Apollo 16 Lunar Module Pilot Charlie Duke with the LMS-7 Surface Checklist and LM Timeline Book, Full of Notations

On the left, the 6″x 8″ Apollo 16 LM Lunar Surface Checklist, 75 double-sided pages, typed and edited and annotated by hand. Serial Number 001, Part Number SKB32100122-363

It has 13 tabbed sections including EVA 1 Prep, EVA 1 Post, EVA 2 (Prep and Post), EVA 3 (Prep and Post), Launch Prep, One Man EVA Prep, Emergency Liftoff, Manual Ascent, etc. Complete procedures, switch positions and checklists for each activity. Heavily used in training by Apollo 16 astronauts with quite a few annotations inside, especially near the back. The tabs are worn from use, but the pages are still nice condition. This copy was for use in the Lunar Module Simulator LMS-7.

Part of the Future Ventures’ 🚀 Space Collection.

Researching my Apollo 16 artifacts, I read through the flight transcript and found some powerful passages, especially near the end as the pressure gave way to playfulness:

175 58 21 Duke (LM onboard): Man, that lift-off was something, wasn’t it?
175 5823 Young (LM onboard): That was neat.
175 58 25 Duke (LM onboard): For a while there, I did – I did – I thought we – I heard it go poop and it sort of – it sort of sat. Before it lifted off.
175 58 38 Young (LM onboard): It’s a sweet little flying machine.
…
Public Affairs Officer: This is Apollo Control Houston. We’ve had Loss of Signal, now, with both spacecraft – Orion now in hot pursuit of Casper as they both pass behind the Moon.
176 12 30 Duke (LM): Man, Ken, we got a load of rocks.
176 12 33 Mattingly: Well, that’s fine. We got lots of room for them.
176 12 35 Young (LM onboard): Why? What did you do?
176 12 38 Mattingly: Man, we got the world’s two biggest trash cans you’ve ever seen.
176 12 41 Young (LM): I bet.
176 12 44 Duke (LM): Well, you ought to see the two pig pens over here. You ain’t gonna let us in!
176 12 48 Mattingly: (Laughter) … you guys really did get …
176 12 55 Young (LM): It was – it was – Geez, it’s a lot of fun, Ken.
176 13 00 Duke (LM): I never had so much fun in all my life, Ken.
…
176 21 46 Duke (LM onboard): How about a little shot of aqua?
176 21 49 Young (LM onboard): Man, that’s the best idea I ever heard of.
176 21 54 Mattingly: Did they tell you that they changed our schedule a little bit?
176 21 58 Young (LM): Yeah, we get to keep the Lunar Module.
176 22 04 Mattingly: Yeah, they also said we’re going home a day early.
176 22 07 Duke (LM): They didn’t tell us that.
176 22 09 Mattingly: Well, I didn’t get any answers as to why. I just got this cryptic “No [garble} P62.” No – no shaping burn and come home a day early.
…
176 36 41 Young (LM onboard): Wish that cabin fan would suck all this dirt out of here.
176 36 42 Duke (LM onboard): It’s doing a pretty good job.
176 36 46 Young (LM onboard): But what happened when we lit the engine?
176 36 47 Duke (LM onboard): I know it. It came all off the floor; that’s the Velcro down.
176 36 52 Young (LM): Ken, we’re gonna need that vacuum cleaner something bad.
176 36 55 Mattingly: Oh, okay.
176 36 58 Duke (LM): You won’t even want to put on these OPSs, Ken.
176 37 01 Young (LM): That’s right.
176 37 09 Duke (LM): I only fell down six times.
176 37 12 Young (LM): Charlie – Charlie was laying down more than he was standing up.
…
176 48 56 Duke (LM): You are really bright, babe.
176 49 08 Mattingly: [Garble] against the lunar surface.
176 49 13 Duke (LM onboard): What?
176 49 14 Mattingly: You really look pretty against the lunar surface.
176 49 16 Duke (LM onboard): Oh.
176 49.18 Mattingly: You got the little split imagery in through there.
176 49 21 Young (LM onboard): You do? The red against the – the star against a red background?
