Apollo 11 transcript starting at 04 13 20 58 on Spacelog

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04 13 20 58
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Okay. Can you pull the door open a little more?
04 13 21 00
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): All right.
04 13 21 03
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Okay.
04 13 21 07
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Did you get the MESA out?
04 13 21 09
Neil Armstrong (CDR): I'm going to pull it now.
04 13 21 18
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Houston, the MESA came down all right.
04 13 21 22
Bruce McCandless (CAPCOM): This is Houston, Roger. We copy. And we're standing by for your TV.
04 13 21 39
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Houston, this is Neil. Radio check.
04 13 21 42
Bruce McCandless (CAPCOM): Neil, this is Houston. Loud and clear. Break. Break. Buzz, this is Houston. Radio check, and verify TV circuit breaker in.
04 13 21 54
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Roger, TV circuit breaker's in, and read you five square.
04 13 22 00
Bruce McCandless (CAPCOM): Roger. We're getting a picture on the TV.
04 13 22 09
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): You got a good picture, huh?
04 13 22 11
Bruce McCandless (CAPCOM): There's a great deal of contrast in it, and currently it's upside down on our monitor, but we can make out a fair amount of detail.
04 13 22 28
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Okay. Will you verify the position—the opening I ought to have on the camera?
04 13 22 34
Bruce McCandless (CAPCOM): Stand by.
04 13 22 48
Bruce McCandless (CAPCOM): Okay. Neil, we can see you coming down the ladder now.
04 13 22 59
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Okay. I just checked getting back up to that first step, Buzz. It's—not even collapsed too far, but it's adequate to get back up.
04 13 23 10
Bruce McCandless (CAPCOM): Roger. We copy.
04 13 23 11
Neil Armstrong (CDR): It takes a pretty good little jump.
04 13 23 25
Bruce McCandless (CAPCOM): Buzz, this is Houston. F/2—1/160th second for shadow photography on the sequence camera.
04 13 23 35
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Okay.
04 13 23 38
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Key moment One small step…: I'm at the foot of the ladder. The LM footpads are only depressed in the surface about 1 or 2 inches, although the surface appears to be very, very fine grained, as you get close to it. It's almost like a powder. Down there, it's very fine.
04 13 23 43
Neil Armstrong (CDR): I'm going to step off the LM now.
04 13 24 48
Neil Armstrong (CDR): That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.
Neil Armstrong (CDR): And the—the surface is fine and powdery. I can—I can pick it up loosely with my toe. It does adhere in fine layers like powdered charcoal to the sole and sides of my boots. I only go in a small fraction of an inch, maybe an eighth of an inch, but I can see the footprints of my boots and the treads in the fine, sandy particles.
04 13 25 30
Bruce McCandless (CAPCOM): Neil, this is Houston. We're copying.
04 13 25 45
Neil Armstrong (CDR): There seems to be no difficulty in moving around as we suspected. It's even perhaps easier than the simulations at one sixth g that we performed in the various simulations on the ground. It's actually no trouble to walk around. Okay. The descent engine did not leave a crater of any size. It has about 1 foot clearance on the ground. We're essentially on a very level place here. I can see some evidence of rays emanating from the descent engine, but a very insignificant amount.
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04 13 26 54
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Okay, Buzz, we ready to bring down the camera?
04 13 26 59
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): I'm all ready. I think it's been all squared away and in good shape.
04 13 27 03
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Okay.
04 13 27 05
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Okay. You'll have to pay out all the LEC. It looks like it's coming out nice and evenly.
04 13 27 13
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Okay. It's quite dark here in the shadow and a little hard for me to see that I have good footing. I'll work my way over into the sunlight here without looking directly into the Sun.
04 13 27 28
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Okay. It's taut now.
04 13 27 51
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Okay. I think you're pulling the wrong one.
04 13 27 55
Neil Armstrong (CDR): I'm just—Okay. I'm ready to pull it down now. There was still a little bit left in the -
04 13 28 01
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Okay. Don't hold it quite so tight.
04 13 28 02
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Okay.
04 13 28 17
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Looking up at the LM, I'm standing directly in the shadow now looking up at Buzz in the window. And I can see everything quite clearly. The light is sufficiently bright, backlighted into the front of the LM, that everything is very clearly visible,
04 13 28 55
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Okay. I'm going to be changing the ***
04 13 28 58
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Okay.
04 13 30 23
Neil Armstrong (CDR): The camera is installed on the RCU bracket, and I'm storing the LEC on the secondary strut.
04 13 30 53
Neil Armstrong (CDR): I'll step out and take some of my first pictures here.
04 13 31 05
Bruce McCandless (CAPCOM): Roger. Neil, we're reading you loud and clear. We see you getting some pictures and the contingency sample.
04 13 32 19
Bruce McCandless (CAPCOM): Neil, this is Houston. Did you copy about the contingency sample? Over.
04 13 32 26
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Roger. I'm going to get to that just as soon as I finish these picture series.
04 13 33 25
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Okay. Going to get the contingency sample there, Neil.
