculars
of it was broken out.
Any evidence of where it went?
h ow
to
That's a loaded question,
Next thing you're going to want to know is
there .
Are the other domes similiar in appearance
Uh , yeah, they're not as large. And I hadn't
just now, they're right in the corner of the
It's going to take a little work to find them.
Are they all complete or do they have pieces
CASPER
like just a section
CAP COM
CASPER No sir.
CAPCOM Roger.
CASPER
it came to be
CAP COM
that one?
CASPER
seen those before
window as usual.
CAP COM
missing also?
CASPER
them and the best
CAPCOM
CASPER
could have gotten
too. I'm going to
do that.
CAP COM
CASPER
and put the gamma
CAP COM
CASPER Okay, and the power
camera, mark. The gamma ray boom is on
barber pole. And I guess you'd like to
on it it looked
I just saw them at the
tell they are complete
time I mentioned
H ank ,
I could
Ok ay .
But, I'll have to take another look, I
caught with a crater that inverted on me
have to look carefully to make sure I didn't
Uh , Ken, we're about 15 seconds from T-stop.
Okay, stand by. How about if I go ahead
ray out?
Roger, go ahead and the lenses
" s coming
its' way
have the
is st owe d .
off the pan
out with a
shield off
m
about it I'll do that. And I'm ready to copy your
Or whatever things you said you had there.
And, Ken, could you get the mass spec on
at 1--
change and
OFF and
while
pads.
CASPER
CAPCOM
for us all?
CASPER It's off.
CAPCOM Roger. Okay the first change is
CASPER Did we lose an element?
CAPCOM Negative, that was a flight plan
we're just getting to it. We want to look at it REV
then we're going to bring it back on.
CASPER Okay, that was the one that we had agreed
was a don't waste time call, and I thought maybe you just
watched an element burn out.
CAPCOM Negative, I
I hollered that. The first
39 .
CASPER Go ahead.
CAPCOM Okay, after
gamma ray deploy pan camera
for
149
add
guess I should have warned
change after that comes at
pan camera stand by
OFF , parenthes MS FN
I don't know whether you can squeeze it in there or
at T-stop,
cue. And
not , but we
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 15:52 GET 148:10 CM-127/3
CAPCOM also want to add mass spec discrimator HIGH
up ,
CASPER Okay, I got gamma ray deploy, after pan
camera to stand by, at 149:38 I'll get the pan camera off -
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 16:03 GET 148:21 CM128/1
CASPER Okay, I've got gamma deploy after pan
camera to stand by at 149:38. I'll get the pan camera off
till you tell me - or when you tell me. I'll take the mass
spec discriminator to high.
CAPCOM That's affirmative and in the little
lift band update block, there cancel - delete photo pad PC
photo pad, UV photo pad and the maneuver pad and change the
TEI 53 to TEI 54.
Okay .
Alrighty at 149:45 mass spec discriminator
53 to TEI
CASPER
CAP COM
to low valve.
CASPER
149 : 45 .
CAPCOM
SIM experiment
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
next time.
Okay, mass spec discriminator low at
On the next page at 150 hours
status code to plus 1211 02222.
Hey , Hank .
Roger, what.
Your getting in the areas
How about let me go ahead and
Th a t ' s a
I'll mis s
AOS
sunrise solar corona set up.
if I don't get it just right
CAPCOM Okay.
CASPER Can I get the rest
CAPCOM That's affirmative
CASPER Okay, thank you.
CASPER Data shields on.
CAPCOM Copy.
ch an g e th e
where we got
work on this
time
i t .
critical guy that
of those updates, then?
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 COMMAND MODULE 4/22/72 148:31GET 16:13CST CM-129/1
CAPCOM Casper, Houston, we're about 4 minutes or
so from LOS. We may lose the high gain here shortly, every-
things looking good at this point, and Inco says it might
help on acquisition to tweak your dials a little bit to
pitch 10 yaw 0 for the next acquisition. And I would like to
remind you to configure your DSE.
CASPER Okay, Hank, thank you.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 1711 GET 149:29 CM-130/1
out
s un
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
j us t rl ght on
Casper, Houston.
Hello Houston, are you there?
Roger. How's it going'
Ah , j us t
th e money .
fine. That last sequence worked
Last frame off and up came the
CAPCOM
filter?
CASPER
just a little bit
rotate the filter
What could you see through your polaroid
Ah, it doesn't do a
of polarizing done by
it brightens and dims
I checked it against different types of
material and the lighter things and they
exactly the same way. I can't see any -
thing. There's apparently
the windows. And as I
the scene just slightly,
material, the darker
all seem to respond
- I can see any effects
of polarizing from the surface reflection at all.
CAPCOM I believe I would have expected a difference.
CASPER That time as I went by King I took a look
at a little different approach. I started out with the central
peek and I tried to follow it from the North. And it appeared
to me perhaps those central peeks three prongs - - I was looking
at the crater blocks that are on them and then I looked at the
floor and there's a lot of crater blocks laying on the floor
in between the two main tongues of the central fork. The - -
it appears to me now that maybe there were three of those pieces
of central peek that run out instead of two. And that perhaps
they curve a little bit over to the right. Because you do see
a line of the late material that continues on to the North for
quite a distance. That's the same thing we have seen on the
photos. First time that I've been able to see any continuous
change that goes between the central peak into the walls. And
I'd like to look one more time and see if there's any variation
in the number of blocks that Isee, as I look ci r cumf e ren ci ally
around the walls. Perphaps there is where the expression of the
peek goes through I may find a higher concentration of blocks.
That's what I'd like to look for next. But it looks like perhaps
if those central features do go through the wall that they must
take a slight curve to the right. As the sun angle comes down
these things that I reported as swirls look more and more like
swirls than they did at the higher sun, which is just backwards
would have anticipated.
Ken we're coming up on 2 stop for the pan
from what I
CAP COM
earner a.
CASPER
CASPER
the gamma ray
CAP COM
CASPER
CAPCOM
off on the pan
Thank you sir.
And it's off. Or stand by I should say
is going back out.
Casper, (garble)
Mass spect discriminator is
And
Casp e r ,
came ra .
yo're clear prepare
going
t o go
to h i gh
power
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 1711 GET 149:29 CM-130/2
CASPER Okay. Pan camera power is off.
CAPCOM Your comment that there may be a 3rd fork
in that thing is kind of interesting. If you use your imagination
you might see it in the photograph although I'm not too sure.
CASPER Well it's kind of a tenuous thing to be
saying. I'll have to look some more, but I started by tracing
the blocks down the ridge of one of the peeks and following it
and it looked like it curved and I just followed it around and
sure enough it looked like it hit a place along the wall where
there might have been a higher concentration of blocks. And
in the length of time your overhead with this window orientation
that's about - - you get this little bitty bits and pieces. That's
were that polaroid sure would be nice if you see something
like that and you'd like to think about it and plan you next
pass instead of doing all your planning in realtime you lay
that picture out in front of you and take a look at it and
then come back next time a little smarter.
CAPCOM Yeah, that'd be nice. Shame we don't have
it .
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY A/22/12 CST 17:22 GET 139:40 CM131/1
CAP COM
Casper, could you give us Auto on the
high
gain?
CASPER
Okay. How about that?
CAP COM
Thank you.
CAP COM
Casper, we're ready for a discriminator
low .
CASPER
Okay. Discriminator's going back to
low .
Mark it.
CAP COM
And I have the rest of these Flight
P lan
changes for
you. Just give me a call when you're
ready to take them.
CASPER
Okay, I'll finish my little chores
he re
and be with
you.
CASPER
Okay, Henry. Ready to copy.
CAP COM
Okay, Ken. We left off, I think, about
150
hours .
CASPER
Yes, sir.
CAP COM
Okay. That SIM code should plus all
one '
s and then 0
all two ' s .
CASPER
Okay. Plus all one's and 0 all two's.
CAP COM
And at the same time, we want to delete
the
PC Standby through the PC Operate T Start.
CAP COM
We want to keep the comment in there
about the image
mot ion .
CASPER
Okay. That's deleted. Okay.
CAP COM
Okay. At 150:10, delete the Pan Camera
Photo PAD.
CASPER
Okay. That PAD' s deleted.
CAP COM
Okay. And starting there at about
150:13, we want to delete everything except - Maybe I
ought to read off what we ought to delete. Delete the
Pan Camera Mono; delete the Pan Camera Standby. We want
to keep the Mapping Camera stuff. Delete Pan Camera Off;
delete the - Stand by.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4-22-72 GET 150:01 CST 17:43 CM-133/1
CASPER Okay, in this higher sun, it sure appears
that the — the bright things that run down into -- come out
of the Descartes bright spot and run north seem to be centered
around that's Dollond. I guess that's Dollond B or A or what-
ever that thing is. And I try to trace the boundaries and all
this material that's in the -- what we call the furough
Descartes it runs up and becomes part of Smokey Mountain.
That material looks just exactly like most of that stuff on
the backside except it may be a little bit darker. I think
that's the sun angle. That whole area has that same characteristic
t o me .
CAPCOM Roger. You remember that northwest,
southeast trendon we saw in the vicinity of North Ray — and it
looked like there was some offsets in those grobbins and can
you see any of that in there?
CASPER Just a second, I'm not sure about that.
But it does appear to me as if the -- the floor that the LM
has landed on is indeed a different unit that sticks in and
it's more part of this Cayley material that's further out to
the west and it does go back just about the way we had drawn
the boundaries. Say again your question.
CAPCOM I just remember on the plotter, we looked
at what appeared to be some grobbins that came across Smokey
Mountain and down to the southeast of it and going back up to
the northwest and they were all offset like they may have been
some faulting in that area.
CASPER Okay, well I'm not sure what that all is
Hank. That same texture that -- that has many patterns and
linear lines and they make kind of a hash -- that same thing
appears all over the surfaces when you look at it in detail.
I think I can probably take a picture of most any one of these
places down here and analyze it in depth and come up with a
very similar picture. And especially the things on the back-
side look exactly like that Descartes area. It's just that
that Descartes area is a very small place and you see so much
on the back side that covers that same kind of thing.
CAPCOM John and Charlie reported, I guess that
just south of between the -- where the LM landed and Stone
Mountain what appeared to be a subdued crater that was some
300 meters in diameter and maybe 50 meters deep that didn't
show on our map. Were you able to -- can you detect something
like that?
CASPER There's so much noise down there Hank,
I can hardly understand you. Would you say again. Sounds like
you're trying to shout over a football game.
CAP COM Roger, I'll try again, I guess Charlie
reported a very large crater, maybe some 300 meters in diameter
that was between the LM site and Stone Mountain. They were on
Okay, I concur.
Okay, and in addition, back up at 150:18
to add in there mass spec ION source on up.
Okay, you want to add the mass spec
150 : 18.
ION
That's affirmative, sir.
APOLLO 16, MISSION COMMENTARY, 4-22-72, CST 17:33, GET149:51 CM-132/1
CAPCOM Okay, delete the mapping camera and source
off, delete the experiment standby, delete the caution,
delete the mapping camera retract, delete X-ray standby,
delete gamma ray retract, delete the MSFN block there - the
whole block - delete the mapping camera retract, delete the
mapping camera laser altimeter cover close, delete POO, enable
all jetts, delete the verb 49 maneuver thing, both lines and
the high gain remark, and that should leave us with mapping
camera off, T stop, wait 30 seconds, mapping camera standby,
image motion off, laser altimeter off, Alpha particle X-ray
cover close.
CASPER
CAPCOM
now, we want
CASPER
source on at
CAPCOM
still got the
status should
CASPER
CAPCOM
the last digit
CASPER
CAPCOM
CASPER
CAP COM
delete both
CASPER Okay,
CAPCOM Okay,
CASPER
CAPCOM
in here somewhere
to do it . But -
CASPER
telescope and I'm
and make it
CAP COM
CASPER
An d we — we
the experiment
there
urine dump in there and 150:30,
be plus 1110 01222 .
Okay that's plus all I's 01222.
Negative. In the first register
3 0. Because we got the -
Okay .
Alpha particle closed.
10 . Ro g .
Okay, and right after that we want to
of those P52's, both the option 3 and option 1.
they're deleted,
that does it for now,
Ken .
It didn't leave much did it?
I tell you one thing you want to squeeze
and I'm not sure where's the right place
I have yet to pick up a star pattern
gonna take one of these backside areas
concerted effort to do that.
Al ri gh t .
I can see plenty of stars
in the
here
all over the
place outside and I just can't see a thing through that
telescope. And I know we could when we were in Earths orbit,
Cause the first thing I thought was that we didn't have
it, and then I waited until we got around and looked at a
bright part of the sky and we got hold of Scorpian and it
was there and it was all beautiful and now I look out there
and it's just - there's just nothing there. It's just
black. And that's after getting well dark adapted.
CAPCOM
CASPER
Where did they go?
I don't know, maybe it was their eat
APOLLO 16, MISSION COMMENTARY, 4-22-72, CST 17: 33, GET 149:51 CM-132/2
dump
period, and they're all out to lunch.
Hey Henry .
Go ahead.
You know, we were going to separate the
from the other dumps on one of these passes
getting
I' 11
CASPER
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
- the water
somewhere and I don't know where that is but we're not
very much collected and we probably ought to - I think
just hang onto it until it comes time to use it.
CAP COM Okay.
CASPER Ha.
CASPER I'm looking at the little bright crater
that has the array excluded zone that is just south of
Madler and it looks like there is a little bit of a -
like there's a little topographic high that runs right down
one ridge of that ray exclusion zone, that's the
goes to the south. And it looked like there was
dark material in there and maybe in another pass
a chance to see it better.
Where is it you're looking, Ken?
one that
a little
I'll get
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
excluded zone
Say again, Hank
Where are you looking now?
That's a little bright crater with a ray
that's just about south of Madler, And I'm
looking at Madler now and that stuff that makes the bright
ray material going out to the east seems to come up to the
rim, you can see it, it's brighter in that area along going
down the inside of the rim, then there's a bright streak that
runs across the central area right across and up the other
side and then it sorta stops when it gets to the other rim,
but there's a faint evidence of another continuation of that
s t re ak .
CAP COM
CASPER
That's in Madler?
That's in Madler, yes
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4-22-72 GET 150:01 CST 17:43 CM-133/2
CAPCOM
t
their way back from station 8 and this
thing wasn't on that map but it was very obvious to them that
they were driving.
I'll look and see. I really had not taken
compare feature just one by one.
Ken could you give us a barber pole onimage
the
CASPER
time to
CAPCOM
motion?
CASPER
CAPCOM
CASPER
CAP COM
there when I got to
a long ways before
So that
Okay, barber pole on IMC.
That's one I slipped by there just talking,
Here it is. I'm sorry say again.
I let that one slip by
talking to you about the land site.
CASPER Uh oh. I think you go
you get very far behind.
CAPCOM CASPER Houston.
CASPER Go ahead Hank.
CAPCOM Roger. So far we haven't seen anything
smear, anything requesting that urine dump by itself,
thing is still in question. Your next urine dump would be
scheduled 20 hours from now. But it's also scheduled in con-
junction with the water dump et cetera so I don't know where
that thing stands so we're going to check into it.
CASPER Okay, it will probably take me another 20
hours to make it worth while.
CAPCOM Roger.
