Apollo 17 1.1 Launch part 3

Corrected transcript and commentary by Eric Hartwell licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License.

• April 6: second pass, AS17_CM tape 17-3409

[edit] Cutoff and hold

Launch Control: This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. We're holding at the 30 second mark. This was an automatic cutoff. Cutoff by the terminal sequencer as mentioned this sequencer initiates various actions, Each action must take place and must be completed before the next one can be initiated. If anything does not get completed in time there will be an automatic cutoff. This cutoff was automatically done by the sequencer. We're standing by now to check just what the problem was. Now at T-minus 30 seconds and holding. This is Kennedy Launch Control.

Launch Control: This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. The astronaut crew aboard the spacecraft going through their various safing now. Safing of all systems and the launch team here continuing through their emergency procedures. We'll be standing by to check out the problem just as soon as we can get word. T-minus 30 seconds and holding. This is Kennedy Launch Control.

Launch Control: This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. The safeing procedures continuing at this time. Up to the T-minus 30 second mark the countdown had been proceeding smoothly. Weather conditions at launch were predicted to be and appears to be good at that time. However, we had an automatic cutoff from the terminal countdown sequencer and we're standing by to see just what caused that automatic cutoff. All systems being safed at this time. T-minus 30 seconds and we are in a hold. This is Kennedy Launch Control.

Launch Control: This Apollo Saturn Launch Control. We're continuing in our hold at the 30 second mark, while the launch team assesses our problem. The swing arm, swing arm number 9 will be brought back to its park position, which is 12 degrees back from the space vehicle. Continuing the safing procedures this time and assessing the problem, holding at T minus 30 seconds, this is Kennedy Launch Control.

Schmitt: (Oral History 1999) The one thing that you don’t want to do is have a aborted launch on a launch pad and have to recycle and come back a month later and go through another month of simulator training. You’re ready to go when you’re ready to go. And I think everybody felt that way.

Schmitt: (Oral History 2000) You certainly don't want to recycle for another month. That was the first thought we had on the launch pad when we did, in fact, have a delay, was that, well, let's hope that we don't have to go through this for another month. You would have gotten into it and done it and then never noticed the difference, but still at the immediate point of being ready to launch, you're ready to launch, there's no question about that.

Launch Control: (dead air)

Launch Control: (dead air)

Launch Control: This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. We're at T minus 30 seconds and continuing our hold. The problem was with the terminal countdown sequencer, which failed to give the command to pressure, pressurize the third stage lox tank. The crew in the firing room, realizing this were seeing this happen pressurized the tank manually, but this did not happen fast enough to satisfy the automatic sequencer. As was mentioned earlier, during this sequence everything must happen at a certain time, before the next step in the sequence can take place. The next step that was to take place was the retraction of swing arm 9 and at the time that was to take place the terminal sequencer had not had an indication that the third stage lox tank had been pressurized. The plan now is to recycle to the T minus 22 minute mark in the countdown. Now this recycling procedure will take an additional 35 to 40 minutes. This still puts us well within our launch window. While we're recycling, we'll continue to review the data to determine just what the problem is and whether or not we can proceed from the T minus 22 minute mark for a launch later in the window.

Schmitt: (Oral History 2000) Somewhere in the deep dark past of computer programming, a programmer had told the final sequencing checks that the computer was going to do — to look to see if a signal to pressurize a booster oxygen tank had been sent. Not whether it had been received and acted upon, but had the signal been sent.

Schmitt: (Oral History 2000) Well, when they went through that particular point where that signal was supposed to have been sent and the tank pressurized, the signal didn't get sent. The computer didn't send the signal, but the person in the launch control center saw that that didn't happen and just pressed a button and pressurized the tank. So everything was fine, but the computer didn't know it. When they went through the final sequence, the computer saw that that signal hadn't been sent, and it said "Hold."

Schmitt: (Oral History 2000) So the computer just shut everything down. That's what you want them to do, it's just that it was programmed wrong. Garbage in, garbage out. So what they did, they actually went into the launch computers, tracked down that point and hard-wired around that particular sensor so that the next time the computer went through, it would believe that the signal had been sent. Sure enough, it believed it, and off we went. We were two hours and forty minutes late, but, nevertheless, we were on our way.

Launch Control: The crew aboard the spacecraft has been alerted to the problem and understand what is happening. They're standing by there at this time. Now at T minus 30 seconds and holding, this is Kennedy Launch Control.

Launch director Skip (Clarence) Chauvin explained the situation to the crew. Schmitt managed to nap during the delay.

