Apr 19 1972

From The Space Library

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Current revision

Air Force launched unidentified reconnaissance satellite from Vandenberg Air Force Base by Thorad-Agena booster. Satellite entered orbit with 247-km (153-mi) apogee, 155-km (96-mi) perigee, 88.4-min period, and 81.4° inclination and reentered May 12. (Pres Rpt 73; SBD, 4/28/72, 325)

Chicago Tribune editorial commented on Apollo 16: "Obviously so high a number as 16 accounts for our headline Monday: `Blastoff Fails To Excite City.' Human nature is so constructed that novelty stimulates interest, but interest diminishes quickly with repetition." But "how-ever commonplace the recently incredible has become . . . some part of every American is with our latest flying astronauts. We all identify with them as they attempt the successful accomplishment of their exacting undertaking." (C Trib, 4/19/72)

NASA and Air Force had initiated program and developed contract with Lockheed-Georgia Co. to design and install composite-reinforced center wing boxes in two USAF C-130E aircraft, NASA announced. Objective of program was to evaluate concept of selective composite reinforcement of primary aircraft structures. Concept would increase strength and stiffness of metal structures by bonding composite materials to metal. (NASA Release 72-84)

Filter cassette-filter-paper holder developed by Lewis Research Center and Cleveland (Ohio) Air Pollution Control Div, and used in high-volume air samplers-was being used to simplify and improve collection of air samples over Cleveland area. Cassette had been developed to avoid contamination of filter papers used to collect trace materials. They were being used in 16 Cleveland air samplers as parallel network to city monitoring stations and in 7 LeRC samplers in Cleveland suburbs. (NASA Release 72-82)

Role of satellite in weather forecasting was described by Howard W. Pollock, Deputy Administrator of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in speech before Ninth Space Congress at Cocoa Beach, Fla. Invention of earth satellites "might well be called the greatest single technological advance in meteorology since the invention of the balloon." Geostationary and orbiting satellites had provided National Weather Service with "fantastic tools, immense amounts of information, and far greater capabilities than it has ever had before." With orbiting satellites "we now have the potential for vertical temperature profiles at a theoretically infinite number of points around the world." With satellite data "we foresee the day when we will . . determine . . . the initial state of the world atmosphere in all essential details." NOAA was studying disaster warning satellite able to reach every home in every part of U.S. Every home could have a small inexpensive receiver. When natural disaster was forecast, satellite would be instructed to turn on receivers in area to be affected and broadcast appropriate warning with instructions about actions people should take. Fundamental technology for disaster warning satellite in coming decade was "largely available now" and planning was under way. (Text)

April 19-21: Youth Science Congress at Lewis Research Center was sponsored by NASA and National Science Teachers Assn. to stimulate interest in science at high school level. Panel of LeRC scientists and engineers and science teachers from Cleveland, Ohio, schools evaluated papers of 20 students selected from 69 who applied. (LeRC Release 72-26; LeRC PAO)

April 19-24: Apollo 16 entered lunar orbit with 314-km (195.9-mi) apolune and 107.7-km (66.9-mi) perilune after lunar orbit insertion (Loi) burn at 74:28 GET (3:22 pm EST April 19). Young, who had orbited moon in Apollo 10 (May 18-26, 1969), said moon was "just as fantastic as it ever was." He described black mounds like volcanic craters with white central peaks and said central peak of Tsiolkovsky Crater looked like "a white marshmallow in a sea of hot chocolate." Astronauts also described whitish fracture patterns that looked like chalk scribbling and surface markings like chicken tracks. Mattingly said Humboldt Crater had "every contrast in color on the moon." Material overflowing from Descartes crater looked like cinder fields and submerged craters looked like coral atolls of South Pacific. Young and Duke reentered LM, powered up LM systems, and noted pressure rise in reaction control system (Rcs) helium pressure regulator. About 25 kg (54 lbs) of fuel and oxidizer were transferred to LM APS tank in attempt to prevent rupture of burst disc, but disc ruptured at 95:03 GET, decreasing helium source pressure. csM-LM undocking and separation maneuver was conducted on schedule at 96:14 GET. When Young and Duke came from behind moon in LM, Duke told Mission Control his helmet was full of orange juice. Duke's microphone apparently had become entangled with tube through which he drank juice stored in his spacesuit. "Every time I turn my head I get orange juice. It's delicious . . . but it's better in your mouth than floating around the cockpit. I've already had an orange shampoo."