CASPER Golly oh. Okay Hank I got a better visual
on that little thing we called a cone and I guess it looks like
it is a crater in the top of it and from where I am, it looks
like the southern end of it, which is away from me probably is
just about reach down level with the mare floor. The rest of
it is just a smooth cone, it sticks up, it does have some small
craters on it. The rim looks relatively sharp and there's a
couple of fractures that go through it. Its texture and albido
do not look significantly different than the mare around it.
There is a little expression of perhaps a subtle depression
around the eastern side of it that looks like it might be a
little flow characteristic there,
down to these other 2 features and
I really had those things reversed
were shallow craters.
CAPCOM Hey, that does
(garble) or a cone.
I'm going to shift my gaze
I guess — I guess is that
that they -- they in fact
sound more like a little -■
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 1754 GET 150:12 CM-134/1
CAPCOM Hey, that does sound more like a little
(garble) or cone to me.
CASPER Well, it just looks so much like all the
rest of the things around here Hank. The texture of the sur-
face looks like it's all the same. The flanks of it are fairly
step though. And it's got one of the sharper rims for a raised
rim crater of any that I've seen.
CASPER And as we come over here we're coming up
on the Fra Mauro, Bonpland and Parry combination. And I think's
that Parry that has looks like two almost right angle rills
running through it. I'm looking at rim of Parry, I don't remem-
ber the number, it's the western one that runs out of Fra Mauro.
And it seems like it's more than my imagination that say's
that the floor of that stuff is indeed smoother. That the - -
has fewer large craters than you see in the surrounding areas,
although it's pretty close to being equal in small craters.
CAPCOM Casper you're coming up on T-stop.
CASPER Okay. It's off for 3 seconds.
CASPER Okay. Mapping cameras going to stand by.
The image motion is off, barber pole and ray. Laser altimeter
is o f f .
CAP COM Mass Spec (garble) on.
CASPER And the ion source is on.
CAPCOM And did I hear you say image motion off.
CASPER That's affirmative. Okay. And alpha,
x-ray cover coming to closed.
CAPCOM Okay. I guess that about cleans that up.
CASPER And that's closed.
CAPCOM Okay. Casper I have a block data pad for
you and some flight plan changes.
CASPER Okay. Why don't you start with the flight
p 1 an ch anges .
CAPCOM Okay. At 151 hours, and we want to - - let's
see 151 - -
CASPER Hey, Hank have you have two loops bunched up.
The noise is getting louder and louder, sounds like I got - -
I'm trying to listen to you over a football game and I can
hardly hear you over the den of everything else. I don't know
whether you need to hold the mike closer to your mouth or
whether you have another loop bunched up and I'm getting
cross feed.
CAPCOM Okay. Let's try again Ken. How do you
read now?
CASPER That sounds a little better.
CAPCOM Okay. I've told them to hold it down a
little to. At 151 hours the SIM code should be plus 1110 01222.
CASPER Okay. That's plus 1110 01222.
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 1754 GET 150:12 CM-134/2
Roger. And right at 151 over to the left
configure comm per S-band and VHF biostatic.
You
you
of
Now that's a real long bunch of switch settings there
re
- - I
CAP COM
that write,
a
want me to read them all off or you
a procedure on page - -
CASPER Yeah, why don't you give
was on in the old flight plan. And only one.
CAPCOM Okay. Page 311, at about
minutes, if you want to turn to that.
CASPER Okay. Let's do that. That'll save
an awful lot I think.
CAPCOM Okay. You want to look at that right now,
I have one small change.
can give
me the that page
202 hours 37
it
copying
CASPER
What page did
CAPCOM
CASPER
and went back
ahead of me.
CAPCOM
to do. St art
Now, I almost got it. Ah, wait a minute,
you give me?
Page 311. It's 202 hours 40 minutes.
Ah so, (garble). We passed the other (garble)
for that. Okay. Alright, 311. You're
Ok ay , I got it.
Okay. This is the only biostatic we're going
where it says configure comm and end where it says,
high gain manual wide. And the only change in
S-band antenna
there is that the VHF antenna should be left instead of right
We're in a different attitude.
CASPER
for S-band, and
gain s et tings .
CAP COM
CASPER
Okay, you got
CAPCOM
I'll give you
CASPER
CAP COM
Okay. I
stop where
start where it says, configure comm
- - including I assume the high
We got different high gain settings
VHF antenna left instead of right,
gains. Alright, thank you.
Okay. If you'll turn back now to 151
high gain. It's pitch 20 plus 20 yaw 209.
Okay. That's pitch plus 20 and yaw 209.
Roger. And verify the DSC as low band.
Ne ga ti ve
(garble)
different high
that
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 18:05 GET 150:23 CM135 /l
CASPER Okay. That's pitch plus 20 and yaw 209 .
CAPCOM Roger. And -verify the DSE as Low Bit
Rate, Record, Power, Command Reset.
CASPER Okay. Will verify low bit rate and
re cor din g .
CAPCOM Okay. And on that same page, where it
says CSM -
CASPER Do you want me to verify, or do you
want me to configure?
CAPCOM Configure.
CASPER I say, did you want me to verify that
DSE or do you want me to configure?
CAP COM Configure, Ken.
CASPER Okay.
CAP COM Okay. Right under that by 151:02, delete
all of that block about the lunar horizon. In other words,
starting with the little block with CSM checklist, all
through - right on down through Set OMNI D.
CASPER Okay. That's all deleted.
CAPCOM At 51:10, POO; and following that,
Alpha Particle X-Ray Cover Open.
CASPER Okay. At 151:10, we go to POO and
Alpha X-Ray Cover Open.
CAPCOM At 151:20, VERB 49 Maneuver to Bistatic
Attitude. And that attitude is 221 138 000.
CASPER Okay. At 151:20, we go VERB 49 to
Bistatic and to 221 138 000.
CAP COM Alright. Delete the UV Photo PAD Block.
Delete the Acquire MS FN and all that stuff there, the Lunar
Horizon, that comment.
CAPCOM At 151:30, next page.
CASPER Okay.
CAPCOM And write small - P20 Option 2, NOUN 78
plus 270 00 minus 040 63.
CASPER Boy, Hank. That comm is just terrible.
CAP COM Okay. We're having trouble in here, Ken.
Everybody's going on, and we'll get them quietened down.
CAP COM Okay. Repeat. NOUN 78 is plus 2 70 00
minus 040 63. NOUN 79, minus 008 30 plus 000 50. NOUN 34,
plus 001 51 plus 000 34, plus all zips.
CASPER Okay. That says that at 151 30, we go
P20, Option 2. NOUN 78 is plus 270.00 and minus 040.63.
NOUN 79, minus 0.0830 plus 000.50. NOUN 34 is 151 34 00.
CAPCOM That's correct, Ken, and as you can
probably deduce from the Noun 34, right at 151:34, you should
say start pitch, right? And the attitude for that is
221 114/138 000.
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 18:05 GET 150:23 CM-
CASPER Okay. That sounds reasonable. Let me
ask you one question about this antenna. I've got a little
discrepancy between the set knobs that I have and the feed-
back readouts that I get off the instrument panel. This is
on the high gain settings.
CAPCOM Roger.
CASPER Can anyone tell me if it matters which
I use, and which one I should use if it matters?
Ok ay
I'll get you that answer while
next
Okay.
Okay
Re ad on .
Delete the
rest of the things
Okay .
And from the next page, 152 to 152:30
CAPCOM
I read you the
CASPER
CAPCOM
on that page.
CASPER
CAPCOM
delete all that.
CASPER Okay.
CAP COM Next page, 152 : 30, delete everything
down to where it says GDC Align at about 152:52.
CASPER Okay.
CAPCOM And, back up at 152:41, out to the side
there you can write it. Add POO Discontinue Bistatic Radar,
VHF Range Off; VHF AMB Off. And then return your S-Band
Mode Ranger to Ranging.
CASPER Okay. At 152:40, go to POO, Discontinue
the Bistatic; VHF Range Off; VHF AMB Off; S-Band Mode to
Rangin g .
CAPCOM Roger. And at 152:53, you'll pick
up the nominal Flight Plan again. And at - Go to the top
of the next page up there, at 153:00. That Experiment Status
all one's and 01222
delete the Mass Spect Ion
Code, now, should be minus
CASPER Okay.
CAPCOM At 15 3:15
Source On. It's already On.
CASPER Alright.
CAP COM And, Ken, back up at the top at 15 3 even
write at the top of the page "Configure DSE to High Bit
Rate, Command Reset."
CASPER Okay. Configure DSE to High Bit Rate,
Command Reset at 15 3 even.
CAPCOM And I think that's all of it.
CASPER Okay, I guess the thing that
like it might be missing here is where you're
me
get - Well, you've
over here at 153.
we
bit
Because
CAPCOM
r ate .
we ve
got me set for my t o
I guess we'll get some
had it running with no
high bit
of that,
dump .
s eems
going
rate
to
to
w on
Roger. We've been running it at low
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 18:05 GET 150:23 CM-135/3
CASPER (Garble) and I didn't stop the Bistatic
until after - That's right, low bit rate. But I didn't stop
the Bistatic until after LOS; so you're going to get about
half of this at low bit rate and about half of it at high.
Okay?
CAPCOM Roger.
CASPER (Garble) I guess I got it straight.
CAPCOM Okay, Ken, I've got some more words on
that question you had about where I should verify the DS -
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16, MISSION COMMENTARY , 4-22-72, CST 1816, GET 150:34 CM-136/1
ORION
CAP COM
ORION
Houston, ORION.
Go ahead.
Okay, my credential 02 recharge is complete
and I got 95 percent.
CAPCOM Roger. 95, Charlie.
ORION Ed, how you doing today?
CAPCOM Pretty good, Charlie and it went real great.
We're real pleased down here.
ORION Well, we're happy as a clam. We just had
a great time. When you're having fun, you're willing to work.
You know Ed, when we got up on top of that mountain, and I had
been driving up a long way and I turned around and looked down
I thought, man, you've just bit off more than you can chew
h e re .
CAP COM John, (garble), I got a lot of hash and
I couldn't hear you very well.
ORION Just as well. I have this beard and I
stick it in the mike.
CAP COM Well, maybe you're starting late. But
you'll catch up in 3 or 4 months with a beard.
ORION Don't rub it in. Hey, Ed. How about a
little news number. Anything going on down there that's
interesting?
CAPCOM
ORION
CAPCOM
s ometh in g .
ORION
same as yssterday, today, 94 I
Houston, do you read? Over.
Is that news you're asking for,
Yes sir.
Charlie?
Okay, stand by, we'll see if we can get you
Okay, Houston. (garble) still got 92 percent
guess it is here. 92 in sections.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4-22-72 GET 153:26 CST 21:08 CM-137/1
CAPCOM Hello CASPER, Houston standing by.
CASPER Hello there, how're you doing?
CAPCOM Oh I'm pressing along. Ken we'd like --
we have (garble) some funnies on our — on that bistatic and I'd
like to verify the position of the VHF antenna.
CASPER It was in the left position.
CAPCOM Okay, that takes care of that question.
And Ken awhile ago you were reporting that loud background noise
we'd like to ask you how the comm is now?
CASPER Sounds great.
CAP COM Okay.
CASPER What did you do.
CAPCOM We asked you what the comm was and that
fixed it. And Ken anytime you're ready, I've got some flight
plan updates they — we lied to you while ago when I said we
for the day and I've got a TEI 48 pad.
Okay, why don't you give me the flight plan
were
th rough
CASPER
f i rs t .
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
the cabin
Let's go to 154 30,
is
Oh man just great metabolism there and over
can add waste stowage vent valve close.
Okay, the waste stowage
vent closed
Okay
That'll be one step off
Alright.
Alri gh ty .
Okay and the reason whey we're doing this
is coming up a little bit and we're going to open
the waste stowage vent valve for approximately an hour. So at
154 30, we're adding waste stowage vent valve open.
CASPER Okay, I guess I'm just not breathing hard
enough huh?
CAPCOM
at 155 30 we
CASPER
at 155 30.
CAPCOM
checklist there see and after the pre sleep checklist, we
to add ACCEPT VHF and what we're going to do here is get you
configured for the VHF bistatic test during your sleep period,
so disregard the VHF part of your presleep. And at 155 --
CASPER Okay, you want to give me a configuration
n ow .
CAPCOM Yeah, we can do that --
is 155 36 and you've got about 6 or 7 lines
fill out to the left there.
CASPER Okay, all set.
CAPCOM Okay. And there at 36,
steps dealing with the VHF that you see the
panel 9 and delete VHF AMA duplex and then
y o ur p res 1 eep
'd like
the time on that
you might want to
we'll delete the 2
VHF AMTR receive
add configure for
VHF bistatic test VHF AMT/R 3 to receive (verify), VHF AMA off
verify. VHF AMB duplex to verify, VH and VHF range to range.
And VHF antenna right. And also write all at the same time Ken
right here around 155 35, we'd like to — didn't leave you much
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4-22-72 GET 153:26 CST 21:08 CM-137/2
the
CAPCOM room to write, we'd like to configure for
2 and a half degrees deadband pad so at 155 35 we'd like CMC
free, P20 NOUN 79 plus 00 250 and then we'll go back to auto.
Well are you still with me Ken or did I leave you back on
waste stowage vent valve?
CASPER
are you
CAPCOM
CASPER
30 we go to
was
Let's see, I guess the last thing I heard
the re .
Yes, Houston standing by huh?
(garble) closed at 155 30 and at about
free, take P20 and narrow the deadband at 2
155
a half degrees and
VHF panels are all
VHF AMB to duplex,
right .
CAP COM Okay. And you
anything in the presleep checklist
given you all these others and you
w ere in th ere .
CASPER
CAP COM
you will see in the
CASPER
CAPCOM
static checks. VHF
CASPER
VHF AMB off and
CAP COM
dates for tonight
CASPER
CAPCOM
CASPER
and
go back to auto, we take the VHF verify
3 to receive, we take the VHF AMA off, the
the ranging to range and the antenna to
— y o u re not
going to
!
do
with the VHF cuz we've just
deleted those 2 steps that
Yes s lr.
Ok ay , n ow
morning .
Okay, 164
0k ay , we
AMB off,
Okay, terminate
range off.
Okay, and that's all
at just this moment.
You got to be kidding.
Ha ha, I've been known
You sure have.
let's go over to 164 10, which
10.
'd like to add terminate VHF bi-
and VHF ranging off.
the bistatic at 164 10
the flight plan up-
to lie though
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 2118 GET 153:36 CM-138/1
CASPER (Laughing) Use your (garble). Hey, you
mentioned something yesterday about the general scheme of things
to come .
CAPCOM That's right.
CASPER Is that still sorta on tap.
CAPCOM Yeah, that's seem pretty much. I thought
somewhere along this pass and we'd give you a little more detail
specifically on what would be done tomorrow and maybe give you
times of PCI and liftoff and so forth.
CASPER Okay. I got to thinking about it some last
night. And the one thing I thought about is I understand the
desire to keep the day down to some reasonable number. If we
still have to put our suits on to jettison the LM the next day,
that's going to chew up quite a few hours. And - - if that
doesn't make any difference why that's okay. There's nothing
else for us to do during those hours. But it seems like that's
a - - take those suits off and put them back on and take them
off again with three guys in here becomes a real big operation.