Schmitt: (Oral History 2000) Right at thirty seconds, Skip Chauvin came over the line and said we have a hold. I think Gene was more concerned than the rest of us, because none of us knew whether everything in the spacecraft and in the rocket knew we were in a hold. But we went through that thirty-second period and it was quiet for a few minutes. Then Chauvin came back on the line and said, "We have a problem with the launch computer. It's not a major problem. We're going to fix it and when we have it fixed, we'll recycle." I think it was eight minutes for a planned hold and then go through it again. That is exactly what happened.

Schmitt: (Oral History 2000) At that point I felt very comfortable. I'd worked with Skip in many chamber tests and things like that, so we knew him very well, and from the sound of his voice, it didn't sound like anything that wasn't going to be fixed. So I fell asleep. Anytime you put fans humming or a little bit of vibration, things like that, I can go to sleep. There's no problem. So I got an hour or so dozing sleep while we were waiting for that problem to be fixed.

Launch Control: This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. We're remaining still in the T minus 30 second mark. We'll remain here for some period. It will take approximately 35 to 40 minutes to recycle back to T minus 22 minutes, where we'll resume the count. To explain again what has happened was we were in what was called the terminal countdown sequencer. At 3 minutes 7 seconds in the countdown we go on to an automatic system called the terminal countdown sequencer. This countdown sequencer initiates various actions, the final actions in the count. Each of these must occur on schedule and in sequence. Now what happened at this particular time was, the third stage liquid oxygen tank was not automatically pressurized as it should have been. The launch crew here in the firing room, when they saw this, manually pressurized that system, but it was too late to satisfy the sequencer. The next event in the sequence was the retraction of swing arm number 1, swing arm going over to the first stage and at that time, the sequencer did not see that the tank had been pressurized and sent an automatic cut-off. So we had an automatic cut-off at the 30 second mark. We're standing by at the 30 second mark to go back to T minus 22 minutes and we are reevaluating the problem, looking at the, what caused the sequencer not to automatically pressurize that tank, seeing what that problem is and seeing if there is a possibility if we go ahead and do this manually early in the sequence, if that will satisfy the sequencer and we can proceed. Now holding at the T minus 30 second mark in our countdown, this is Kennedy Launch Control.

Launch Control: This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. We're continuing to stand by here at the T-minus 30 second mark in the countdown. The crew remaining perfectly calm in their spacecraft. They have gone through their safeing checks. The various safeing checks of the launch vehicle have been completed. We are now going through preparations for recycling to the T-minus 22 minute mark. Standing by at this time at T-minus 30 seconds. T-minus 30 seconds and holding in the countdown for Apollo 17. This is Kennedy Launch Control.

Launch Control: This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. We're continuing our hold at the 30 second mark. We'll recycle to the T-minus 22 minute mark. The T-minus 22 minute mark is chosen as the recycling point because this is the point where we start the chill down as was mentioned during that point in the countdown. We start the chill down of the second and third stages to prepare them for the influx of the liquid hydrogen, the cold liquid hydrogen and the cold liquid oxygen. This chill down has some very specific parameters and must be started at a certain time and cannot go beyond a certain time. So it's best to go back to that point in the countdown under these circumstances and to resume our countdown at the T-minus 22 minute mark. When a determination is made that we can resume. Continuing to look at the data here is see exactly what happened. There is no indication of ignition. Ignition was scheduled to come at the 8. 9 second mark. Here in the control room a number of the people were looking through the remote cameras which have the capability out at the pad of zooming in on specific areas and a number of people here were looking right at those first stage engines and there was no indication whatsoever of engine ignition. We're continuing to evaluate all the data at this time as we hold at the T-minus 30 second mark. This is Kennedy Launch Control.

Launch Control: This Apollo Saturn Launch Control still in our hold at the 30 second mark. While the launch team here is busy recycling to the T-22 minute mark, the mission team out at the Manned Spacecraft Center also preplanning some of the new time for the mission. They are also at this time busily preplanning the new launch azimuth. The azimuth now if we go at the next opportunity would be the 81.06 degrees. This will be automatically fed into the instrument unit of the Saturn V vehicle from the Manned Spacecraft Center. All elements of the launch team now putting everything together, checking over data and doing their best to put us back into a recycle position ready to pick up the count at the T-22 minute mark. Still evaluating data, however, and we have not at this time been given a GO for that resuming of the countdown. T-30 seconds and holding at this time. This is Kennedy Launch Control.