176 49 22 Mattingly: Yeah.
176 49 23 Young (LM onboard): When I first saw that on Apollo 10, I thought I was in 2001. I couldn’t figure out what was happening, because the – the guys I was tracking were up above me at the time, for some reason.
…
176 59 36 Duke (LM): Orion, You are just a little tiny black dot to the unaided eye.
176 59 38 Duke (LM): Well, you look brighter than any star or planet I’ve ever seen. Against that black sky.
176 59 53 Young (LM onboard): Either that or we’re rendezvousing with Venus.
176 59 55 Duke (LM onboard): Yeah, we’re coming to Venus. (Laughter)
…
177 08 57 Duke (LM ): Boy, you are beautiful, Ken.
177 09 00 Mattingly: That’s the nicest thing anyone’s said.
177 09 01 Duke (LM onboard): Casper …
177 09 02 Young (LM onboard): What a rendezvous machine this is.
177 09 07 Duke (LM onboard): Casper is really beautiful.
…
(Houston requested to take pictures of backside of the LM before docking)
177 17 05 Young (LM onboard): These guys are crazy (laughter).
177 17 06 Duke (LM onboard): They are. Well, that’s – that’s a data point.
…
177 23 10 Young (LM): Are you there yet, Ken?
177 23 12 Mattingly: (Laughter) [Duke in tech transcript] No, no. I’ll – I’ll tell you.
177 23 15 Duke (LM): Are we there yet, daddy?
177 23 18 Mattingly: (Laughter)
177 23 27 Duke (LM onboard): I think f/8 is too bright; I think we need f/ll.
177 23 30 Young (LM onboard): Yeah, the Sun is shining on it. This is a lousy attitude for picture taking.
…
177 27 24 Young (LM): Okay, go to it. What is – Your attitude and my attitude docking-wise is compatible? It’s the same …
177 27 34 Mattingly: They had been in the simulator, and I’m sure they will be today.
177 27 38 Young (LM): I’d be surprised. The only thing nominal so far is the rendezvous. I hope the rest of it turns out that way.
…
177 29 08 Duke (LM onboard): That’s enough pictures. I’m getting tired of holding that button.
177 29 18 Young (LM onboard): What were you shooting at? One frame a second?
177 29 20 Duke (LM onboard): Well, I don’t mean holding the button, I mean holding the camera.
177 29 32 Young (LM onboard): I’m not used to this zero g.
177 29 34 Duke (LM onboard): I know it. (Laughter)
…
177 37 13 Young (LM onboard): He’s right on, about a degree off. There’s no way you can see it, Charlie.
177 37 19 Duke (LM onboard): No, I can’t see him.
177 37 21 Young (LM onboard): I want – I – I just want to be able to do something intelligent, like shut the thrusters off when we get capture.
177 37 32 Duke (LM onboard): It’s only 09:30, John; we’ve been up since – 15 hours. Not bad.
177 37 42 Young (LM onboard): Ken, you look beautiful to me.
177 37 46 Mattingly: Say again.
177 37 46 Young (LM onboard): You look right on to me. My optical sight is coming right into your docking window.
177 38 05 Young (LM onboard): Don’t hit my arm, Charlie.
177 38 07 Duke (LM onboard): I’m sorry.
177 38 08 Young (LM onboard): [Garble]
177 38 35 Young (LM onboard): How would you like to do a EVA transfer?
177 38 39 Duke (LM onboard): How would you like a kick in the behind?
177 38 42 Young (LM onboard): Hot mike to Houston. (Laughter)
177 38 48 Duke (LM onboard): No, we’re normal voice. But we got our tape recorder running. (Laughter).
…
177 38 58 Mattingly: Okay, about 5 feet.
177 40 37 Mattingly: Doesn’t look like it. I don’t have any barber poles. There we go. Took a couple of extra blurps to get you. Okay. Are you free?
177 40 52 Mattingly: Okay.
177 41 O0 Mattingly: Okay, it looks – looks pretty fair. How about if I just retract you?
177 41 25 Mattingly: I believe we’re there.
177 41 27 Mattingly: Casper’s captured Orion!
177 hl 30 CC: Very good. We were wondering what took you so long.