I guess that sorta might be an option. Maybe John or - - would
have an opinion on when he gets back tomorrow.
CAPCOM Okay. We copy that Ken. Just stand by.
CASPER Okay. I'm not proposing you change it, I'm
just suggesting you consider the big flap that goes on when
three guys have to suit up in here.
CAPCOM Yeah, I guess - - we're certainly aware of
that Ken and - - the name of the game on this one is going to
be to dock with the LM and transfer across with just a minimum
transfer. Bring the rock boxes and your suits and the bods
and that's about it. And then the next day complete the LM
transfer and so forth. The name of the game is to get to bed
and that's why the decision is made that way.
CASPER Okay. Alright, that's just fine then.
CAPCOM Yeah, they pretty well fit a limit here that
we're aiming at Ken and that's an 18 hour day considering the
EVA's and your long day so that's about the only way it'd work.
CASPER Okay.
CAPCOM And along that way tomorrow we're going to
have updates for you. Later but we are going to schedule
urine dump along with the mass spect, so we'll get that.
CASPER Okay.
CASPER You got power and stand by on the pan
camera .
CAP COM Okay.
CASPER And ray shield is off.
CAP COME Okay.
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 2118 GET 15 3:36 CM-138/2
CASPER
or some sort
CAP COM
CASPER
me when
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
plus 125
117 014,
And you said you wanted to give
me find (garble) write that.
48 pad.
Hank was
s tarting to
give
059
182
align same as
at
me a pad
Let
And it'll be a PEI
Okay. That's what
we bombed out last time.
That's affi rm a t i v e .
Okay. All set, go ahead.
(garble) TEI at 48. SPS G&N 38 620 plus
168 51 56 94 plus 30 522 plus 07 042 minus 01374
for the rest of the pad NA. Comment the GDC
search. Ullage 2 jets 17 seconds. Longitude
17200,
Additional comments.
Okay. Go ahead.
Pad based on landing
site REFSMMAT,
As s ume
TIG minus
CASPER
CAP COM
no plane change.
CASPER Alrighty. That's a TEI at 48 SPS G&N 38620
plus 059 plus 125 168 51 56 94 plus 30522 plus 07042 minus 01374
182 117 014, GDC alignment goes with certain pad 2jets 17
seconds. (garble) ignition minus 172.00. Pad is based on the
descent REFSMMAT. and no plane changes.
CAPCOM Okay. That's sounds like a good read back.
We got that baatuy.
CAPCOM
CASPER
it's off now .
CAPCOM
CASPer
telescope on one of
was that even after
And Ken we'd like pan camera power off now
Okay. Pan camera powers coming off. And
Okay .
I got a chance to go back and
the last 2 revs and found out
I had gone back and taped the
look at the
the p rob 1 em
eye pieces
thing slipped
back on, it still had the tape on it but the darn
out of focus on the telescope and I guess it was far enough out
focus it that the stars weren't bright enough to show up
because I was sitting there looking at it and I could focus
it and then the stars would appear and disappear if I defocused
it. And so I refocused the eye piece and telescope workd like
you'd expect a telescope to work.
CAPCOM That little bit
first for 16.
CASPER
thing coming off if
by me one day.
CAPCOM
CASPER
now abouts . They
CAP COM
of trouble sounds like
Well I would have never thought about that
I hadn't found the eye piece floating
your image r
surface guys
doing
an d
them
Ah, now why did you blow
(laughing) What are the
cleaning up after the EVA.
Ro g . They're going through their clean up
they've had their debriefing and I guess it's looking for
to be a sleep in a couple of hours or something like that
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 2118 GET 153:36 CM-138/3
CASPER Joe, how long was EVA today, 7-1/2.
CAPCOM It was close to that Ken, 7 23.
CASPER Ah, that's pretty good. Guess little rover
did a good j ob .
CAP COM Yeah, it's - - I didn't - -
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4-22-72 GET 153:46 CST 21:28 CM-139/1
CASPER That's pretty good. Guess the little
Rover did a good job.
CAPCOM Yeah, its -- I didn't --
CASPER Hank was telling me they found their way
up to Cinco.
CAPCOM Yeah, I didn't get a chance to to watch
to much of that but I did see one when they were up on the
southern point they put the camera out on South Ray and it was
just magnificent.
CASPER Save those tapes, I'd like to see that.
What kind of funny did you notice on the bistatic? Were they
just not getting any VHF signal?
CAPCOM Well yeah, we didn't have it initially and
then some of the words I heard was that we're getting a signal
but it was not reflecting properly and then we picked it up
somewhere passing over the landing site and got some data so
I guess I'll have to get a better recap of that pass but I
guess -- I guess the signal was there but just -- just not
hitting the right reflective point.
CASPER Well, I'm just impressed that you can
bounce the signal off the Moon that's as weak as this one.
They can catch it back at Earth anyhow.
CAPCOM Yeah, and it's really not much of a sweat
Ken because we're going to run it through the night here any-
w ay .
CASPER Okay. Hey when I turn the waste vent on
for an hour here, would it -- would it make any difference to
the mass spec people or anyone like that if I plugged in the
black bag for a few minutes?
CAPCOM Standby. Okay Ken we have a go from all
hands to vent the bag.
CASPER Okay. We do appreciate that.
CAPCOM Rog.
CASPER What's your prognosis on the pan camera,
is it getting us any good data or is it going to be kind of
s 1 oppy ?
CAPCOM Okay, Ken we're as I mentioned yesterday,
it looks like we're overexposing about 1 F stop and there's alot
of — you know — we'll take that out in the processing and
everybody feels like the data is real good.
CASPER Oh, outstanding.
CAPCOM And Ken as you whip by the side over there
if we could get you to put the —
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 21:38 GET 153:56 CM140/1
CAPCOM And, Ken, as you whip by the site over
there, if we could get you to put the gamma ray shield on
cen te r .
CASPER Okay. Do you want it now?
CAP COM That's affirm.
CASPER Or did you want me to wait? Okay,
here it comes .
CAPCOM Sorry about that.
CASPER It's on now.
CAPCOM Okay.
CASPER I was looking at the little dark halo
craters around Matler, and the one that's directly to
the - yeah - east of Matler has white streaks in it. I
guess that's fair. If light craters can have dark streaks,
I guess dark craters ought to be able to have light streaks
in them. I don't know what that means to anybody.
CAPCOM Copy. That seems fair.
CASPER There's a little beauty that's just to the
south of the landing site. It's up on a big, tall dome,
and it's got all of this big, bright, white-rayed crater
in the top of it. I'm looking at North Ray, now, and it
seems to me that that stuff that runs up on the North Ray
comes right around the corner, and comes from out in an
area back behind what we used to call the -
CASPER Just as I was coming up on the landing
site that time, I saw this little, very soft dome sitting
up, and it's got this nice, white-rayed crater right in
the top of it. It's just like - The crater itself looks
like South Ray; and the - except that it's built up on
top of this nice little dome. And I don't know if that's
coincidental, or what, but it sure is an interesting
thing. The crater is about a third the size of the dome
itself .
CAPCOM Roger. Copy. And, Ken, have you been
mumbling any geological terms to yourself the last couple
of passes?
CASPER No, sir. During that Bistatic, I just
kept quite inside, too.
CAPCOM Okay. How were things around on the
other side?
CASPER That was a good chance for me to - Yeah,
that was a good chance for me to get caught up on all of the
housekeeping and loose ends and kind of pick up some stuff
here and there. That was a well-needed break.
CAPCOM I certainly agree.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/73 CST 2148 GET 154:06 CM-141/1
CASPER Hey, you know looking down at this material
to the North of Alpetragius - - Albategnius excuse me. That
material if you didn't have all these craters around it, that
train scene could have been placed on the back side almost any
where. Got exactly the same characteristics - - the same - -
everything about it's the same as a mixture we call Cayley
and other stuff.
CAP COM Okay.
CASPER And the Cayley floor fill that I see in
Talamais . And all these things looks exactly alike what you
see in Mendelev. I've been looking for something I could say
was different. I don't see a thing.
CAPCOM Okay, that sounds like a good observation.
CASPER (garble)
CASPER I look at Alphonsus I'm looking at the
Eastern of the dark gray craters, the one that almost due East
of the central peak. The largest rate deposit there. And
to an unaided eye it stands out quite dramatically. When I
put the binoculars on it, the difference is extremely sebtle.
You really have to look for it. And then it just turns up to
be a slightly different color but I can't say anything at all
about any difference of textures or any other thing that's
different except there's a slightly different color to it.
But it more obvious to the unaided eye than it is to the - -
high (garble) magnification.
CAPCOM Okay. Ken I guess what you're trying to
say is when you get to close to the forest you can't see the
trees .
CASPER That must be.
CASPER Looks like most of these medium sized craters
our here in Corbedo are - - they have rasied rims. They're
very smooth raised rims and they kinda - - they have a convex
instead of a concave side to them. That's very much like the
little suspected cone we saw next to Lassell Sea. And he's by
himself out there and as you get into Corbedo you see quite a
few that look just like that.
CAPCOM Fine show. We got that Ken.
CASPER Okay. Maybe we could have drawn a terminator
that was a little more over towards the area where we show our target
but there may be quite a drop off in elevation here. It would
on take a - - quite a bit to the sun angle wouldn't have to be
an awful lot geologic skill, I guess. But the actual terminator
was running down just to the West of Lealdas so I ran out a strip
down th at .
CAP COM Okay. We got that. You want to give us a
frame number while you got it handy.
CASPER Okay. Good show. How about 84.
CAPCOM Okay. 84.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4-22-72 GET 154:16 CST 21:58 CM-142/1
CAPCOM And CASPER, Houston.
CASPER Go ahead.
CAPCOM Okay, Ken as far as tomorrow, you got a
full schedule of assembly and visuals and land mark tracking
n ow .
PC 1 liftoff and that.
-- let me get my little
me a kind of a summary of
and so forth and I'm sure you don't want the details
Would you be interested in the times of
CASPER Yeah, let me get my
scratch pad out here and let you give
major events anyhow. Okay, go ahead.
CAPCOM Okay, well I don't want to -- first part
of the day, I really don't want to try to get into any details
Ken — it's your standard P20 with alot of mapping camera, pan
cameras and all the sensors we got — we got going — you're
going to burn plane change 1 at 169 plus 40, that's approximate
time. And LM liftoff is approximately 175 plus 50. And I
guess toss one in the middle to your landmark tracking will come
at about oh 173 20 , something in that order and after docking
we're showing you.
CASPER Hey, that's the landmark on the LM?
CAPCOM That's the landing site landmark.
CASPER Okay.
CAPCOM
And we'd like we have auto on the high
gam .
CASPER Right you've got it.
CAPCOM Okay, and then as I said before, after --
after docking, at this time we're showing you an hour an 30
minutes of transfer and then you'll come inside, have an
eat period and hopefully start the rest period. And your rest
period will start at about 100 — start at about 181 30 in that
area will be the rest period.
Okay, and the day starts about 164 was it?
That's affirmative, around 164.
Okay, that's not so bad.
No, the way you've been swinging along up
that good work, you'll just romp through that.
Man I tell you, it
just sit back and have
all the things yooi been
CASPER
CAPCOM
CASPER
CAPCOM
there doing
CASPER
kind of nice to
to catch up on
all
was kind of — it was
that bistatic pass
putting of f .
let
CAPCOM
CASPER
me give you
Yes, I know what you mean.
Okay, and since you reminded me of film,
the — what I got on this DAC magazine too,
That' 11
quite a
save asking about it later,
ways behind on our film
has — that'd be 20 — that looks to me
while I'm taking it down.
I have a feeling we may be
status. Magazine II
like 42 percent.
CAPCOM Okay, I
CASPER Yeah.
CAPCOM And I missed your last.
copy. II item item and 42.0 percent
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4-22-72 GET 154:16 CST 21:58 CM-142/2
CASPER That's quite a bit off from the prediction
I wonder if I -- I turned it on at the right time and I turned
it off at the right time.
CAPCOM Oh I don't know Ken, that's -- that's with-
in 18 percent .
CASPER (laughter)
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16, MISSION COMMENTARY, 4-22-72, CST 2208 GET 154:26 CM-143/1
CAPCOM And Ken, the word here is their not
concerned about that percentage just as long as you photograph
the old mass spec.
CASPER Well, we photographed something that was
pointed in that direction.
CAPCOM Yeah. The bracket didn't break off, did
it?
CASPER We took lots of photographs of it, what-
ever it was. (Laughter) No I got worried, I knocked it
on ce , and -
CAPCOM If you dropped it I was worried the heat
shield.
CASPER It is unbelievable. (Laughter) Well, I
started to say I was worried about the spacecraft. We'll
probably get the pictures back and find it has a natural
frequency that's the same as the camera.
CAPCOM That's why they made it so big.
CASPER That thing wouldn't even vibrate on a
Saturn V. I think the part I liked most about this experiment
was Cris Perners little window shade. It worked just fine
and couldn't be simpler.
CAPCOM And Ken, on your next time around, we're
gonna want to be talking a little bit about your rendezvous
procedure for tomorrow and I guess we'll - as we mentioned
before we're recommending using SCS and we've got the pro-
cedures marked up and we can give you as much detail as you
want on them as far as the switches so you might be thinking
about that. And any questions about it.
CASPER Okay. I think what you told me yesterday
sounds like a good plan. I don't think that's very difficult
to remember and it goes - it's straight forward enough. It
goes right along with operating without an IMU except you have
a luxury of having all that nice maneuver for you.
CAP COM Yeah, Ken, it's - you know we talked
about a couple of little pitfalls there of you know - going
to CMC control with the SCS - I mean with the optic switch
in manuel and that type thing and we would like to go through
your procedures and stick in a couple of steps that would
result - you know in that wrong procedure. Now as far as
the details on where you put your SCS switches and so forth,
I've got a sterling plan worked out, I don't know how much
detail you want on that sort of thing or just turn you
loose and say do it in SCS.
CASPER Oh , I'll take all the thoughts that you
got , S t u .
CAPCOM Okay, we'll probably give you those on
your - or we will give you those on your next time around
APOLLO 16, MISSION COMMENTARY, 4-22-72, CST 2208, GET 154:26 CM-143/2
CAPCOM so you can cogitate on them.
CASPER Okay. I'd hardly be the governments
hero if I over-torqued my dyccasons on the rendezvous.
CAPCOM Yeah, that's the one thing you've always
got to watch out for, that and check 6. And Ken, a reminder
on your waste stowage vent valve.
CASPER Gee, thank you. Is it that time? It
s ure is .
CAPCOM Ken, have you got any right planets in
your view in that double umbra. That's something. A really
beautiful sight, isn't it?
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 22:18 GET 154:36 CM-144/1
CAPCOM And, Casper, we're about 2 minutes to
LOS, and we'll see you on the other side.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/23/72 CST 07:44 GET 164:01 CM145/1
Gain
to
CAPCOM Casper, Houston. Are you reading?
CAPCOM Casper, Houston. Are you reading?
CAPCOM Good morning, Casper. This is Houston.
CASPER Good morning, Bob . How do you read me?
CAPCOM Reading you loud and clear. How me?
CASPER Loud and clear.
CAPCOM Okay.
CAPCOM Alright, Casper. Let's put the High
to Auto, please.