When Mattingly came from behind moon in CSM he reported he had not conducted circularization burn because of malfunction in SPS yaw gimbal servo loop. 'While flight controllers evaluated problem, LM- powered descent-initiate maneuver was delayed, and LM and csM maneuvered into station-keeping mode prepared to dock or continue landing procedures. Analysis of problem identified malfunction in secondary circuit that would not preclude lunar landing. Second separation maneuver by CSM with RCS burn was performed and LM began descent to moon on 16th revolution.

LM Orion touched down in moon's Descartes region 230 m (755 ft) northwest of planned target point at 104:30 GET (9:23 pm EST April 20). "Wow, down. Old Orion is finally here, Houston. Fantastic," Duke exclaimed. "All we've got to do is jump out the hatch and we've got plenty of rocks." Duke and Young said site was rolling country surrounded by mountains and covered with big boulders. Sunlight was so bright it washed out moon's colors and made lunar surface appear white. Since LM had stayed in lunar orbit six hours longer than planned it was powered down to conserve electrical power and first extravehicular activity (EVA-1) was rescheduled to follow sleep period.

EVA-1 began at 119:05 GET (11:59 am EST April 21). Young climbed down ladder and stepped onto lunar surface. "Okay, Cayley Plains," he said, "Apollo 16 is gonna change your image." Duke followed and astronauts began deploying experiments. Because of problems with LM antenna astronauts' first steps on moon-for first time-were not beamed back to earth. Once Young and Duke set up portable antenna, TV signal and communication with ground controllers were received clearly on earth. TV pictures showed bleak, pale surface resembling Apollo 15 site, with flat-topped Smoky Mountain to north and Stone. Mountain to south. Astronauts said site was rockier, more hilly, and more cratered than previous landing sites. Soil was firm, with rocks scattered over 30% of the surface and small craters covering 70%. During deployment of Apollo lunar surface experiments package (ALSEP) Young tripped over heat flow experiment (HFE) cable, pulling it from connector after Duke had drilled first bore hole. Mission Control later developed way to repair $1.2-million experiment, but procedure was not used because it would have been too complex and too time consuming and included some risk to other ALSEP components. U.S. flag and remaining ALSEP components were deployed successfully and functioned nominally.

Crew deployed LRV and found ampere readings for battery No. 2 off- scale low and rear steering inoperable. About 40 min later, after loading, all meters and rear steering operated properly and LRV performed nominally throughout remainder of EVA.

Young and Duke explored Flag, Spook, Plum, and Buster Craters and collected 20 kg (44 lbs) of samples, including number of white rocks. One crystalline rock coated with bluish glass appeared to have same texture as anorthosite "Genesis rock" collected on Apollo 15 mission; another was pure white. Some were flecked with green and black glass, some were black and gray, and one weighed about 61/2 kg (14 lbs). EVA-1 terminated at 126:16 GET after 7 hrs 11 min 11 sec.

After resting inside LM and reviewing plans for second EVA, astronauts left LM at 142:51 GET (11:33 am EST April 22). They explored Survey Ridge and Stone Mountain and said ridge was pockmarked with small, subdued craters, most about one meter (three feet) wide and some containing smaller craters within main crater. Area around South Ray Crater was strewn with sharp boulders and resembled crater in Nevada where astronauts had trained. Young and Duke turned on LRV TV so viewers could watch them walking and collecting samples high up on slope of Stone Mountain. They reported seeing more of previously discovered white soil under gray surface layers and said soil was very loosely consolidated.