Launch Control: This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. Continuing our hold at the 30 second mark back at the mission control center in Houston the flight controllers returning to their seats now after some consultation. They're back now giving status check and getting ready in case we are - it is determined that we can pick up the count. In the firing room here, the Apollo Program Director Rocco Petrone has moved into the viewing area where the President - Vice President Spiro Agnew and NASA administrator James Fletcher are and he is giving them a briefing and a run down on our problem. We are standing by at this time. The clock has now been recycled to the T-minus 22 minute mark; however, we have not picked up the count at that mark. We are now at T-minus 22 minutes and holding. This is Kennedy Launch Control.

Launch Control: This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control, continuing to stand by at the T minus 22 minute mark in the countdown. Recycling operations have gone well. We're back to the T minus 22 minute mark and at this mark which we will pick up the count if we are given a go to resume. Check has been made of the Mission Control Center team at the Mission Control Center in Houston. All elements of that team reporting that they are ready to resume as soon as they get the word. Now standing by here at Kennedy Space Center, while data is reviewed and determination will be made if and when we can resume our countdowm for Apollo 17. Now at T minus 22 minutes and holding, this is Kennedy Launch Control.

Launch Control: This Apollo Saturn Launch Control. We are continuing to standby at the T-22 minute mark. We are hoping to resume the count shortly. The problem has not been resolved. We're continuing to look into it; however, it has been determined that a resolution one way or the other should be able to be made shortly. So right now we are continuing our recycle procedures hoping to pick up the count perhaps just minutes from now. If the problem is not resolved by the time we reach the T-8 minute mark after we continue to count down, the clock will be held again. Right now we are continuing the recycling procedures hoping to pick up shortly at T-22 minutes. We are now T-22 minutes and holding. This is Kennedy Launch Control.

Launch Control: This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. We're continuing to stand by at the T-minus 22 minute mark. We've been given the word here in the firing room now that the count will be resumed at 1l p.m. at T-minus 22 minutes. At this time there still has not been a resolution to the problem, but we'll continue looking at that. We could continue on counting down while this problem is looked at. To reiterate what the problem was; the terminal countdown sequencer failed to give the command to pressurize the third stage liquid oxygen tanks. The crews monitoring this function saw that that happened and immediately manually pressurized the tanks, but this did not occur in time in the sequence and when swing arm one was to retract it had not received this signal. As a consequence an automatic cutoff was sent. There are several possible work arounds to this they are being looked into at this time, and we plan to resume our countdown at the T-minus 22 minute mark at 11 p.m. Now holding at T-minus 22 minutes. This is Kennedy Launch Control.

Launch Control: This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. We're at T minus 21 minutes 10 seconds and counting. The countdown picked up the launch team here made a quick check of the various elements, all reporting in to the test supervisor Bill Schick, indicating that they were ready to resume the count. Now counting at T minus 20 minutes 53 seconds, and we'll continue to countdown here as we look at the problem which caused the hold at the T minus 30 second mark. Now at T minus 20 minutes 42 seconds and counting, this is Kennedy Launch Control.

Launch Control: This Apollo Saturn Launch Control. We're at T-14 minutes 35 seconds and counting in our countdown for Apollo 17. Back at the Mission Control Center the men there are updating the launch azimuth. Launch azimuth standing now at 82.54 degrees. This will automatically be feed into the instrument unit. The swing arm, swing arm No. 9, the access arm to the spacecraft, remains at the 12 degree position it will remain there until the T-5 minute mark in the countdown. Going on at this time are the recycling of some of the vents for the liquid hydrogen and the liquid oxygen. These are the vents which allow the venting of the gases as there is some boil-off occuring. It is necessary to continue venting these to ensure they do not freeze in either an open or closed position. The countdown proceeding smoothly now. T-13 minutes 43 seconds and counting. This is Kennedy Launch Control.

Launch Control: This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. We're at T-minus 9 minutes 36 seconds and we are counting. However, we do plan to continue the hold at the T-minus 8 minute mark. We can hold at that point for 20 minutes and plan a 20 minute hold while the launch crew here satisfies themselves that they have worked out a good solution and a work around to the problem, The crew has been alerted aboard the spacecraft. Cernan indicated that perhaps they could start a nice conservation about a good book, Thomas Hardy or something like that, Countdown continuing now aiming toward the 8 minute mark at which time we'll hold. T-minus 9 minutes now T-minus 9 minutes and counting. This is Kennedy Launch Control.

Launch Control: This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. We're now holding at the 8 minute mark, as planned. The hold at this time is planned for approximately 20 minutes. The crew feels that they have, that they have a work around to the problem, working around the indication going to the terminal sequencer that the tank has not been pressurized, when actually it had been done manually. They are checking all of their data, however, to insure that this is the proper method to work around the problem and that this will result in a smooth countdown from here on. Now at T minus 8 minutes and holding, this is Kennedy Launch Control.