CAPCOM Go ahead.
CAPCOM And Casper, as soon as you can, we'd li:
go ACCEPT and get a state vector up to you.
CASPER You've got ACCEPT.
CAPCOM Roger. Thank you.
CAPCOM Casper, have you zeroed the NOUN 26?
CASPER Yes, sir.
CAPCOM Okay, thank you.
And, Casper, I've got about 4 pages of
A few of them take effect in
CAPCOM
Flight Plan changes for you
the next 5 minutes or so.
CASPER
in 5 s e conds .
CAPCOM
I just got handed
CASPER
CASPER
CAPCOM
CASPER
CAPCOM
better get to you is
(Laugh) Okay. I'll be ready to copy
(Laugh)
fistful
(Laugh)
Go ahead
Al ri gh t ,
Okay, sorry to rush you; but
of paper, here.
I hope it's green!
and read. I'm ready to copy.
Ken, give us High Gain Auto.
You've got it.
Okay. I guess
at 164:13; we
the first thing I' d
want to a manually roll
40 degrees clockwise at 13,
That's about 3 minutes away,
5 minutes ago. But
PAD
clockwise 40 degrees.
CASPER Okay
CAPCOM Rog.
Actually, there was a TEI 55
I'll get that to you later.
CASPER (Garble)
b et you.
CAPCOM At 164:16 we want to delete everything
from CMC Mode - Free, down to GDC Align at 164:21. And
it's your computer.
CASPER Okay.
six somewhere here, I'll
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/23/72 CST 07:54 GET 164:11 CM146/1
CAPCOM ... and it's your computer.
CASPER Okay. I've got that.
CAPCOM Okay. Have you copied the deletion and
also that it's your computer?
CASPER Yes, sir. Are you not copying me (garble)
CAPCOM I guess I'm copying you intermittently,
Ken .
CASPER Okay. It sounds to me like I'm keying
I'll try to talk a little louder.
CAPCOM Okay. I reading you loud and clear, now.
CASPER I have the manual roll 40 degrees
clockwise at 13; and I have the computer in Block.
CAPCOM Okay. And did you copy the deletion of
CMC Mode - 3 down to GDC Align at 164:16?
CASPER No, sir. I did not. Okay, I'll
delete that.
CAPCOM Okay. It may be that I'm transmitting
in te rmi 1 1 en tly .
CAPCOM Ken, I want to leave you alone there
while you make this roll; but we've had a ground station
(garble) parity on some of my transmission.
CASPER Okay. No sweat. I've got the gamma
ray gain step back On.
CASPER Why don't you go ahead, now? I can
listen and do this at the same time.
CAP COM Okay. At 164:18, we want to add P20
(Option 5) plus X Forward, SIM Bay Attitude 165 32, NOUN
79 plus 00050 and set High Gain Antenna pitch 10, yaw 0,
for AOS Acquisition.
CASPER Okay. At 18, I want to go to P20 (Op-
tion 5) to the plus X, NOUN 79 to 1/2 degree, pitch 10 and
yaw 0 for AOS on the High Gain, and I want to be there
by 165:32 .
CAPCOM That's affirmative. Okay, at 164:25 ,
we want to add a Mapping Camera Photo PAD. The T Start - -
time - -
CASPER Okay.
CAP COM The T start time will be 164 35 00.
T Stop will be 168 05 41.
CASPER Okay. Mapping Camera T Start 164 35 00;
T Stop 16 8 05 41.
CAP COM That's affirmative. And at 164 35 in
the Flight Plan -
CASPER Hold it just a second. Let me mark
that up a little bit.
CAPCOM Roger.
CASPER Okay. Go ahead. Mapping Camera is
recorded, and you said something about 164 35.
CAPCOM Roger. At 164 35, we want to add Laser
Altimeter On; Image Motion On; Mapping Camera On at T Start;
and Image Motion Increase Barberpole/ON.
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/23/72 CST 97:54 GET 164:11 CM146/2
P52
b een
3) and
Okay. And at 164:45, we want to do a
GDC Align.
Okay .
And we'll use the same procedure we've
CASPER Okay. I'll put the IMC on just before
the camera starts; I'll get the Laser Altimeter On, and after
we get it going, the IMC will go to Barberpole and On.
CAPCOM That's affirmative; and at the same
place in the Flight Plan, you can delete the Manual Roll
Clockwise 40 degrees, all the way down through High Gain
Antenna pitch 10, yaw 0.
CASPER Okay. I got you there.
CAPCOM
(Option
CASPER
CAPCOM
using for
CASPER
CAPCOM
Configure camera
CASPER
CAPCOM
CASPER
CAPCOM
CASPER
Government work,
CAPCOM
here, Ken, because we
least get you through
that.
Rog.
Okay
At 164:50,
(garble)
we want to delete
stand by (garble)
Okay,
Ro ge r .
Let me get this maneuver going.
Roger. (Garble) on standby.
Well, that should be close enough
shouldn't it?
Okay. I'll go on with the Flight
re coming up on LOS.
AOS. At 164:50, they
for
Plan
1 want to at
want to delete
Configure Camera for Terminator Photos and delete everything
down through the Record Frame Number at 165:07.
CASPER Okay, I've got that.
CAPCOM Okay, and at 165:02, change that
Mapping Camera PAD to a Pan Camera Photo Pad, and the
numbers to go in there are T Start 165 07 13; T Stop
165 39 13.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16, MISSION COMMENTARY, 4-23-72, CS T 0804 GET 164:21 CM-147/1
CAPCOM T start 165 07 13 T stop 165 39 13.
CASPER Okay, I deleted all the stuff from 165
down to the 4th frame. The mapping camera becomes a pan
camera, T start 165 07 13 and stop 165 39 13.
CAP COM That's affirmative. And at 165:00 in the
flight plan, we want to add gamma ray retract to 4 feet and
the time is 2 minutes 43 seconds.
CASPER Okay, and at 165 you want to retract the
gamma ray 2 minutes and 43 seconds worth.
CAPCOM That's affirmative. At 165:03 add pan
camera standby, stereo power in operate (T start).
CASPER Okay, I catch pan camera to standby,
stereo in power, and we'll start her at 07 13.
CAPCOM That's affirmative. At 165:10 10 add
CSM extermant EVA checklist, solar corona sunrise page X2-11.
Magazine SS, magazine HH and a note to perform only the
camera configuration. We'll give you the times on your
next front side pass.
CASPER Okay. What do you mean you'll give me
the times. Give me a start time.
CAPCOM Affirmative and at 165:15 image motion
increase, barberpole plus 4 steps on. Move that to 165:07.
Okay, Ken if you read at 165:18 you can delete prepare for
off side visuals and we'll try to pick up AOS for the rest
of this change.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4-23-72 GET 165:16 CST 08:59 CM-148/1
CAPCOM CASPER can you read Wldebeam?
CASPER Good morning Henry.
CAP COM Good morning, (garble) again. Say (garble)
pretty quick this morning.
CASPER (garble) couldn't take any more of that
huh? Yeah, that's a good way to start. Starts off with a
nice little anocuous remark like we have some flight plan
changes for you. By the way they start in 2 minutes.
CAPCOM Roger well how quick can you move, I've
got another fist full.
CASPER (laughter) I figured you might. Go ahead.
CAPCOM Actually I -- I was sorry to hit you with
all these Ken, I know it's a mess but the Pi's are trying to
recover as much SIM Bay science as they can, considering the
changes in our overall flight plan.
CASPER I understand that. Go ahead.
CAPCOM Okay, you've already beat the image motion
is that correct?
CASPER No sir, I got that down here at 165 27.
CAPCOM Okay, I didn't know whether you had gotten
that change or not. Okay, we'll go by that. We want to de-
lete the orbital science for this rev, so you can delete that
little line there at about 165 18 where it says prepare and
at 165 30 at the top of the next page, delete pan camera mode
standby and power on. And down at 165 35 delete the pan camera
power off MS FN Q. Okay, let me update your times here that
165 31 where it says mass spec, retract the 20 feet. The new
retraction time is 33 seconds. And at 165 35 retract the 15
feet, the new retraction time is 30 seconds.
CASPER Okay and that 30 seconds is -- is starting
from where I stop at 165 30. Okay.
CAPCOM That's affirmative. And delete the
columbo highlands and ops — visual observations there and in
its place add pan camera standby T stop. Camera ray deploy,
pan camera off, MS FN Q and Ken we're going to move these next
2 mass spec retractions up a little bit and start your eat
period earlier so we can cut it off earlier but we'll do those
real time. There's no need stripping up the flight plan, I'll
just give you a call when I do it, and at 16 —
CASPER Hey, that's a good plan.
CAPCOM 165 50 there, delete that image motion
increase, barber pole off and at 165 50 we'll start your eat
period. And at 166 down at the bottom of the page, delete
mass spec deploy.
CASPER Okay.
CAPCOM And in the interest of keeping your SIM
status correct at the top of 165 30, the status should be
plus 1211 and all 2's.
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4-23-72 GET 165:16 CST 08:59 CM-148/2
CASPER Okay.
CAPCOM And on the next page at 166 hours, the
SIM status in the first row is plus 1121 and the same holds
for 166 30. And CASPER could you give us barber pole plus 4.
CASPER Okay. You have it.
CAPCOM Okay, going back to the flight plan. At
166 45,
CASPER Okay.
CAPCOM You can make that end eat period and
immediately following, prepare for a solar corona sunrise
photos. And the T start for those photos is 166 5245.
CASPER Okay, T start for the solar corona is
1665
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/22/72 CST 0909 GET 165:26 CM- 149/1
CAP COM
CASPER
166 52 45.
CAP COM
167:01 add laser
South of Blaton.
and the NOUN 79
AOS act.
CASPER
South of Blaton.
79 is
gain.
5245
Ok ay .
T-start for the solar (garble) is
That's correct Ken. And on the next page
altimeter off, then P20 OPT 5 for 40 degree
NOUN 78 plus 270. 00 plus 087. 75 plus 180.00
is .50. At high gain pitch 10 yaw 350 for
Okay .
NOUN 7 8
And
plus
167
270
half degree and it s pitch
it's las te
plus 87.75
10, yaw 350
y aw 35 0
off, P20
and plus
for the
Opt 5
180 .
high
40 degree
NOUN
CAPCOM Roger. And at 167:05 starting with man cam -
mapping camera off, delete everything through enable all jets
down at about 167:14.
Okay. Is including mapping camera off down
enable all jets, that whole block is deleted.
That is affirmative. And then the next line
the high gain to the 350.
Ok ay .
At 167:22 delete the VERB 48.
Let me see, am I suppose to be retracting
am I suppose to be retracting that boom
for
Hank
CASPER
through including
CAP COM
turns the yaw
CASPER
CAPCOM
CASPER
th at - - h ey ,
n ow .
CAPCOM
Why don't you go
CASPER
Get something done
CAP COM
CASPER
CASPER
CAPCOM
30 seconds from it
Roger. You're about
ahead and do that Ken.
Okay. Well let's do that when you get it.
on it because going to have to watch it.
That's a 33 second retract time.
Okay. It's in work, I'm watching it.
Okay. It's off.
Okay. Could you give us auto on the high
gaxn .
CASPER
CAPCOM
p 1 an th ere's
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
rev. Do you
CASPER
them. Okay,
torque goes
CAPCOM
CAP COM
CASPER
book . Keep
then a p an
CAP COM
getting back to the flight
at 167:30, - -
ah ead .
the update block.
You have i t .
Okay. And Ken
only one more change. It
All right. Go
We ' re de le tin g
Okay .
And that ought to get us through another
have your NOUN 93 from your P52.
Yes sir. Let me look back here and find
they were minus .103 minus 001 plus .097 and I
at 164:47:20.
Roger. Copy .
And Ken I have a TE I 55 block data.
Okay. Now, let me get my other
an eye on the clock here, I got another retraction
camera to worry about there.
Roger.
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY A/22/12 CST 0909 GET 165:26 CM-149/2
CASPER Okay. I'm ready to copy.
CAPCOM Okay. TEI 55 SPS G&N 38144 plus 067 plus
105 182 37 2653 plus 28642 plus 03966 minus 00969 181 095 010,
the rest is NA. Sirius and Rigel 131 029 016 2 jets 17 seconds.
Longitude of the Moon at tig minus 159.03. Assumes LOPC1
and liftoff REFFSMAT and it's time for the boomer track.
Took 15 feet.
CASPER Okay. I'll get the boom and then I'll read
it back to you.
CAPCOM Okay. Adn this is the 30 seconds.
CASPER Okay. Thank you. Now it's coming in.
And it's off. Reading back TEI 55 SPS G&N 38144 plus 067 plus
105 182 37 2653 plus 28642 plus 03966 minus 00969 181 095 010.
Sirius and Rigel 131 029 016 two jets 17 seconds. Lamba minus
159.03. This pad's based on plane change #1 and the SS RE FS MM AT .
CAPCOM Good read back Ken.
CAPCOM And real quickly here on the SIM status
mapping camera's perking along real good, 98 frame margin. Laser
altimeter is now is getting about 65 percent good altitude. We've
had 1431 firing. Pan camera is over exposing by 1/2 F
stops cause of a bias in the exposure command voltage were 47
frames ahead on that. The rest of the SIM bay apparratus is
working real-nominal.
CASPER Okay. Is the X-ray experiment detecting
anything that looks unusual about the Descartes area or anything
like that?
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16, MISSION COMMENTARY, 4-23-72, CST 0919, GET 165:36 CM- 150/1
CASPER Okay, has the X-ray experiment detected
anything that looks unusual about the Decarte area or any-
thing like that?
CAPCOM Okay, I'll see if I can get a reading on
that. Casper, you're coming up on about 15 seconds to T stop
pan camera.
Okay, thank you.
Houston, standby. The gamma ray is on
CASPER
CASPER
its way out.
CAPCOM
Ken, we show
CASPER
gamma ray
the
Roger. Verify that that's the
mass spec going out.
Oh, thank you. There goes the gamma ray
out. Do you want me to go out and time the mass spec back
in so that you know where it is?
CAPCOM Okay, Ken what we'd like for you to do
take the mass spec all the way out and then retract it for
s e con ds .
Okay, that sounds reasonable. Going
then back in for 93.
That's affirmative and that would get us
point that I was just getting ready to
l s
93
an d
CASPER
all the way out
CAPCOM
to the 10 foot
you for.
CASPER
in now.
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
pan camera.
CASPER
CAPCOM
report yet, Ken?
CASPER
it shouldn't
CAPCOM
CAPCOM
out of the way
back
call
bo om
the
Okay, I'm going to bring the mass spec
Okay, Ken, 93 seconds.
Okay. Okay, the mass spec is off.
Okay, and we're ready for power off on
Okay, pan camera power is off.
Have you had time to work up a crew status
one
w o rk
Inbetween the other things?
take but a second.
No rush, take your time.
I was just trying to get all
so that
It's a short
this dirty
you d have an uninterrupted eat
p e ri o d .
CASPER Uninterrupted will take my solar corona.
Okay. How about PRD 15054, 7 hours and none. And yesterday,
lets see, well, shut, they don't even have Meal A in this
book. I don't know why it's put this way but - uh - you can
delete the - well, the only thing I had out of Meal B that's
on the list there is the graham crackers and the cocoa. I
also had bacon squares, coffee, and some of that pineapple
fruitcake and an apricot bar, and orange juice and another
package of graham crackers, spread out throughout the day.
