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Apollo 13 Moments of Interest / Re: 051:40:50 MIDCOURSE asks FIDO Stoval if they're just doing busywork

« Last post by Naraht on January 02, 2022, 05:27:31 am »

I think Stoval had a reputation for being overly keen!

See the discussion between Bales and Paules here: "Oh, Stoval will be running vectors, and then Boone will come on and run more vectors, and then they'll just run the ephemeris into the ground..." https://apolloinrealtime.org/13/?t=018:50:34&ch=21

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Apollo 13 Moments of Interest / 018:42:34 Bales and Paules long informal conversation

« Last post by Naraht on January 02, 2022, 05:20:37 am »

https://apolloinrealtime.org/13/?t=018:42:34&ch=21

Gran Paules, Steve Bales' boss in the Guidance section, calls him to check in before heading off for his Navy Reserve duty in Galveston. This is the longest check-in call I've encountered so far, around 10 minutes of wide-ranging conversation, much more informal than exchanges on the loop. Subjects of discussion include:

The fact that Bales was asleep at his console with his headset off (and is terrified that he was spotted asleep on TV!)
The eternal question of the SIVB impact point
Midcourse correction ("big Booster screwup")
Who went to the Booster post-launch party
Jack Swigert having set a "new all-time speed record" doing P23
Bales complaining again about how tired he is ("you woke me up by calling though, that's good")
Bales complaining about the "slow-rent, low-rent Procedures guy" (you can hear this incident here: https://apolloinrealtime.org/13/?t=016:53:07&ch=21)

All kinds of gossip.

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General Discussion / Re: Other Apollo Missions

« Last post by Naraht on January 02, 2022, 04:55:23 am »

Yes! We're working on Apollo 16 now. It probably not going to be ready for the 50th anniversary, but we'll try.

Apologies if this is an obvious answer one way or the other, but is this going to include the Mission Control audio as well, or will it be like 17?

I've been keeping my eye on the relevant NSF grant page and the project is clearly going ahead but I can't tell where they actually are, if anywhere, with further digitization of the tapes. It's clearly planned, though, and the project is due to end in 2023, so here's hoping. https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2016725&HistoricalAwards=false

Needless to say I know that everyone involved in all of this is doing all they possibly can! This has been such an amazing resource and it will be wonderful to hear and see more, in whatever order it comes. (But yes, if I were wishing I would put in a vote for 7 or 8.)

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Apollo 13 Moments of Interest / Re: 058:15:52 Greene calls FIDO console, gets briefing from Stoval after accident

« Last post by Naraht on January 02, 2022, 04:05:58 am »

Per his oral history, he actually heard about it from his then-girlfriend...

I was at home, because I had a shift and I was going to do descent. I was lying on the couch, and my wife, who wasn’t my wife, she called and she said, “You see what happened?” And I hadn’t. So I drove onsite. We all sort of responded to what we heard on the radio and drove onsite. It was pretty grim. I don’t think there was anybody who expected that crew to live. A lot of them, in retrospect, will tell you how macho and cool, but it was pretty grim.

Obviously everyone was stressed and worried but I do think he sounds shaken. He took a much more pessimistic view of the situation than many/most of his colleagues – a couple of whom, Sy Liebergot and Chuck Deiterich, have since indignantly refuted his claim that no one expected the crew to live – so maybe it stands to reason that it would be audible in his voice.

And of course he, like everyone else, went to the MOCR even though he was told he wasn't needed immediately!

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Apollo 13 Moments of Interest / Re: 058:15:52 Greene calls FIDO console, gets briefing from Stoval after accident

« Last post by MadDogBV on January 01, 2022, 11:31:01 am »

He's probably tired. His shift ended just 9 hours prior. However, I can also imagine him being businesslike since he would have undoubtedly heard the news about Apollo 13 being in danger, either from fellow engineers or on the radio. When you listen to the FIDO loops from before the accident to during and after, you can perceive a definite change in their tone from leisurely and relaxed to laconic and strained.

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Apollo 13 Moments of Interest / Re: 058:15:52 Greene calls FIDO console, gets briefing from Stoval after accident

« Last post by Naraht on December 26, 2021, 02:58:23 pm »

Nice find! I'd missed this for some reason. He sounds uncharacteristically subdued.

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Apollo 13 Moments of Interest / Transcript correction for CONTROL at 058:17:52

« Last post by MadDogBV on December 07, 2021, 01:18:08 pm »

"That needs to be taken care of before she goes" - From what I've read online, it sounds like CONTROL (Hal Loden) is actually saying "more skosh" rather than "before she goes"; which is military slang for "get this done quickly". He says this during other parts of the CONTROL loop when speaking to GUIDO and RETRO.

Reference: http://www.wordwizard.com/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?t=3601

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Apollo 13 Moments of Interest / 058:15:52 Greene calls FIDO console, gets briefing from Stoval after accident

« Last post by MadDogBV on November 29, 2021, 11:39:57 am »

Jay Greene calls up the FIDO console shortly after the crew moves into the LM. FIDO Boone informs him that he, Stoval, and Bostick are at the FIDO console. (Earlier in the FIDO loop, Bostick can actually be heard telling Boone "that's okay, don't worry about it" about an unrelated dynamics issue, much to Boone's annoyance.)

Then the call is passed off to Stoval who briefs Jay on what abort maneuvers are being planned to get the crew home early. The call concludes with Jay deciding he'll probably go to the MOCR to help out, even though he isn't technically on duty.

Link: https://apolloinrealtime.org/13/?t=058:15:52&ch=20

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General Discussion / Re: Other Apollo Missions

« Last post by MadDogBV on November 29, 2021, 10:03:08 am »

It'll take a while for all of those tapes to be restored. I would be interested to hear Apollo 7 myself to hear how mission control, and in particular Glynn Lunney, reacts to Wally Schirra's wanton insubordination. That said, they probably wouldn't say anything too critical of the astronauts on the loops...

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General Discussion / Re: Other Apollo Missions

« Last post by mdinn on November 28, 2021, 08:25:35 pm »

Hi Ben
I’d like to put in a vote for Apollo 8. First mission where we at Honeysuckle became a major player
Mike