While ascending ridge and traversing very rocky terrain, LRV rear wheels failed to respond at full throttle. LRV continued to move, but front wheels were digging in. Troubleshooting procedures identified mismatch of power mode switching. After change in switch configuration LRV worked properly. Astronauts took core samples and collected rocks that appeared to be volcanic, a greenish rock shaped like a snake's head, and pure crystalline rocks. EVA was televised in color with LRV camera and was extended 20 min. During crew's return to LM, 5-cm (2-in) portion of Young's portable life support system (PLSS) antenna broke off, causing 15- to 18-db drop in signal strength. EVA-2 ended at 150:14 GET after 7 hrs 23 min 26 sec.

Third EVA began 30 min early at 165:45 GET (10:27 am EST April to allow additional time near North Ray Crater and two other stations. Astronauts chipped off samples from enormous basalt rock the size of a house. All planned activities were accomplished, but astronauts had trouble configuring cosmic ray detector for stowage and return to earth. LRV covered 91/2 km (6 mi) and reached 17 km per hr (11 mph) going down 15° slope. TV coverage was excellent throughout EVA. Total EVA-3 time was 5 hrs 40 min 14 sec- bringing total EVA time to 20 hrs 14 min 54 sec and total distance traversed to 27.1 km (16.8 mi).

While LM was on moon, Mattingly, orbiting moon in Casper, completed lunar and astronomic photography and prepared for rendezvous. He radioed information to geologists at Mission Control to help them plan EVA-3 exploration of Stone Mountain and determine best way to approach North Ray Crater. He located radioactive hot spot on eastern edge of Ocean of Storms south of Apollo 14 landing site and gamma spectrometer identified thorium, potassium, and uranium. Mattingly also discovered, on far side of moon, volcanic lava flows that resembled maria flows and spilled out over northeast rim of crater high in mountains near lunar equator. Two areas resembled volcanic flows around Flagstaff, Ariz., where crew had trained. Many large basins on moon's far side appeared to be covered with same kind of material that covered area around Apollo 16 site.

Young and Duke depressurized LM, discarded excess equipment, repressurized LM, and lifted off lunar surface with 96.6 kg (213 lbs) of lunar samples at 175:44 GET (8:26 pm EST April 24). Liftoff was photographed in color by camera on LRV left on moon and was seen by millions of TV viewers. Spacecraft docked successfully and LM crew transferred samples, film, and equipment to CsM. For first time docking was not seen on TV, because LM steerable antenna was inoperable. LM jettison was delayed one day so that astronauts could rest. After LM jettison at 195:12 GET, LM lost altitude and began tumbling, apparently because circuit breaker in attitude-and-translation-controller assembly's primary guidance and navigation system had accidentally been left open. LM ascent stage remained in lunar orbit and was expected to impact lunar surface in about one year. Boom that carried instrument to measure atmosphere of moon was jettisoned because it would not retract and might have broken off. Orbit-shaping maneuvers were canceled to avoid firing of sPs because of degraded backup SPS thrust vector control.

Scientific Subsatellite was launched at 196:14 GET (4:56 EST April into lunar orbit with 123.3-km (76.6-mi) apolune and 97.9-km (60.8-mi) perilune. Hexagonal, 40-kg (90-lb) satellite 77 cm long and 36 cm in diameter (30 x 14 in) carried three experiments. Subsatellite extended three 11/2-m (5-ft) booms, two with magnetometer sensors to measure interplanetary and earth magnetic fields near moon and third for stabilization. Spacecraft also carried particle shadows and boundary layer experiment to collect data on plasmas and solar flares and S-band transponder to detect variations in lunar gravity caused by mascons. Expected lifetime was 6 to 9 mos-shorter than 12 mos planned because shaping burn to optimize orbit had not been performed-but Subsatellite crashed into moon May 29.

Transearth injection maneuver at 200:33 GET put CSM on trajectory for earth after 114 hrs 5 min (65 revolutions) in lunar orbit.

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