Meal C, you can delete the beef steak and the chicken and
rice and the pecans and you can add that lobster from Meal B
APOLLO 16, MISSION COMMENTARY, 4-24-72, CST 0919, GET 165:36 CM-150/2
CAP COM
CASPER
s quare , okay ?
CAPCOM
this morning? Has
been clean to you?
CASPER
CAP COM
Okay, Ken, we got that.
Okay. That should finish filling that
Hey, Ken, how's the air-to-ground been
it been a lot of noise on it or has it
Just as quiet as ever. Beautiful comm.
Ok ay .
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4-
-72 GET 165:46 CST 09:29 CM-151/1
SPEAKER Roger been clean to you.
CASPER Just as quiet as ever. Beautiful calm.
CAPCOM Okay. CASPER Houston could you give us a
retract on the mass spec boom 20 seconds, that's a change 20
s e conds .
CASPER Okay, this is 20 seconds. Coming in now.
It's off.
CAPCOM Roger.
CASPER Hank where is that extra crater that you
said they had down there?
CAPCOM What was that Ken?
CASPER Said something about an extra crater down
there. Well, I've lost it now.
CAPCOM Oh, that was between double spot or where
the LM was and down to the south towards Stone Mountain, as
they were coming back from the surface, it was very apparent
there was a very large depression subdued crater. There was
a some they estimated 300 meters of maybe even larger in dia-
meter.
CASPER Okay, I guess I looked at the wrong place.
I looked short of the landing area.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/23/72 CST 09:39 GET 165:56 CM152/1
CASPER Henry, do you remember the little
helmet-shaped area we had just south of the Riphaeus
Mountains?
CAPCOM Yes, sir.
CASPER In the - Showed up on the color dif-
ferentials? Well, it's - does have a different color to
it in the sunlight. It seems like these - the things that
were showing up on those red and blue color differences are
showing up more at the low Suns, because I could see the
mare differences back by Lassell in low Sun and they don't
show up so well, now; and now this one shows up very dra-
matically as a little piece of - out here, and it's just
a little tanner than the rest of the mare.
CAP COM That's a (garble). Kind of interest-
ing to find out that the color's different there than its
s urroundings .
CASPER Yeah, and the texture is a little dif-
ferent, too. I've got the binocs on it now. The mare has
a large number of very small pits in it, as well as - it's
almost a random distribution of crater sizes. This little
patch of ground has, oh, I guess about the same distribution
as the larger craters, but the little pits don't show quite
as much, and it has a ropey texture across the top, not
as ropey as a (garble) flow or anything like that, but just
kind of has a little pattern to it. It has some linaments
that run kind of - I guess that's sort of northwest; and
it looks like it might be associated with these other little
clumps of material that stick out around it here. And -
I was trying to compare that to the Riphaeus Mountains, and
it looks like - the material looks the same. And another
thing I'd never noticed before is that, looking at the
Riphaeus Mountains, here, I'm looking at the step of the
eastern edge, and if you - remember the background Flamsteed,
there's a little foot - a little toe - a ring - that goes
around the inside, and the Riphaeus Mountains all have that
little toe. Now, whether that's a high water mark, or a
second unit, it's hard to say. But all along the margin
that I can see there's this little toe. And it seems to
be at the same elevation. And that's true for some of the
little patches that are a little further back inland. It
looks like a break in slope and a change in color, both.
CAPCOM What else do you see in there?
CASPER I see that it's getting dark outside,
and it's time for an eat period inside.
CAPCOM Roger.
CASPER Naw, it's - That's an interesting
place, I just need to have more time to look at it.
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/23/72 CST 09:39 GET 165:56 CM152/2
CASPER And I'm all set up for the solar corona.
The cameras are all set, checklist is complete, down to turn-
ing the tape on.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/23/72 CST 0949 GET 166:09 CM-153/1
CASPER And I'm all set up for the solar corona.
The cameras are all set. Checklist is complete down to turning
the tape on .
CAPCOM Rog. Let's take time to eat then. I'll
just check out with you here at LOS.
CASPER Alright sir. Thank you. Maybe everybody
else in the world knew about that little tow around the Riphaeus'
mountain. I just - - I never heard anyone mention that.
CAPCOM Roger. That sounds interesting.
CAPCOM Crew, the boys in the back room have
been eagerly obsorbing your remarks the last couple of days.
CASPER Yeah, but all the questions they ask
I can ' t answer .
CASPER You know Hank, one of the things I was
thinking about last night that might help remember a lot of things
we've seen. Do you suppose there's a - - any dak film that I
could use to say set +0 look out the window and I'll maybe if I
can maybe just tape the DAC up somewhere. Let it take a one
frame per second strip or something that would give us some
reasonable overlap around the lighted part of the Moon.
CAPCOM Okay. Ken we'll take a look at that.
CASPER I think I can probably take the camera some-
where so it would have a few - - approximately the same as what
we've been seeing.
CAPCOM Casper no need to acknowledge - - your
consumables look good. And on the RCS we're making a little
money. We're about 188 pounds down above the rescue red line.
CASPER Okay. That sounds good.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16, MISSION COMMENTARY, 4-23-72, CST 0959 GET 166:19 CM-154/1
are the surface guys out cranking
got out about 30 minutes
Hen ry ,
yet ?
Yes sir. They
moving on out.
Casper, Houston. John
now, and FAL says your
at the present there unschedule,
EE and KK. Okay, what kind? Are
and Charlie are
clear to use
th ey
CASPER
up their little car
CAP COM
earlier and they're
CAP COM
powering up the LRV
magazines EE and KK
CASPER
CEX.
CAP COM
CASPER
off the photo wheel
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
in that high gain in acquisition and we're wondering if you
were noticing that discrepancy between the angles and the knobs
and when you're in the manual mode. It appears to us you may
be off a little bit in yaw.
Okay, I'll - I'll set them - I've been
dials rather than on the knobs.
Right, that's preferable to use the meter
Both of those are CEX.
Okay, and I'll - I'll just use the
the same as we used for the 250.
That oughta work out okay, Ken.
Okay, thank you.
Casper, we've been noting a little
s et tings
os ci 1 lati on
bit
CASPER
setting them on the
CAP COM
the re .
CASPER
CAP COM
Okay .
Is th a t
dial for setting the yaw, is it
loo s e ?
CASPER No. No - uh uh . It just has that bias.
It had it during - I guess it was the last time we were out
there in the bird before flight for some tests, I noticed that
it had a difference in reading. I can't remember now what the
occasion was but I know that that - the biggest error is in
the pitch channel rather than the yaw channel.
CAPCOM Okay, we copy.
CASPER Do you have a procedure you'd rather have
me try at acquisition to help out?
CAPCOM Okay, if you see the signal strength
oscillating a little bit, I guess the best procedure is to go
to wide and wait.
CASPER Okay.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4-23-72 GET 166:29 CST 10:09 CM- 155/1
CAPCOM CASPER we're about 3 minutes from LOS,
everything's looking good. The laser's degrading a little
more but other than that, everything's okay.
CASPER Okay. I'll see you on the tuther side.
CAPCOM Alrighty.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4-23-72 GET 167:15 CST 10:58 CM- 156/1
CASPER Hello Houston, are you there?
CAPCOM Hello CASPER, how's it going?
CASPER Oh, pretty good. Got our solar corona done
and I got a little 16 millimeter strip going, unfortunately, I
missed the first couple of minutes while I was changing mags
and you'll have pretty close to a full re^. This has turned out
to be a — I was looking through the flight plan to see a good
rev and looks like this has got the hatch window pointing almost
straight down and it's probably the best rev we got going.
CAPCOM Okay, do you see anything worth talking
about there before AOS?
CASPER
camera set up.
CAPCOM
now and boy is that
CASPER
guess not .
CAPCOM
unfortunately, they
No sir, I spent all my time getting the
and Charlie are at North Ray
Roger, John
a big hole .
They have any
Ne gati ve ,
trouble getting up there, I
th ere
re
the bottom
an d
like
of
they wizzed right on up
not in a position they can see
they might have to fall in it first.
Well, let's not get that picture.
Roger, and also I was surprised, they didn't
bed in (garble) — in the crater anywhere
It looks
it looks
CASPER
CAP COM
see any evidence
they looked.
CASPER I don't see any from here either,
like a little slumping but that's all.
CAPCOM I guess those little things we saw in the
photos just fooled us. It turns out that there was a little
black spot on the east rim that was in the photo was really
there. It turns out it's one huge dark colored rock.
CASPER Is that right. Wonderful. They're going
to chip it and get a piece out of the center. Huh?
CAPCOM Well, we wanted them to turn it over, but
they decided against it.
CASPER Did they make any comment on what the material
looked like on their drive up to North Ray?
CAPCOM Most of it appeared to be breccia, however
they did pass one that was (garble) looking thing that we probably
saw our first basalt.
CASPER It still looks like to me that that path
they drove up on is part of all that furroixghed Descartes unit.
Hank would you give me a call at time 39, please?
CAPCOM Okay, will do. And could you give us
for the high gain?
CASPER Thank you (garble) might have to stop
You got it .
CAPCOM And, Ken, if you like, I can go ahead
read up your plane change PAD.
auto
again
an d
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4-23-72 GET 167:15 CST 10:58 CM- 156/2
CASPER Okay, let me -- let me do a couple of more
cleanup chores and I'll be ready to copy.
CAPCOM Okay and they're just putting the finishing
touches on the flight plan change.
CASPER Okay.
CAP COM CASPER if you'll give us ACCEPT, we'll send
up your state vector and target load.
CASPER Okay, you have it.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16, MISSION COMMENTARY, 4-23-72, CST 1108, GET 167:25 CM-157/1
CASPER My water spout looks like a Christmas tree
ornament. It's actually very pretty, gotta a nice big bubble
of water about an inch and a half in diameter sitting there on
it just looking at me. And it's just as round, it looks like
the cartoons of the jello that all the little mice play in.
CAPCOM Roger.
CASPER And, Hank I took a couple pictures on frame
ZZ, that's frame numbers 22 and 23 of that water bubble so
that the folks can see what we're talking about when we say
that that gas separator has a big bubble on the end of it.
CAP COM Roger.
CAPCOM Casper, the computer's yours.
CASPER Okay, be with you in - Okay, that's in
block and you remember the guys, I think the folks from
Marshall were saying that they thought that if you had a
bubble of water and you hit it with another bubble in the -
in zero G that one bubble ought to go through the other one.
CAP COM Roger.
CASPER Seems like they said something like that.
I don't remember all the details but I thought here was a good
chance, I had one bubble, I try a second one and I put the
water gun on it and from where I was standing I really couldn't
see all the dynamics but it looks to me like it's splashed
out the back side and the bubble was still intact on the front,
whether it went through or whether it had a reflection that
bounced off the other side, I can't really tell. It did
develope some air bubbles inside of the big bubble so there
maybe some interesting dynamics there.
CAPCOM Hey, that sounds real interesting.
CASPER Okay, I got my toys put up now and I guess
the next thing in order is to copy a little plane change pan.
Huh?
CAPCOM Roger. If your ready to copy.
CASPER Yes, sir.
CAPCOM Okay, L0PC-1, SPS G&N 3 85 85 plus 045 plus
102 169 17 39 49 minus 00015 minus 01247, all zips, attitude
is all zips, 0 pitch for roll, pitch, and yaw, noun 44 00 645
plus 00553, 01247, 007, 01130. The rest is N/A. Sirius and
Rigel 197 240 301, 2 jetts 16 seconds, quad Bravo and Delta.
Other high-gain angles for AOS in burn attitude pitch plus
13 yaw plus 258.
CASPER Okay, I copy L0PC 1, SPS G&N 38 585 plus
045 plus 102 169 17 3949 minus 00015 minus 01247, all zips,
attitude is all zips, 00645 plus 00553 01247 007 01 130.
Sirius and Rigel 19 7 2 40 301, 2 jetts for 16 seconds on Quads
Bravo and Delta. High-gain angles at AOS pitch plus 13 yaw
plus 258.
CAPCOM Good readback Ken.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY hll3ll2 CST 11:18 GET 167:35 CM158/1
CASPER Hank, we didn't say anything about
this VERB 48 at 167:20, but I assume we meant to delete
that .
CAPCOM I called that up to you, Ken, and I
thought you got that. You acknowledged it.
CASPER (Laugh) Okay. Well, that's another
one on my score, then.
CAPCOM Casper, we've done past your 39;
it's AO now .
CASPER Oh, okay. Thank you.
CAP COM Sorry about that.
CASPER Ah, that evens the score!
CAP COM Roger. (Laugh)
CASPER That's not fair. I was really going to
- I really did forget, because I was going to, I was going to
engage you in some verbal discourse to distract you so that
you would let me forget it. Going to redeem myself.
CAPCOM (Laugh) Roger.
CAPCOM I had a diversion down here. We're
fighting the Flight Plan.
CASPER (Laugh)
CAPCOM And, Ken, we'd like to get your Flight
Plan update up to you; and would you prefer to do it after
your visuals or start on it now?
CASPER Oh, let's see. How much time have I
got? Probably I'd just as soon start now.
CAPCOM Okay. Why don't we get going with it,
then? Okay, the first change comes at 168:05.
CASPER Okay.
CAP COM At 168:05, Mapping Camera Off, T-Stop;
VERB 49 Maneuver to P52 Attitude. That attitude is 142 250 042.
Mapping Camera Standby - that should be about 30 seconds - about
time you do that maneuver. Image Motion Off?
CASPER Rog.
CAPCOM Laser Altimeter Off - And that's a
Verify. Mapping Camera retrack. X-ray standby. Mass spec
ION source off, Mass spec experiment standby and there's
a caution; wait 5 minutes before retrack. Mapping camera,
laser altimeter cover, closed. ALPHA particle X-ray cover,
closed. Gamma ray retrack, mass spec retrack, enable all
jets.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4-23-72 GET 167:45 CST 11:28 CM-159/1
feel
CAP COM
enable all jets
CASPER
How about if
site.
CAP COM
CASPER
got a better
CAP COM
on it right after
CASPER
CAPCOM
Ray and they
CASPER
rim?
CAPCOM
CASPER
North Ray is
sun comes up
around it a
Gamma Ray retract, mass spec retract,
Okay, just a second, I'll read it back to you,
I read that back to you after I pass the landing
h ave
Okay .
Is that going to crowd us for time? You
for it than I have.
I don't think so Ken, if we can get right
the visual.
Okay .
Ken, John and Charlie are still at North
found some basalt clast.
Very good. Around the outside, or up on the
They're still on the rim.
The thing that I find most puzzling about
that as the albedo comes up now I can see — as the
the albedo chain shows up and I can see the rays
lot better now and the rays lay on top of that material
that seem to run — that they drove up on.
it looks like there's a little tone to that
Al , I take it back,
mate ri al — it's
probably about where they drove. It doesn't appear to be as
white as the stuff just a little bit further to the east but
all that material down to the east and all the stuff that goes
over — goes over to Ravine, all look like the same stuff and
looks very similar and character to Smoky. I see no evidence
of rays in North Ray except for some blocks on the sides. They're
probably just slump blocks and slump patterns and taking a quick
comparison with South
different. Okay, I'm
CAPCOM
had there for 168
CASPER
wanted a question,
Ray, I'm not so sure South Ray is much
ready to go back to copying updates.