Launch Control: This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. We're continuing our hold at the 8 minute mark. The launch operations manager has gone over with the launch team their proposed solution a work around. The team appears to be satisfied that it is the proper one. They are now briefing management personnel on the problem and the work around. Out at the pad the liquid oxygen continues to vent from the vehicle and is replenished. Liquid hydrogen is also vented from the vehicle as there is some boil off. However, because it is quite a volital fuel it is vented through a burnpond at the side of the pad. That burnpond is at the north side of the pad and there it can be seen burning in a controlled condition at this time. This is a normal condition, actually during the day this burns in such a pure manner that it cannot be seen. However, at night it is clearly visible. Our countdown continuing to hold at the T-minus 8 minute mark at this time. T-minus 8 minutes and holding this is Kennedy Launch Control.

Launch Control: This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. We're continuing to hold at the T-8 minute mark. Meantime the crew is getting a variety of updates in the spacecraft, updating them on various aspects and the changes to their mission due to this hold period. Also, at the Manned Spacecraft Center they are continuing to update the flight azimuth as they get new times for the launch. Launch Operations Manager Paul Donnelly just went through quite an extensive briefing with the spacecraft test conductor to pass ¢,n to the crew what they feel the problems were and how they plan to work around it. The crew aboard the spacecraft indicated that if the launch team was satisfied with these solutions, that they certainly were confident themselves. Now continuing our hold at the T-8 minute mark this is Kennedy Test Control.

Launch Control: This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. We're continuing in our hold at the T minus 8 minute mark. At this time, it's been determined to take an additional 20 minutes, add an additional 20 minutes to that planned hold period. The reason for this is, the crews would like to take the work around that they have devised and at Marshall Spaceflight Center, where the Saturn V launch vehicle was developed, they have what is called a bread board or a system, which is similar to this one and run through the sequence and insure that it does operate properly. The crew aboard the spacecraft was informed of this additional 20 minute hold. They indicated that they expected to use all three stages of this Saturn V and they were happy to have the 20 minute hold if that was going to assure that all three were going to work properly. Now continuing our hold at the T minus 8 minute mark, this is Kennedy Launch Control.

Launch Control: This is Apollo Saturn Test Control. We are continuing our hold at the T-minus 8 minute mark. The reason the T-minus 8 minute mark is chosen for this hold as mentioned earlier has to do with the chill down of the thrust chambers in the S-2 or second stage and the third stage. Both of these stages use liquid hydrogen, an extremely cold cryogenic fuel and the thrust chamber must be conditioned prior to flight so that it's ready at the time of ignition inflight to receive these fuels coming in. To achieve the proper temperature the thrust chamber chill down should not exceed 20 minutes, but it must be on for at least 7 minutes and 40 seconds. So rounding that off the hold was called at the 8 minute mark. We can continuously hold it at this point whereas if we continued on down we would have to watch these parameters very closely so that we did not exceed that 20 minute accumulated cooling time. At this point we can continue our hold and that continuation can be determined by the problem and we can pick up then at any time or continue at long as necessary. We're continuing that hold now at T-minus 8 minutes and holding. This is Kennedy Launch Control.

Launch Control: This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. We're continuing in our hold at the T minus 8 minute mark. Back at the Marshall Spaceflight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, the crews there are at work on a bread board, or a mock-up of the system in question, where they're putting it through it's paces, checking out the work around solution, that is, jumping around this erroneous signal, and insuring that everything works properly The crew still standing by in the spacecraft, updating various systems there, updating their flight plan, all continuing to go well there. The crew at the Manned Spacecraft Center also doing considerable amount of updating. They'll be continuing to update the azimuth, and the Launch Control Center here at Kennedy Space Center, the launch team manning their consoles, standing by to pick up the count, when we're given the word to go. However, we're standing by still. At this time, we have no word from the Marshall Spaceflight Center. We're expecting that to come within 10 to 15 minutes from this time. Now at T minus 8 minutes and holding, this is Kennedy Launch Control.

Launch Control: This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. We're continuing in our hold period at this time. Test Supervisor Bill Shick just announced here in the Firing Room that the hold is expected to last approximately 20 more minutes. Liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen continuing to be replenished aboard the 3 stages of the launch vehicle at this time. That replenishing will continue during the hold period and during the final minutes of the countdown. The countdown continuing in the hold. T-8 minutes and holding this is Kennedy Launch Control.

