Used in Mission Control for the Apollo 16 launch 50 years ago. So much of Apollo’s process control was handwritten.
At T-10, Kranz added the Saturn V Launch Vehicle firing azimuth in the the top right corner (degrees, minutes, seconds). The P -.57 and Y +1.89 below that refers to the SPS (Service Propulsion System) Engine Trim settings for pitch and yaw.
The Flight Director would have gotten the latest trim values from the GNC console based on spacecraft center of gravity which was a function of actual propellant load.
Flight would have ensured those values were given to the Spacecraft Test Conductor at the Cape. The Spacecraft Test Conductor would ultimately read them up to the astronauts during the gimbal & trim check at around T-1:13:00 in the countdown. The commander would then set those values using two thumbwheels located below his attitude indicator (“8 ball”).
T-6 refers to “CVTS” — the Vehicle Test Supervisor in the Firing Room (Gordon Turner for Apollo 16). This was one of the few positions in the Firing Room who could issue the cutoff command (with the C1FR – S-IC Firing panel, staffed by Boeing).
The T-5 notes are referring to the specific console displays Kranz wants brought up at that time in the MOCR in preparation for launch, BSE (“Booster” Systems Engineer) display 1402 and FDO (Flight Dynamics Officer “Fido”) Digitals display 43.
Page description: handwritten terminal countdown for Apollo 16, one gridded page, 8.5 x 11, written by Kranz in felt tip and highlighter. The sheet is headed “Terminal Countdown,” and outlines steps such as “Feet Wet,” “LV Firing Azimuth,” “Network Status—M. R. Matrix,” “Release ‘Buzzer’ on RSO P. L.,” “MCC Status Check—Go/No Go Launch,” “CVTS—Go/ No Go Launch Sequence,” “S-IVB Chilldown Complete,” and “Auto Sequence Start.”
Accompanied by a signed letter from Kranz, in full below: “My hand written Apollo 16 Terminal Countdown that accompanies this letter comes from my personal mission files.”
The Apollo 16 launch performed as expected until encountering minor technical issues once in Earth orbit, including a potential problem with the environmental control system and the S-IVB third stage’s attitude control system—these however were quickly resolved. Kranz’s attention to detail and the readiness of Mission Control in preparing for spaceflight is readily apparent in these notes.
An artifact from the Future Ventures’ 🚀 Space Collection.
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