Roger. You want to read back what we just
05?
Okay. Let's see, 168 05. Okay, yeah, I
I had a T stop time for the camera of 0541
and you just gave me 05. Do you want me to stop it at that or
do you want me to go on to —
CAPCOM 0541 is the correct stop time, we just —
this is just putting in words, what goes along about that time.
CASPER Okay, and then the VERB 49 to a P52 attitude
which is 152 250 042.
CAP COM Correction on that -- that's 142.
CASPER Mapping camera standby. Image — what did
I read to you 142 250 and 042.
CAPCOM That's correct.
CASPER Okay. Then it's mapping camera to standby,
that's — after 30 seconds after we get off and IMC off, laser
altimeter verify off, mapping camera retract, X-ray to standby,
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4-23-72 GET 167:45 CST 11:28 CM-159/2
CASPER mass spec ion source off, mass spec experiment
to standby. Wait 5 minutes before retraction then I can go
ahead and close the mapping camera laser altimeter cover. The
gamma ray can be retracted
the mass spec, then I
alpha X-ray door can be closed and the
and after the 5 minutes, I can retract
will enable coupled thrusters.
CAPCOM Good readback. At
on. P52.
CASPER Okay, 168 - wait a
H ank .
CAP COM Roger. The H2 PURGE line heaters on at
168:15 and following that, P52 option 3, and then an option 1
And you're going from landing site to the burn orient.
168:15 H2 PURGE line heaters
minute. Say that again,
CASPER
option 3.
CAPCOM
CASPER
CAP COM
guess you got
CASPER
CAPCOM
your going to
Okay, that will be in option 1 and then an
be the option 3 and then option 1.
th a t . I
It would
Okay .
And just a reminder to use SCS for
that down as a standard procedure now.
Okay, it's a good reminder nevertheless.
Now, what we're going to do here, Ken, is we're
have to get a scratch pad now and there's just no
place in the flight plan we can do this conveniently,
just give you times and things to do that fill in the
168:30 and 172:30, and if you want to do that, or get
out, I'll read these things to you.
CASPER Okay, I got a pad. Do you think we know enough
to, right now to be pretty much sequential or do I need to leave
spaces for alterations. You know, we've got some of those real
time checklist sheets in the updates booklet -
an d we'll
gap between
your pad
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/23/72 CST 11:38A GET 167:55 CM160/1
CASPER Right now will it be pretty much sequential
or do I need to leave spaces for alterations?
some
let'
You know we have
the update book,
CASPER
checklist sheets in
propriate .
CAP COM
use .
CAP COM
handle too, on what
want to leave too
CASPER
plan update sheets so why don't I use them
let me mark this so I can always find this
before you read it to me.
of those realtime
s see if that's ap-
I think that's probably a good thing to
And Ken, I think we've got a pretty good
should happen in sequence, so you wouldn't
many s paces .
Okay, well, we've got a lot of these flight
An d
page .
re ady
CAP COM
form before the
CASPER
to copy .
CAP COM
dump, 168 37, P30
CASPER
CAPCOM
waste water dump
CASPER
at the same time,
CAPCOM
nate waste water
off .
CASPER
CAPCOM
dump in there, Ken.
pre SPS SIM press .
equipment for LOP CI
CASPER
CAPCOM
be those angles you
mately 169 17 is
but there's only
And Ken, we don t plan to update
burn, just for your information.
Alright, I've got my paper in hand,
Okay, time 15 8 30,
, verb 49 manuever to
Okay .
168 40, page 2 in 02
and urine dump.
Okay, and you want me
right?
That's affirmative,
dump at 10 percent and
Just a sec on d,
the plat-
re ady
configure for urine
L0PC1 attitude,
fuel cell purge,
to dump them both
And at 168 50, termi-
H2 purge line heaters
Ok ay .
Okay, they couldn't work that mass spec
They tried, but they couldn't. 16 8 55
Set DET counting up to LOPC 1. Secure
Okay .
At 169 05 P40, at 169 13 AOS and that will
had, PITCH plus 13, YAW, 258. At approxi-
LOP CI. And we hope we'll have good lockup,
about 4 minutes, and we hope we'll be locked
20 -
up so we can watch. At 16 9
CASPER Okay.
CAP COM POO, okay, and also I guess I should tell
you, you can use the burn table for that LOPC burn, it's on
page 223 of the flight plan. That's got all your burn rules
an d
so on .
CASPER
CASPER
CAP COM
liftoff REFSMAT,
Alright, let me check that real fast.
Okay, those look like familiar rules.
Okay, and at 169 25, we'll uplink you a
And at 169 30, your post SPS burn SIM press
And it still leaves a gap there of about 3 hours and after
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY A/23/72 CST 11:38 GET 167:55 CM-160/2
CAPCOM LOPC 1, we don't want to clutter you up
till we get through with that, we'll go ahead and give you the
rest of things that fill in here.
CASPER Okay, I'll still need plenty of time to
get the cockpit squared away for rendezvous.
CAP COM We plan to give you lots of time for that
Ken, you want to read back what you've got there, just to make
sure we agree.
CASPER Yes sir. Let's see here, have we got
anything coming up here that we're supposed to be watching
before I read it back?
CAPCOM I'm watching your mapping camera.
CASPER Okay, I'll read back 168 30 configure for
urine dump, 37 do P30, verb 49 to lunar orbit plane change
number 1 attitude, at time 40 hydrogen and oxygen fuel cell
purge, we turn heater on back here at 168 15. Okay, at 40
we also do waste water and urine dump. At 50 terminate waste
water dump at 10 percent and turn the purge line heaters off,
at 55 pre SPS SIM press, set the DET counting up and secure
equipment. At 169 05 P40 at 13 it's AOS with a PITCH 13,
YAW 256 .
CAPCOM That's 2 5 8.
CASPER At 17 it's it's plane change 1 258. Okay,
I've got that on the other pad too. Alright at 17 a plane change
1, I use the burn rules off page 223 at 20 I'll go to POO ,
at 25 you give me an uplink of ascent REFSMAT. At 30, I'll
do the post SPS SIM prep.
CAPCOM Roger, and I guess we'll use your modified
burn card with 509 et cetera.
CASPER Okay, and I'll start 509 right after my
P52 .
CAPCOM Okay.
CASPER And we'll do an SCS and then I'll call 509
and then I'll take 509 down and use the modified card where
I started the gimbals, bring the bus ties on at 8 minutes.
CAPCOM That's a good plan, Ken. Where we're
going to pick up the flight plan again is at 168 30 to start
preparing for the rendezvous. And if you'll come 168 30
on to 175 hours, if you add 4 hours to all those times you're
close enough that we can use them all the way through the
rende z vous .
CASPER Alright, that's a help.
CAPCOM In other words, 168 -
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/23/72 CST 11:48 GET 168:05 CM161/1
CASPER Alright that'll help.
CAPCOM In other words 168:30 becomes 172:30 and so
on down the line all the way through and even the liftoff time
was within a minute or so, and ya'll always get an update on that
anyhow, so this section of the flight plan will be good.
CASPER Okay, (garble) Alright sir, I guess I've got
my work cut out.
CAPCOM And Casper, you're about 15 seconds from T stop
on the mapping camera.
CASPER Alright, thank you. And it's off.
CASPER Okay, our maneuver is underway.
CASPER Mapping camera is coming to standby. IMC is
off and barber pole is gray. The laser is verified off. The
mapping camera is coming to retrack. Mark. The X-ray is in stand-
by. The mass spec IN source is off. The mass spec experiment is
in standby. (garble)
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/23/72 CST 11:58 GET 168:15 CM162/1
CASPER Okay, I'm in SCS control, and I'm going to
call P52.
CAPCOM Roger.
CASPER I must have one of the planets right up
there above, right in that area too. Does that sound right.
Mats around Munki .
CAP COM
I'll
t ake a
look .
CASPER
Ok ay .
B ack
an d do
an
option
1 now.
CAP COM
Roge r
CASPER
Okay,
I h ave
these
numbers i
f anyone
want s
CAPCOM
We ' ve
got th
em.
CASPER
Okay ,
I don '
t think
those are worth
torquing ,
they ?
CAPCOM
Ne gati ve .
CASPER
Yes ,
you have Jupiter
in my
field of
view .
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/23/72 CST 12:08 GET 168:25 CM-163/1
SC Okay, I don't think those are worth torquing,
are they?
CAPCOM Negative.
SC Yes, you have Jupiter in my field of view,
and all these little moons.
CAPCOM Roger.
SC He sure must be a long ways off cause even
now, he's not very big. You can see his moons, though. That's
about all you can tell from it. You know who he is.
CAP COM Okay, Ken, for LOS, here, after you have
exit that 52, we'd like you to check your boom complex.
SC Okay, standby and I'll be with you. Okay,
I've got CMC mode on the optics on zero resolve, all that
is put to bed, I'm going to start the 509. I'll look at the
talkbacks first. Now, I got two of these things that show
barber pole. Both the mass spec and the gamma ray.
CAPCOM Okay, we feel that both booms are not
fully retracked, however, we do show them past the point
where it's safe for a SPS burn, so, we'd like you now to take
the — deploy retract switches on both those to OFF.
SC Okay, they are safe for burns. I guess we
ought to try that in sunlight.
CAPCOM Okay, Ken, we're about 3 minutes from LOS.
SC Okay, we'll go ahead.
CAP COM In case we don't get COMM, before the burn,
at this point you're go for the burn, the only thing we haven't
done is look at your target load. You still have to enable the
jets according to the flight plan and when you do your pre-SPS
burn card on the SIM bay, you'll be turning the half part on
X-ray off and go on to boost on the pan camera.
SC That's affirmative.
CAPCOM Ken, be sure you load your DAC before you
load 509 .
S C Ok ay .
SC I was going to try to let take a look at
the vector P40 before we got to LOS.
CAPCOM Okay.
SC Okay, you' ve got it ,
CAPCOM You have a good vector, Casper.
SC Okay, and I've got the DAC loaded.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/2 3/72 CST 12:56 GET 169:14 CM164/1
CASPER
CAP COM
all set up?
CASPER
attitude, and
CAP COM
CASPER
give you the
CAP COM
looks good.
CASPER
CASPER
Trans lation
and rotation
CAP COM
CASPER
Hello ,
Hello ,
Ho us t on ,
Caspe r .
How
are you doing?
? Are
How ' s it going
you
go.
I'
509 is out and I'm
m going sideways.
in
clo ck so I'll
All set to
we must be right,
Ro ge r .
Counting down at 155 on my
final couple steps on VOX.
Okay, Ken. We got data and everything
You're still GO.
Okay, thank you sir.
Okay, 1 minute, the EMS is going to normal-
control power is ON. Translation controllers
controllers are armed.
Cop y .
The arm light is
out, the SPS delta V
thrust A is coming on. Mark. Average D is
good. Ullage - good ullage, attitude good,
on, IPS look
engine enable.
There's ignition, AUTO shutdown, okay, residuals, I have Y
as minus .1, I'll give you the Verb 6 noun 20s and you can
watch that while I turn the gimbal motors off. There's
number 2 is off, number 1' s are off, internal powers are
OFF. Do you have the attitude, Houston?
That's affirmative.
Okay, I see that as no trim. My Delta
VC
CAP COM
CASPER
was minus
CAP COM
CASPER
9 .1
Roger , 9.1.
And I assume
you're handling the DSE now.
so -
just
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
CASPER
before putting
Yes .
Looks like you got it.
That's affirmative, Ken.
Okay, bus ties came off normally.
I noticed that when I set it up that
them on in bus B or battery B, it was
lower then the others. It was reading
reading a little bit
ab o u t 34.
CAPCOM
ready to abet B
give us ACCEPT,
CASPER
fuel readings?
oxidizer, 32.8
decrease of 2 75, and we made the burn in the 6 position with
secondary valve and normal position.
CAPCOM Roger, copy.
CAPCOM Casper, the computers yours, and we did
your verb 56 for you and we'd like you to start a bat B charge,
That's Roger, Ken and we're just about
charge. I'll give you a call, and if you'll
we're ready to uplink the REFSMMAT.
You have ACCEPT. And you want these
I'm not sure they're valid, but it's 31.8
on fuel and unbalance is now showing as a
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/23/72 CST 12:56 GET 169:14 CM164/2
CASPER Okay, let me finish my SIM bay configura-
tion, and then I'll be right with it. Okay, you'd like to have
a battery B charge.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY, 4/23/72, 13:06 CST, 169:24 GET, CM-165/1
CASPER You guys are awful quiet, Henry. You must
be plotting.
CAPCOM Roger. We got some more flight plan changes
for you. Let me just read you the first one here and let you
get going. We want you to do a VERB 49 maneuver to the P52
attitude and it's about a 15 minute maneuver and we want you
there about 46, so why don't you go ahead and load it up and
I'll give you the angles there. 180 075 345.
CASPER Okay. We'll need 0075 and 345. And can
we put the computer in block.
do you need me there?
Roger. At 46. It looks like you're going
on
An d you mi gh t
this thing
I c an ' t
keep an eye on the middle
We're going to watch it too.
watch this thing (garble) more
to go
Oh, it should
with th at yaw .
be clear.
But I will
It ' s
keep
got a good
lo oking
Why don't you read on.
169:46 P52 option 1, and
orient .
This time you want to do
we want
CAPCOM The computer is yours.
CASPER Okay, Hank. What time
CAPCOM
t o make i t .
CAP COM
gimbal angles
CASPER
than a minute
CASPER
bit of roll
aro und .
CASPER Okay.
CAPCOM Okay,
a pump start to the ascent
CASPER Okay,
start, P52 option 1 and 46
CAPCOM Roger,
particle X-ray cover and then turn the X-ray on.
CASPER Okay. Then open alpha X-ray cover and
the X-ray to ON.
CAP COM Roger. 169:51, VERB 49 maneuver to molten
point attitude, to be there at 170:20, and that's about a
9-minute maneuver. The molten point attitude is 225 233 358.
CASPER Okay. At time 51, I go to molten point
attitude 225 233 358 and I have to be there by 170:20.
CAPCOM Roger. And the high gain to auto at your
con venien ce .
CASPER You got it .
CAPCOM Okay. And following that maneuver
same time, go to the experiment checklist, Gegenschein
number 2, page X2-3, steps 1 to 4.
CASPER Okay. That's experiment checklist
gage on past 2.
a puis e
And following that, open the alpha
at that
pas s
page X2-3
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/23/72 CST 13:16 GET 169:34 CM-166/1
Okay, that's experiment checklist
3 gegenschein past 2. They give you some step
Does that mean I don't do the whole pass?
we want the photos to start at
Well,
Okay, standby a minute. Let me get to
SC
page XII-
numb ers .
CAPCOM
1728.
SC
that .
CAPCOM What that's doing, Ken, is that's one
of those things where you maneuver around to the marking
point to the anti-solar point and to the — and do those
frequencies. So, steps 1 to 4 gets you a crater molten
point frequency and you got to do a little maneuver to the
anti-solar point.