04 13 33 27
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Right.
04 13 33 30
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Okay. That's good.
04 13 33 58
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Okay. The contingency sample is down and it's ***. Looks like it's a little difficult to dig through the initial crust.
04 13 34 12
Neil Armstrong (CDR): This is very interesting. It's a very soft surface, but here and there where I plug with the contingency sample collector, I run into a very hard surface, but it appears to be very cohesive material of the same sort. I'll try to get a rock in here. Just a couple.
04 13 34 54
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): That looks beautiful from here, Neil.
04 13 34 56
Neil Armstrong (CDR): It has a stark beauty all its own. It's like much of the high desert of the United States. It's different but it's very pretty out here. Be advised that a lot of the rock samples out here, the hard rock samples, have what appear to be vesicles in the surface. Also, I am looking at one now that appears to have some sort of phenocryst.
04 13 35 30
Bruce McCandless (CAPCOM): Houston. Roger. Out.
04 13 35 43
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Okay. The handle is off the *** in about 6 or 8 inches into the surface. I could *** easy ***.
04 13 35 56
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Yes, it is. it's—I'm sure I could push it in farther, but it's hard for me to bend down further than that.
04 13 36 07
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Now, you can throw so far.
04 13 36 08
Neil Armstrong (CDR): You can really throw things a long way up here.
04 13 36 32
Neil Armstrong (CDR): That pocket open, Buzz?
04 13 36 35
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Yes, it is. It's not up against your suit though. Hit it back once more. More toward the inside. Okay. That's good.
04 13 36 37
Neil Armstrong (CDR): That in the pocket?
04 13 36 42
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Yes. Push down.
04 13 36 55
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Got it?
04 13 36 57
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): No. It's not all the way in. Push it. There you go.
04 13 37 08
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Contingency sample is in the pocket. My oxygen is 81 percent. I have no flags, and I'm in minimum flow.
04 13 37 22
Bruce McCandless (CAPCOM): This is Houston. Roger, Neil.
04 13 37 40
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Okay. I have got the cameras on at one frame a second.
04 13 37 44
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Okay.
04 13 37 52
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): And I've got the 80 percent, no flags.
04 13 38 00
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Are you getting a TV picture now, Houston?
04 13 38 05
Bruce McCandless (CAPCOM): Neil, yes we are getting a TV picture.
04 13 38 22
Bruce McCandless (CAPCOM): Neil, this is Houston. We're getting a picture. You're not in it at the present time. We can see the bag on the LEC being moved by Buzz, though. Here you come into our field of view.
04 13 38 33
Neil Armstrong (CDR): …
04 13 38 35
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Roger.
04 13 38 36
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Hold it a second. First let me move that over the edge for you.
04 13 38 41
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Okay. Are you ready for me to come out?
04 13 38 42
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Yes. Just stand by a second. I'll move this over the handrail.
04 13 39 06
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Okay.
04 13 39 07
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): All right. That's got it. Are you ready?
04 13 39 11
Neil Armstrong (CDR): All set. Okay. You saw what difficulties I was having. I'll try to watch your PLSS from underneath here.
04 13 39 43
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): All right. The backup camera's positioned.
04 13 39 57
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Okay. Your PLSS is—Looks like it is clearing okay. Your toes are about to come over the sill. Okay. Now drop your PLSS down. There you go; you're clear. And laterally you're good. You've got an inch clearance on top of your PLSS.
04 13 40 18
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Okay. You need a little bit of arching of the back to come down. … How are are my feet from the edge?
04 13 40 27
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Okay. You're right at the edge of the porch.
04 13 40 30
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Okay. Back in *** little of foot movement *** porch. Little arching of the back. Helmet comes up and clears the bulkhead without any trouble at all.
04 13 40 48
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Looks good.
04 13 41 08
Bruce McCandless (CAPCOM): Neil, this is Houston. Based on your camera transfer with the LEC, do you foresee any difficulties in SRC transfer? Over.
04 13 41 18
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Negative.
04 13 41 28
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Okay. Now I want to back up and partially close the hatch.
04 13 41 47
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Making sure not to lock it on my way out.
04 13 41 53
Neil Armstrong (CDR): (Laughter) A pretty good thought.
04 13 41 56
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): That's our home for the next couple of hours and we want to take good care of it. Okay. I'm on the top step and I can look down over the RCU, landing gear pads. It's a very simple matter to hop down from one step to the next.
04 13 42 18
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Yes. I found I could be very comfortable, and walking is also very comfortable.
04 13 42 28
Neil Armstrong (CDR): You've got three more steps and then a long one.
04 13 42 42
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Okay. I'm going to leave that one foot up there and both hands down to about the fourth rung up.
04 13 42 50
Neil Armstrong (CDR): There you go.
04 13 42 53
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Okay. Now I think I'll do the same ***
04 13 43 01
Neil Armstrong (CDR): A little more. About another inch.
04 13 43 05
Neil Armstrong (CDR): There you got it.
04 13 43 08
Neil Armstrong (CDR): That's a good step. About a 3-footer.