Launch Control: This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control at one minute to midnight. We are continuing to hold at the T-minus 8 minute mark. Work is still going on at the Marshall Spaceflight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Updating of the tracking continuing at the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston. And the launch team here at Kennedy Space Center preparing to pick up the count. Hopefully, we will be given a go ahead to pick up the count in approximately 10 to 12 minutes from this time. We are continuing to stand by waiting to hear from the testing going on at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville. To recap the activities earlier today the countdown picked up at 11:53 a.m. after a planned hold period picked up at T-minus 9 hours mark shortly after that time the pad was cleared and we began loading the cryogenic fuels, that's the liquid hydrogen and the liquid oxygen aboard the space vehicle. Those operations actually went a little bit ahead of schedule. The astronaut crew went out to the pad, enter their spacecraft, began checking it out and those operations also running a little bit ahead of schedule. We went on to our terminal countdown sequencer at the 3 minute 6 second mark as scheduled. Everything seemed to be proceeding fine. At the T-minus 30 second mark we got an automatic cut off. It was determined that this cut off came because pressurization of the liquid oxygen tank aboard the third stage was not initiated automatically as it should have been when it was done manually the terminal sequencer did not sense that this had been done and therefore gave the automatic cut off. We're working the problem right now continuing to hold at the T-minus 8 minute mark. T-minus 8 minutes, this is Kennedy Launch Control.

Launch Control: This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. Continuing to hold at the T-8 minute mark. The hold continues to be planned for approximately 5 to 7 more minutes. However, the launch window should be pointed out tonight extends to 1:31 AM. Now if for any reason we could not make it in that launch window, we could recycle under our present configuration and resume our count aiming for a 9:53 PM EST launch tonight. The window for tonight is the same as it was for last night and this morning - 9:53 PM to 1:31 AM. However, the launch team appears to be optomistic with the solution they've found in the problem and are just waiting for verification and confirmation from the testing going on at the Marshall Spaceflight Center at Huntsville, Alabama. The time now is 7 minutes after midnight, We're continuing to hold at T-8 minutes. T-8 minutes and holding this is Kennedy Launch Control.

Launch Control: This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control, continuing to hold at the 8 minute mark in the countdown. Still awaiting word from the Marshall Spaceflight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and the result of the test being run at this time up there. Meanwhile, here in the firing room, all elements of the launch team are assessing their position. They are assessing the effect of the hold and this amount of hold time on each of their systems. Everyone, at this time, busily at work here in the firing room, also at the Mission Control Center in Houston, busy there with their flight update. Now continuing to hold at the T minus 8 minute mark, this is Kennedy Launch Control.

Launch Control: This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. We're at 15 minutes past the hour continuing to hold at the T-minus 8 minute mark. The supervisor just indicated that we finally pick up the clock at the T-minus 8 minute mark in 10 minutes. Planning to pick up the clock at 25 minutes past the hour. The tests being run or have been run now at the Marshall Space Flight Center and indicate that our system is good the way it has been reconfiguredo All elements during this 10 minutes will be preparing their various systems to pick up the clock at the the minus 8 minute mark. Meanwhile, at the Manned Spacecraft Center the flight controllers there also planning to pick up the clock. We just received a go from the superintendent of range operations indicating that the range has been cleared around the new flight azimuth. The Manned Spacecraft Center Houston flight indicates that they are go to pick up the clock at 25 minutes past the hour. Now at T-minus 8 minutes and holding this is Kennedy Launch Control.

Launch Control: This is Apollo Saturn launch control. We're continuing our hold at the T minus 8 minute mark. We have approximately 5 more minutes remaining in that hold. It has been determined that the workaround is a correct and satisfactory one. A bread board or a sample system at the Marshal Spaceflight Center was used to run through the entire sequence as it now configured and that operated satisfactorily. What happened was the - during the terminal sequencer, the liquid oxygen tank was not pressurized automatically. When this was done manually, the indication did not get to the sensors in time so that we had an automatic cutoff. The liquid oxygen tanksaboard the third stage, it has been determined, will be pressurized manually early in the terminal sequence and jumpers have been installed so that we can then feed the informaticn to the sequencer so that it will not have an indication that the LOX tanks have not been pressurized. This - a bread board situation of this has been constructed at the Marshal Spaceflight Center in Huntsville and this has operated satisfactorily. So, it's been determined to go ahead with our countdown on this basis. We'll be planning to pick up the count at the T minus 8 minute mark some 4 minutes from now. Now T minus 8 minutes and holding. This is Kennedy Launch Control.