SC Okay, but I'm going to do the whole
sequence. When you read steps, I thought maybe there was
something I was suppose to leave out. Okay. So, all we
need is another set of attitudes and sometimes. Now let me
have this molten point time that has to be done no earlier
than some given time.
Ken. We want you to start
Roger ,
at
certainly try. But that's also the
af f i rmati ve .
in that sequence
at approx —
CAP COM
170 28. 170 28.
SC I will
earliest, is that correct?
CAPCOM That's
CAPCOM Follow
well, that time is all wrong here but we want you to do
a VERB 49 maneuver to the antisolar point. That's about a
5 minute maneuver and the attitude is 279 223 356.
SC Oh, boy. Hank, can we stick a 5 minute
of maneuver as long as I'm in there, I might as well going
to make it. Do you know why we're changing the roll left
that much? Last time, we didn't change the roll at all. We
just made a little pitch maneuver down there.
CAPCOM Okay, FAL will check that, but that is
the same place found on page — on the checklist. The next
step .
SC Okay.
CAPCOM They say here if that is correct that
they want you at that attitude by 150 36 but
concerned, you just step to the sequence.
as f ar as I'm
That's the only thing I can do, Hank.
Roger .
What was that target time, again?
That's affirmative.
Ok ay .
You won't be there by then if that's —
FAL said that what they're trying to do is com-
SC
CAPCOM
SC
170 36 ?
CAPCOM
SC
CAPCOM
oh , I see.
bine deep space measurement with the -- for these photos
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/23/72 CST 13:16 GET 169.34 CM-166/2
SC
CAP COM
att it ude by 36 .
SC
SC
up to you folks
CAP COM
SC
I can , Hank ,
a little RCS
to be at that
Okay .
And you're not going
That'll be more like 38.
At the best, yes sir.
Now, we can put in a higher rate,
Is is worth the gas?
That' s
You got the gas if you want to do it.
Well, I'd like to get as much data as
I don't know how to access what's worth keeping
for a rendezvous
molten
CAPCOM
Go a higher rate
SC
S C
get to the
rate .
CAPCOM
ge gens chein
SC
a s e con d .
SC
whi ch we're
That should
a post work
as opposed to —
Okay, press ahead and use the gas
and let's get these things.
Okay .
I'll set the — right after — I
attitude, I'll change the DAP to a
thing
going
be no
Okay, is there any question on
th e re , Ken ?
No. I'm just looking it over.
h i gh
th at
Jus t
Okay, I'm on my way to the P52 attitude
to get at — I guess, here at daylight.
problem. That's why we're going
out X-ray covers and
i
to do
and I'll open the out X-ray covers and get the
X-ray on, and then at times 51 1
VERB 49 to the molten attitude which is 225 233 and 358 to
be there at 170 20. I'll then do those pictures and try
to start them at 170 28. By getting an attitude, I'm going
to change the DAP to 10102, then do a maneuver to the anti-
solar point at 279 223 and 356. In those pictures, you begin
at 170 36 . At the conclusion of that sequence, I'll return
the DAP to 10101.
that sounds, Ken, and at 171 hours
to standby and close the alpha
CAPCOM Okay,
we want to turn the X-ray
particle X-ray cover.
S C
and close the alpha
CAPCOM
SC
SC
after that?
CAPCOM
SC
CAP COM
to — this
we w an t
a P52 .
you w an t X- ray to stand by
Okay, at 171,
X-ray cover.
Roger. That's persentive order.
Roge, thank you.
Okay, is there something that comes
Do I go to another attitude or what?
Standby a minute, Ken.
Okay .
Okay, Ken, following this, we want you
attitude will be good all the way up to 172 30 ,
you to get an E period in there and at 172 15, do
and
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/23/72 CST 13:16 GET 169:34 CM-166/3
SC Okay, just a second. You caught me with-
out my book.
SC Okay, Hank. Say again those events?
CAPCOM Okay. The attitude that you're in at
the completion of the gegenschein will be good for that
time until we pick on the -- in the flight plan at 172 30
where we marked it up and the only thing we want you doing
in this period is to eat and at 172 15, do a P52.
SC Okay, I'll eat to a P52 at 172 15 that
would be in flight plan at 172 30.
CAPCOM That's affirmative and for information,
the next AOS —
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/23/72 CST 13:26 GET 16 8:44 CM167/1
CASPER Okay, I'll eat, do a P52 at 172:15 and be
In the flight plan at 172:30.
CAPCOM That is affirmative, and for your information
the next AOS is at 171:14.
CASPER Okay, thank you sir.
CASPER Okay, Hank. I got 23 frames used on magazine
Z-Z. I assume that's enough to get me through this new sequence,
right ?
CAP COM That's affirmative. That should be a 7 frame
s eq uen ce .
CASPER Okay.
CAPCOM And, Ken, for planning purposes, we're going
to delete your suit donning for the rendezvous, so you won't have
to be worried about that.
CASPER Okay, alright. That'll unclutter the time
a great deal, thank you.
CASPER Can I go ahead and open the Alpha cover?
CAPCOM Standby.
CAPCOM Roger, Ken. Go ahead,
CASPER Okay, that baby's open.
CASPER That ought to get your attention, shouldn't
it?
CAPCOM Roger.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY A/23/12 CST 13:37 GET 169:54 CM168/1
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
H ank .
CAP COM
CASPER
I know, and with
is nice to get a
have to be there,
up, and the camera
CAP COM
figure for SIM
CASPER
CAP COM
gain , we're
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
lighter material
Ok ay ,
Copy .
Well,
How's
the X-ray is on.
we finally got a little serendipity,
that?
Almost in the right attitude to start with.
you guys in the loop that's not luck. It sure
- get somewhere more then a minute before you
And we're all set up, I got the window shade
installed, and we're all ready to go.
Casper, Houston. We'd like you to con-
bay j et t .
Okay . got it.
And Casper, could you reacquire on the high
having a little trouble. PITCH minus 30, YAW 80.
How's that?
Hey, that looks good.
Hank, just out of curiosity, all this
that's sticking up through the mare down
here, have that same little bench on it that I described at
Riphaeus Mountain -
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/23/72 CST 13:46 GET 170:04 CM169/1
CASPER Hank, just our of curiosity, all this minor
material is sticking up to the mare down here, have that same
little bench on it that I described at Refuse Mountains. That
includes some of these circular craters that are sticking up.
CAPCOM Roger. That sounds pretty interesting.
CASPER Has both a different color and I think it
has a different slope, but it looks just like a high water mark
on it, because everything around here is uniform.
CAPCOM Roger. Are you talking about the swirles?
CASPER Swirles, no sir. I'm talking about these
little benches that are on the side of every piece of material
that sticks up through the mare surface.
CAPCOM Roger.
CAPCOM Casper, Houston. After you get the alpha
partical X-ray covered door closed at 171 hours, you can go back
to coupled RCS.
CASPER Okay, let's see, after I close the door at
171, then you want me to go back to couples.
CAPCOM We want you that way at LOS so if I don't
get some good tracking on you.
CASPER Okay.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/23/72 CST 13:56 GET 170:14 CM170/1
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
supposed to b
the camera in
list and it w
on that star
appear to me
CAP COM
the camera in
CASPER
about Gienah.
CASPER
che eked th at .
CASPER
pointing clos
CAP COM
say it's good
CASPER
Henry?
Did you call, Ken?
Yes sir, I'd like to verify what I'm
e pointing at. It doesn't look like - we got
the 30 degree position according to the check-
as my understanding that mark on my checklist
chart was the molten point, and it doesn't
that my camera is pointing at that spot.
Stand by. Okay, the checklist calls for
the X position.
It looks to me that my camera is pointing
Oh, there
it is, okay, now I'm glad
we
Hank, it still looks to me like I'm
er to Spica then I am An tares.
Ken, FAO verified the attitude, they
Okay, that's fine then.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY A/23/12 CST 14:06 GET 170:24 CM171/1
CAPCOM Casper, Houston. We're a little over 2
minutes from LOS, and everything is looking good. INCO 1 s got
your recorder.
CASPER Okay, thank you very much.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/23/72 CST 14:55 GET 171:12 CM172/1
CASPER Hello, Houston.
CAPCOM Hello, Casper. How's it going?
CASPER Oh, we're still here. Done all of our chores.
Got your SIMBAY buttoned up, and we're in couples. And in leiu of
anything they just switched to wide jet bands, just there didn't
seem like there way any reason not to.
CAPCOM Okay.
CASPER I understand from your comment last time, Hank,
that there are no other activities tentively scheduled until the
rendezvous sequence starts, so I can go ahead and start stowing
things and getting set up for that. Is that correct.
CAPCOM Roger, Ken. The only things thats scheduled
is that P52 about an hour from now.
CASPER Okay, and I got your P52 in the last pass,
if that'll help, and I used stars 27 and 31, and the torquing
angles were plus .108 plus .061 plus .001 and I torqued that
at time 170:59:30.
CAPCOM Roger, copy. Okay, you can delete the P52
announcement now and then.
CASPER Okay. Thank you. And the plan is still to
do the nominal rendezvou sequence up through where you get some
of the basic equipment over and then power down and we'll jettison
the LM tomorrow. Is that correct?
CAPCOM That's affirmative, Ken. That's still the
p 1 an .
CASPER Okay.
CAPCOM Casper, Houston. We're riding right at the
edge of the high gain scan limit. We would like for you to
roll left 15 degrees.
CASPER Okay. Roll left 15.
CASPER Okay, Henry. Is that angle going to be alright
now?
CAP COM Roger, Ken. That's good.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY, 4/23/72, 15:05 CST, 171:22 GET, CM-173
CAPCOM Casper, Houston.
CASPER Yes, sir.
CAPCOM I've got some updates for you in the flight
plan back in table 215, the transfer after docking table.
Table number 2-8, page 2-15.
CASPER Okay. Could you stand by for just a minute,
CAPCOM Will do.
CASPER Okay. Where is this now, Hank,
CAPCOM Roger. In the table under item number 8.
CASPER Well, could you tell me the page again?
CAP COM Oh, it's page 2-15, it's transfer after
docking table, table 2-8.
CASPER Okay.
CAPCOM Okay. Under item 8, we want to delete the
LCG plug, the PGA electrical connector covers and the neck
ring dust covers. Those three items will be on the suits and
delete the DSEA and they'll take care of that tomorrow.
CASPER Okay. I take it from that they're coming
up unsuited.
CAPCOM They're going to take their suits off in
the LM, Ken.
CASPER Oh, I see. Okay.
CAPCOM And the rest of these deletions are because
they'll be taken care of tomorrow also. Delete item number 12
and on the next page -
CASPER Okay.
CAPCOM - item number 15, delete the second and
third lines. And delete items 26, 27, and 2 8.
CASPER Okay. Let's see if I got all that now,
I got under item 8, delete the LCG plugs, the PGA market
contents, the neck ring dust covers and the DSEA. I deleted
item 12, I deleted the second and third lines of item 15, I
deleted number 26, 27 and 28.
CAPCOM That's affirmative.
CASPER Okay.
CAPCOM And, Casper, I have two P24 pads for you
whenever you're ready. The first one is at 173:20 in the
flight plan.
CASPER Okay.
CASPER This is after the numbers have been changed
right ?
CAPCOM That's affirmative.
CASPER Okay, how far - let me see here how far
ahead I need to change the numbers. I better do that right
now so we don't get - that first .
CAP COM Okay. That's at the old 169:20 .
CASPER Well, we're going - let's all talk in the
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY, 4/23/72, 15:05 CST, 171:22 GET, CM-173/2
CASPER real GETs and I'll change my numbers in the
book right now.
CAPCOM Okay. 173:20.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/23/72 CST 15:15 GET 171:32 CM174/1
CASPER Okay, I'll copy those numbers now.
CAPCOM Okay, and all of these are at 173 hours
plus Ken, so Tl is 173 plus 15 021952 21322 22 0, south 10 nautical
mi les .
CASPER Okay, and I guess we've got another one
over here at 173 50.
CAPCOM That's affirmative. They're all 173 for
the first number. Tl is 3918440 845 4 846 36, north 1 nautical
mile .
CASPER Okay, for Descartes 1733918 4408 and
4548 4636, north 1, Fl 173 1502 1952 213222 - that's 2220
for T3 and south 10 .
CAP COM Good readback, Ken.
CAPCOM Casper, Houston, for your planning, I
don't know if it's been passed up or not, but no TV for
rendezvous or docking.
CASPER Oh, okay. I hadn't gotten that.
CAPCOM The reason for that Ken, is that the
television interferes with the LM comm, they've been having
a comm problem there with their steerable.
CASPER Okay, well that's one less, big item
to not have to unstow.
CAPCOM Casper, Houston. While you're working
there, I'll just read you part of a little note I got from
Baruch in the back room. He says that "We feel that your
descriptions of the video targets have been very accurate
and extremely significant. Also concern your comments on
the FIK, the traverse planning troupes were very happy to
have, and many of your comments were taken into considera-
tion in planning EVAs 2 and 3."
CASPER Thank you, that's awfully kind.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/23/72 CST 15:25 GET 171:42 CM-175/1
CASPER Hey Hank.
CAPCOM Go ahead.
CASPER How about giving me a call about 5 minutes
before we pass over the landing site and about 5 minutes before
hit the Riphaeus Mountains.
CAPCOM Will do it,
CAPCOM Ken I think you just passed the landing
t r ack .
CASPER Oh okay. Well better luck next time.
How about the Riphaeus Mountains then.
CAPCOM Okay I'll give you a call 5 minutes prior.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/23/72 CST 15:35 GET 171:52 CM176/1
CAPCOM Casper, Houston. You're approximately
5 minutes from the mountain.
CASPER Okay, thank you very much.
CASPER Sorry about that.
CAP COM What's that you're sorry about, Ken?
CASPER The camera got the (garble) mike caught in
the (garble) on the back of the camera. I thought it was probably
making a lot of noise at you.
CAPCOM We can hear the camera cycling.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/23/72 CST 15:45 GET 172:02 CM177/1
ALL DEAD AIR
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/23/72 CST 15:55 GET 171:12 CM178/1
CASPER
phoresis, I'd like
CAPCOM
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
love these words,
CASPER
Hank, before I throw out the electro-
to verify that that's still their intention.
Okay, I'll have them check on it.
That's still in the plan, Ken.
Ok ay .
Casper, Houston. I know you're going to
but I've got one more flight plan change.
Okay (laughter) hang on a second and I'll
be with you. Let me
like that last month
get things tied
of training was
CASPER Okay,
CAPCOM Okay,
CASPER Okay.
CAP COM Okay,
verb 49 manuever to P52
down. Well, it looks
well worth while.
Hank, read away,
the first one is at 173:50.
ab out
does it say something there
COAS cal that's after that
173: 55. Want to change that attitude to 180255357.
CASPER Okay, that COAS CAL attitude will be 180
255357.
CAPCOM Roger, and the high gain angles are
minus 752 49 .
CASPER Okay, minus 75 and 249 .
CAPCOM Okay, next page 174:09, delete the con-
figure for urine dump and the 82 purge line heaters on.
CASPER
CAPCOM
the fuel cell purge
CASPER
CAPCOM
TV bracket, delete
CASPER
Okay .
Same page at the bottom, 174:28, delete
and the dumps .
Okay, that's done.