04 13 43 16
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Beautiful view!
04 13 43 18
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Isn't that something! Magnificent sight out here.
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04 13 43 24
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Magnificent desolation.
04 13 43 47
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Looks like the secondary strut *** little thermal effects on it right here, Neil.
04 13 43 54
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Yes. I noticed that. That seems to be the worst, although similar effects are on—all around.
04 13 44 07
Multiple speakers: … powder, isn't it?
04 13 44 09
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Isn't it fine?
04 13 44 11
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Right in this area I don't think there's much of any *** fine powder *** clods together, and it's hard to tell whether it's a clod or a rock.
04 13 44 23
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Notice how you can kick it out.
04 13 44 28
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Yes. And it bounces and then -
04 13 44 55
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Reaching down is fairly easy. I got my suit dirty at this stage.
04 13 45 11
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): The mass of the backpack does have some effect in inertia.
04 13 45 30
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): There's a slight tendency, I can see now, to *** backwards *** due to the soft, very soft texture.
04 13 45 45
Neil Armstrong (CDR): You're standing on a rock, a big rock there now.
04 13 46 01
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): This pad sure didn't ***
04 13 46 05
Neil Armstrong (CDR): No. It didn't.
04 13 46 08
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): There's absolutely no crater there at all from the engine.
04 13 46 10
Neil Armstrong (CDR): No.
04 13 46 12
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): I wonder if about right under the engine is where the probe might have hit.
04 13 46 20
Neil Armstrong (CDR): I'd like that.
04 13 46 25
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Yes. I think that's a good representation of our sideward velocity at touchdown there—hole at the probe.
04 13 46 30
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): I see that probe over on the minus-Y strut. It's broken off and bent back up.
04 13 46 40
Neil Armstrong (CDR): It did, didn't it? The other two both bent over.
04 13 47 04
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Can't say too much for the visibility right here without the visor up. It's dark. It looks like there is a *** surface of it is *** pounded rock *** And incidentally, these rocks *** very powdery surface ***
04 13 47 40
Bruce McCandless (CAPCOM): Say again, please, Buzz; you're cutting out.
04 13 47 45
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): I say that the rocks are rather slippery.
04 13 47 50
Bruce McCandless (CAPCOM): Roger.
04 13 47 52
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): A powdery surface when the sun hits. *** they split up all the very little fine porouses *** Will tend to slide over it rather easily.
04 13 48 25
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Traction *** seems quite good. ***
04 13 48 30
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): *** About to lose my balance in one direction and recovery is a quite natural and very easy *** And, moving your arms around, Jack, doesn't *** off the surface *** not quite that light-footed.
04 13 49 06
Neil Armstrong (CDR): And, I have the insulation off the MESA now and MESA seems to be in good shape.
04 13 49 13
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Got to be careful that you are leaning in the direction you want to go, otherwise you *** slightly inebriated. In other words, you have to cross your foot over to stay underneath where your center-of-mass is.
04 13 49 37
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): And, Neil, didn't I say we might see some purple rocks?
04 13 49 42
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Find a purple rock?
04 13 49 44
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Yes. They are small, sparkly *** fragments *** places *** would make a first guess that some sort of biotite *** We'll leave that to further analysis ***
04 13 50 28
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): *** compact underneath *** completely no *** you don't sink down more than … a quarter of an inch.
04 13 50 59
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Okay, Houston. I'm going to change lenses on you.
04 13 51 05
Bruce McCandless (CAPCOM): Roger, Neil.
04 13 51 30
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Okay, Houston. Tell me if you're getting a new picture.
04 13 51 35
Bruce McCandless (CAPCOM): Neil, this is Houston. That's affirmative. We're getting a new picture. You can tell it's a longer focal length lens. And for your information, all LM systems are GO. Over.
04 13 51 46
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): We appreciate that. Thank you.
04 13 52 19
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Neil is now unveiling the plaque *** gear.
04 13 52 27
Bruce McCandless (CAPCOM): Roger. We got you boresighted, but back under one track.
04 13 52 40
Neil Armstrong (CDR): For those who haven't read the plaque, we'll read the plaque that's on the front landing gear of this LM. First there's two hemispheres, one showing each of the two hemispheres of the Earth. Underneath it says “Here Man from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon, July 1969 A.D. We came in peace for all mankind.” It has the crew members' signatures and the signature of the President of the United States.
04 13 53 35
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Ready for the camera?
04 13 53 38
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): No. I'll get it. No, you take this TV on out.
04 13 53 45
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Watch the LEC, there.
04 13 53 53
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Now I'm afraid these … materials are going to get dusty ***
04 13 54 07
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): The surface material is powdery. *** How good your lens is, but if you can *** smudges … very much like a very finely powdered carbon, but it's very pretty looking.
04 13 54 40
Neil Armstrong (CDR): Would you pull out some of my cable for me, Buzz?
04 13 54 58
Buzz Aldrin (LMP): Houston. How close are you able to get things in focus ?

Spacelog Apollo 11