Next page at 174:36, starting with CM4
all through down PGA.
Okay, I ought to be well ahead by then
if you d like for me
I'
m not requesting
to wear the suit,
to wear it -
why, it s no problem.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/23/72 CST 16:02 GET 172:18 CM179/1
Ken,
1 s
run
top
That t ak e s
that time line.
Okay. Anything there
Okay , at 175 : 13 -
Okay, I got those deletions.
At AOS, we want to change the
2 49 and put their RE ACQ in wide. And
to help the LM comm.
Okay .
At 17 7: 19 -
Say again the time.
177: 19 .
Okay .
Delete TV on. And anywhere in
just delete it.
Alrigh ty .
And the last change
TV,
CAP COM
That hits
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
to minus 75
wide is going
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
across that
CASPER
CAP COM
of the page.
CASPER
CAP COM
I'll get you your deadband
Alpha particle X-ray cover
CASPER
thing again, Hank
CAP COM
That's the SIM
CASPER
yet.
CAPCOM
CASPER
CAPCOM
CASPER
CAP COM
Alpha particle
mass spec deploy, and after the
experiment on, ion source stand
CASPER
3° deadband
some time out after the docking,
a big help .
Go ahead,
angles there
this RE ACQ in
there you
is at 178 hours, at the
Okay .
P20 option 5, minus
on that in a
open, Alpha
X forward SIM bay attitude,
second. Following that
particle on -
b ay
Hey, give me a minus X. Start that whole P20
Okay, it's P20 option 5, minus X forward,
attit ude .
Okay. And you say you do not have a deadband
3°.
Say again.
NOUN 79 will
Okay .
Okay, Alpha
experiment Alpha
be a 3° deadband,
particle X-ray cover open,
on, X-ray on, gamma ray deploy,
mass spec is deployed, mass specs
by.
Okay, got all that. P20 option 5, minus X.
The Alpha door comes open the Alpha comes on and
the X-ray comes
deploy, the
and the ion
CAP COM
take you on
CASPER
friendly wager,
CAPCOM
i f you 1 11 flip
CASPER
on. The gamma goes out, the mass spec goes to
comes on when it's deployed,
mass spec experiment
source is stand by.
That's a good readback, Ken
up past rendezvous, and docking.
(Laughter) Do you care to have
That should
a little
Negative, cause I
back a page to 177:55.
(Laughter) Okay, go
just got another change,
ahead .
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/23/72 CST 16:02 GET 172:18 CM179/2
CAPCOM We want to delete the VERB 49 maneuver to the
LM jets since we're not doing that tonight.
CASPER Okay.
CAPCOM And that's about revision U-Uniform, I'll have
Victor for you here shortly, probably.
CASPER Okay, no sweat. Whenever you get it, give
me a call. Meanwhile I'll be picking up toys here.
CAPCOM Casper, you're looking good going around the
hill, and INCO has you recorded.
CASPER Okay, thank you very much. I'll see you in
a few minutes .
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/23/72 CST 16:53 GET 173:11 CM-180/1
CASPER Hello Houston. How do you read?
CAPCOM CASPER, Houston. Reading you weak and
noisy .
CASPER Hello Houston. How do you read?
CAPCOM CASPER, Houston. I'm reading you very
weak with lots of noise, over.
CAPCOM CASPER, OMNI delta.
CASPER Houston, can you read yet?
CAPCOM CASPER, Houston. Reading you very weak
and if you read go OMNI delta.
CASPER Houston, can you read me?
CAPCOM CASPER, Houston. How do you read?
CAPCOM CASPER, Capcom.
CASPER Houston, do you read CASPER?
CAPCOM CASPER, Houston. Reading you very weak.
Coming up on 10 seconds to P2.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/23/72 CST 17:03 GET 173:21 CM-181-1
CAP COM
CASPER
C AP C OM
We had a bad
CAP COM
recorder, though
CASPER
running so I
CAP COM
CAPCOM
not going to
CASPER
CAPCOM
10 minutes here is
change vector here
CASPER
CASPER
marked on there
CAPCOM
CASPER
on so, I picked
CASPER
CAPCOM
stowage for the
be nominal. The
Casper, OMNI Delta.
Okay. How about that one?
Hey, you're doing a lot better now, Ken
antenna, I guess, on this acquisition.
The marks should have gone on the tape
Okay. I — the tape recorder wasn't
started it and I hope they're ready for you.
Thank you.
Ken, for your information, the LM is
do a P22 .
Okay, thank you.
Casper, Houston, it looks like we got about
all that's free. I got flight plan
on
Ok ay .
Let me make one quick note on what I
S-l and I'll be with you.
Okay.
It's an awfully big target to be marking
a little target on the side of it.
Okay, and I'm ready for a change vector.
Okay, and for your information, Ken, the
atoms transfer from the LM to the CSM will
first change is at 179 20. And I guess
we should have brought that page just to add to 4 hours too
at th e
CASPER
CASPER
CAPCOM
right place
CASPER
CAPCOM
CASPER
CAPCOM
connect LM CM
CASPER
CM umbilicals
CAPCOM
CASPER
CAPCOM
(garble) valve to
CASPER
ah e a d .
we' re at the
179 20.
I did that. 179 20, go
Okay, just to make sure
old 175 20.
Yes , sir.
Okay. At that place —
A big blank area right now.
Right. At that place put on LM request,
umbilical and transfer power to the CSM.
Okay. On LM request, connect the LM
transfer power to the LM at 179 20.
Roger. At 179 45, close LM hatch.
Go ahead.
Hatch installation decal, LM tunnel
LM CM Delta P, tunnel lights, off.
Okay, you want —
an d
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY h(23ll2 CST 17:13 GET 173:31 CM-182/1
CASPER Okay, you want to close the LM hatch,
and I take you want to install the command module hatch, and
we'll do a LM CM Delta P for the position and the tunnel
lights off.
CAPCOM Roger, and delete the update block, the
wave lock and the VERB 40 loads -- VERB 48 loads and right
under that put mass spec ion source, ON.
CASPER Okay, All right, go ahead.
CAPCOM That's right under where I had the VERB
48. This is 480 hours, but just to get it in there. Mass
spec ion source, ON, VHFAMB, OFF, center, and begin the (garble)
pe rio d.
CASPER Okay. Now somewhere, I need to load the
LM weight into the CS added — added to the CSM weight or
at least have the LM weight on there for the DAP. Let's see —
that's already taken care of.
time
Ken
n ow ,
that
from
176 ,
th e
CASPER You going to get me a LM weight some
earlier so we'll be covered.
CAPCOM Okay.
CAPCOM Okay, that will occur right after docking,
CASPER Yeah. I guess.
CAPCOM Okay, okay, You can start turning pages
I guess, and we want — at the old 176, we want to scrub
whole page. Actually, we're going to scrub everything
176 on
176-30
one —
up through 181 — well up to
scrub those two columns, on
181. So
page
the next page of 177
CASPER
again tomorrow?
CAPCOM
CAP COM
CASPER
again tomorrow.
CAPCOM
CASPER
CAPCOM
and this is
flight plan,
CASPER
CAPCOM
CASPER
CAP COM
CASPER
CAPCOM
thing in there
CAP COM
You're not going to want to use them
Negative. They say not.
Don't scrub them too heavily.
Okay, I don't want to copy that all over
CASPER
At this point, let's just skip over lightly,
(garble) do you (garble)?
Okay, anyhow, going over to 181 hours —
the real 181. What it says right there in your
and put LIOH canister, change —
And then the same for volts, huh?
Af firmative .
IOH, change .
Roger, 15 into BRAVO, go 12 and ALFA 3.
Ok ay .
And if you want to write allelua or some-
we're back on the nominal plan, again.
Still in the morning, you notice?
That's called a champion event.
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/23/72 CST 17:13 GET 173:31 CM-182/2
CAP COM
rest period.
CASPER
s crub th at one
CAP COM
CASPER
pick up the
CAP COM
CASPER
didn't talk
turn if off
right ?
CAP COM
CAP COM
CAP COM
CASPER
CAP COM
check with the
CASPER
CASPER
Roger, we just got in there for the
Well, I'm glad you didn't decide to
Man, that's true for right now, Ken.
Okay. I'll go back and see if I can
Orion and the landing site.
Okay .
Okay, Hank, one of the things we
about was I got 509 running now and I'm going to
when I finish this next P24. Does that sound
S tan dby .
That's a good plan, Ken.
10 seconds till T2 -- Tl.
Okay, thank you.
Casper, were you going to do the COMM
LM?
Okay .
I got another minute or so.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/23/72 17:23 CST 173:41 GET CM183/1
CASPER
Orion, Casper, Victor Hotel, how do you
read, over?
CASPER
Orion, this is Casper, over.
CAP COM
Ken, they should be configuring there, just
a s e cond.
CASPER
Hello, Orion, you got the combination.
ORION
Good afternoon.
CASPER
Loud and clear, John.
CASPER
Orion, this is Casper, reading you loud and
clear.
CASPER
Loud and clear, John, how about me?
CAP COM
Casper, (garble).
CASPER
Loud and clear, John, how me?
CASPER
Okay, you're loud and clear, Charlie.
CASPER
Ah, just fine, smile and we'll take your
picture here in a
minute .
CAP COM
Casper your DAC should be running.
CASPER
DAC is running.
CAP COM
And you're coming up on 10 seconds to P2 .
CASPER
Okay. Man, that's hard to see in this moon
Okay, on target.
CAP COM
(garble) .
CASPER
I've got Sun angle at Flag and Spook are
hard to see until
you're right on top of them.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/23/72 CST 17:33 GET 173:51 CM184/1
CAPCOM Casper, Houston. We got a bunch of pads to
get up to you. The first one I've got for you is your range
update, whenever you're ready to copy.
CASPER A range update.
CAP COM Roger, the ranges that you have, are a little
bit in error, and I'd like to give you the correct ones, so that
when you compare your range, it would look more better to you.
CASPER
Oh, you mean the nominal ranges in the rendezvous
p rof ile .
CAPCOM
That's affirmative, sir.
CASPER
Oh okay , s ure .
CASPER
Al ri gh ty .
CAPCOM
Okay, range at insertion should be 171 nautical
miles .
CASPER
Okay, that will be 171. Alrighty.
CAP COM
Insertion plus 6 is 142 .
CASPER
Ok ay .
CAPCOM
OMNI Alpha, Casper.
CASPER
You ' ve got it .
CAPCOM
Okay, insertion plus 9 is 129. And insertion
plus 12 is 120
CASPER
Okay, let's see, that - lets start the same
figures that I
got
in he re on it.
CAPCOM
They should be about 15 miles different, I
unde rs t and.
CASPER
Okay, what was the last one you gave me.
Insertion plus
how
much .
CAP COM
Plus 12, and it was 12 0.
CASPER
Okay. Okay.
CAP COM
And I have that big bugaboo, the P27 update.
CASPER
Okay, I'm ready to copy.
CAP COM
Okay. CSM L - correction, 71 GET 175:43:30.
Index 21 starting with 02, 01501 00002 00337 02513 00006 35240
77727 75532 77055 73120 61613 77570 70222 51111 07425 break OMNI
B ravo .
CASPER You've got it.
CAP COM Roger. And starting with 21, 04510 and that's
the end of that column. Started on the next one LM 71 -
CASPER Hang on a second, Hank. Standby.
CASPER Okay, Henry. Go ahead.
CAPCOM Okay, starting with LM vector 71, GET 175:55:00.
Index 21 data 01501 77775 00270 04377 77662 70436 77660 74724 67755
61614 62362 55364 72047 5 2 342 07431 13320 end of pad.
CASPER Okay.
CASPER Suppose I read it back to you. It's VERB 71
CSM 1754330 2101501, 4 balls 2, 00337 02513, 4 balls 6 35240
77727 75532 77055 73120 61613 77570 70222 51111 07425 04510.
LM VERB 175:55:000. 21, 01501 77775 00270 04377 77662 70436 77660
74724 5 - correction 67755, that's line 12 starting at 13. 61614
62362 55364 72047 52342 07431 13320, over.
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/23/72 CST 17:33 GET 173:51 CM184/2
CAPCOM Good read back, Ken.
CASPER Amazing.
CAP COM And If you'll give us ACCEPT, and bring
up the HIGH GAIN, we'll get you state vector up.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/23/72 CST 1743 GET 17401 CM185/1
CAPCOM Casper, I have a correction to that range
update I gave you.
CASPER
Okay, stand by just a second. Okay, go
ah e a d .
CAP COM
Roger, the insertion plus 12 should read
116 .
CASPER
Okay, plus 12 is 116.
CAPCOM
Okay, I owe you a consumable status,
eve ry thing' s
great there, we're nominal, and on our RCS we're
16 3 pounds over redline.
CASPER
Okay .
CAP COM
And the CSM weight, that's forward in the
CMC is okay.
CASPER
Alright. You want to get me a hack at
the LM weight
or I'll just guess at 59 00 again?
CAPCOM
Stand by, Ken.
CAP COM
LM weight is 5 9 53.
CASPER
Okay, thank you.
CAPCOM
Casper, you can terminate the Bat B charge
n ow .
CASPER
Okay, battery B charge is OFF.
CAPCOM
Casper, the computer's yours.
CASPER
Okay, thank you.
CAPCOM
Casper, I have an ascent PAD for you.
CASPER
Ok ay , s t an d by.
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/23/72 CST 17:53 GET 174:11 CM-186/1
CASPER
Okay, you got the numbers?
CAP COM
We've got the angles, Ken. Torque them.
CAP COM
Casper, you're clear to torque.
CASPER
Roger. Torque.
CASPER
Okay, Hank, do we have enough time to run
the -- take a look at this coas star or do you want to get your
p ad , ii rs t
Rn crp r Fpn We oot ab o ii t 10 mi nutes till
LOS .
LAS riiK
01^^-17 T* A TJ o ^ p "in crififl s "h ?m p t H GTl .
UK. dV j Li 11 f KV C J- Li g u *J v± on ci y c-j n j
cause the star is
r i gh t here.
CAP COM
UK. ay , wny a on t you press aneaa w ± l n luc
coas ?
CASPER
All righty. I'll be done with it in just
a jiffy .
CASPER
That's pretty close, isn't it?
CAP COM
Roger .
CASPER
Okay, I'm ready to copy your pad.
CAP COM
Okay. Direct ascent burn.
CASPER
Okay .
CAP COM
Okay, gives a 175 43 3518, NOUN 37 176 37
5200.
CAP COM
coelliptics, liftoff 175 46 0937, 911 176
44 3391, NOUN 37
178 37 all zips.
CASPER
Okay. Direct liftoff 175 43 3518, TPI 176
37 5200, coelliptic pad, liftoff 175 46 0937, CSI 176 44 3391,
TVI 178 37 0000,
o ve r .
CAP COM
Good readback, Ken.
CAP COM
Hey, Casper, you better standby for load.
John and Charlie
are bringing 271 pounds of rocks.
SC
Outs tan ding .
END OF TAPE
APOLLO 16 MISSION COMMENTARY 4/23/72 CST 1803 GET 17421 CM187/1
CAPCOM Casper, Houston, we're about 3 minutes
from LOS. Everything looks good here.
CASPER Okay, see you next time around.
CAP COM Roger.
END OF TAPE
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