Skylab 4 PAO Mission Commentary 13 of 32

SL-IV MC-1200/I
Time: 20:48 CST to 37:02:48 GMT

12/21/73
PAO Skylab Control. Greenwich mean time,

2 hours, 48 minutes. Acquisition coming through Tananarive
tracking station in 45 seconds. We'll hold the line up for
CAP COMM Hank Hartsfield on this, the last pass through the
Tananarive station for the day for the crew of Skylab IV.
CC Skylab, Houston through Tananarive for
7 minutes.
CC Skylab, Houston. As a reminder that you're
in the nuZ update window if you hadn't already got it.
SPT Roger, Hank.
CDR Night, gang.
SPT Houston, SPT.
CC Go ahead.
SPT Hey, Hank, what do the NOAA people in the
backroom think about the likelihood of a - a flare
in the immediate future out of 00?
CC Okay, I'ii check with them.
SPT Thank you.
SPT Over the past couple of orbits which I've
been watching it there (static) bright point. One immediately
to the east of the - the sunspot, and one a little bit further
- further east and south and both of those have been alternately
brightening and waning and the one I got was the one closest
to the sunspot and the other one we came around the orbit
this last time when I was up there was relatively bright.
We did not catch a bright point rise on it, however.
When we got into above 400 K, it'll all be one brightening.
CC Roger, we copy that, Ed, and we're
checking on the flare probability and I imagine it's still
the same 962, but we're checking.
SPT Okay. Thank you, Hank. I may be up here
just looking over the - from my shoulder up there and if
they've got no objection, I might do a flare wait.
CC We don't have any objection to that
for sure and while we got you here, we might say a few
words about the moths. The moth people are very enthusiastic
about the results so far and they're anxiously awaiting the
results of the observations for the next few weeks, whether
there're any new hatchings. Have you seen any new ones
today?
SPT No, I have not, Hank. I glanced at it
this morning, but not too much. I'ii go take a look at it
sometime before I go to bed tonight.
CC Okay, and we got some more information
you might be interested in. We have now found out that
there's a 6-week Delta between the laying of the wild eggs
which were about the first of September and the tame eggs,
which were about the 15th of October and so therefore, the
tame hatchings that we now would be - if - if we had them
SL-IV MC--1200/2
Time: 20:48 CST, 37:02:48 GMT
12/21/73
now, would be very early. And also, the statistical i percent

early hatchers usually are strung out over a long period of
time like several days and you previously reported five
hatchings in i day, which is rather unusual.
SPT It was over a period of 2 days - 2 or
3 days, I think, Hank. I'ii have to go back and look at the
record, but I noticed a couple of them and in the following
day we had 5.
CC Okay, and we're also answering your
comments in regard to what you said were partial hatchings
or - or ]probable hatchings.
SPT Yeah, Hank, the only way I can tell that
is that you got one of the eggs which has got a shell on
it, which looks partially open and the egg itself is much
larger than the - the surrounding ones, yet there still
appears to be a nucleus or something inside of it. That's
the only way I can describe a partial hatching. I saw that
there are a number of those, more than I saw of the little
fellows crawling around so I knew that not all of them were
these eggs - were shelled more than usual.
CC Okay, when did you see those in relation
to the first 5 you saw and before you answer, we're about
30 seconds from LOS and Honeysuckle will be at 15.
SPT Hank, that's - It was sometime after I
saw those crawling around, but you can only see those partial
hatchings unless you really look close and know what you're
looking for and it wasn't until I saw those very small ones
that - the hatching itself, which I really got on the
magnifying glass. Of course, one way to tell also is when
they start clumping together and, again, I think (garble)
clumping together (garble) hatching - -
CC Okay, we're going LOS and the next station
is your reed conference.
SPT Thank you, Hank.
3 hours, loss of signal through Tananarive. Next acquisition
in 14 minutes and 15 seconds will be Honeysuckle tracking
station during which time a 6-minute pass will be the
evening surgeon's discussion with the crew. This evening
Dr. Jerry Hordinsky, Skylab-IV prime Flight Crew Surgeon
will talk with the crew on the Honeysuckle pass. Science
Pilot Gibson reporting minor activity at the 00 active
region on the Sun, reporting that he observed activity further
east of the center saying it's alternately bright and waning
in this area. He will continue to look at this during this
sunside pass. Further discussion concerning the moth egg
exp -
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MCI201/I
Time: 21:01 CST 37:03:01 GMT
12121/73
PAO He will continue to look at this during

this sunside pass. Further discussions concerning the moth
egg experiment, gypsy moth. CAP COMM, Hank Hartsfield
advising the crew the principal investigators on the
ground are very happy with the results so far. The crew
reported earlier that 5 of the gypsy moths have hatched
aboard the spacecraft. This occurred 6 days ago on mission
day 30. The gypsy moths, a very distructive pest in the
forests of the northeast of United States. Gypsy moths have
defoliated approximately 1-1/2 to 2 million acres of forests
annually in the northeast and this infestation is spreading
south and west. It is hoped a understanding of the hatching
process aboard the spacecraft will aid ground scientists in
further studies towards possible elimination of this Eartho Dund
pest, the gypsy moth. Next acquistion in Ii minutes, a
evening medical report with Dr. Gerald Hordinsky. At
Greenwich mean time 3 hours and 3 minutes, this is Skylab
Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1202/I
TIME: 21:14 CST, 37:03:14 GMT
12/21/73
PAO Skylab Control; Greenwich mean time

3 hours i[4 minutes. Scheduled medical conference through
the Honeysuckle pass, beginning in 45 seconds. This is
a 6 minute 23 second pass. We'll hold the line up in the
event Dr. Hordinsky is finished early. May be comm with
the spacecraft before the pass is concluded. We'll hold
the line up for this Honeysuckle pass.
PAO Skylab Control Greenwich mean time
3 hours 24 minutes. Loss of signal through the Honeysuckle
tracking station, a pass devoted to the evening medical
report wlth Skylab Flight Surgeon Gerald Hordinsky. Next
acquisition will be through Hawaii in 12 minutes, as the
crew brings to a close their 36th day in space. A day of
gathering more data on the Sun, 6 hours and 16 minutes of
manned operations of the Apollo telescope mount. More
photography of Comet Kohoutek. The crew now four days
away from their planned EVA on Christmas Day to add to the
gathering knowledge of the comet, placing three separate
scientific instruments outside the spacecraft to record
on film the approach of the comet. Today, a day of
23 hours of total science aboard the Skylab-IV space station.
The space station now in its 222nd day in orbit. At
Greenwich mean time 3 hours and 25 minutes, this is
Skylab Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1203/I
Time: 21:35 CST 37:03:35 GMT
12/21/73
PAO Skylab Control, Greenwich mean time 3

hours 35 minutes. Acquisition coming through Hawaii tracking
station in 50 minutes. This will be a 7 minute 20 second
pass. We'll hold the line up for CAP COMM Hank Hartsfield.
CC Skylab, Houston through Hawaii for 7
minutes.
CDR Roger, Hank. I got the data on the photo
log for you.
CC Okay, go ahead.
CDR Okay, - let's see, it was 04, wasn't it
that I owed you one on, or was it 03?
CC That was 02 and 05.
CDR Okay, here we go. 02 has got 8 frames was
left on it. And 05 has got 38, and you'll have to correct
last night's report. We reported 05 as having - I think it was
27, and tlhe righ the right number was 32 for last night on
05, and 38 tonight. And the 70-millimeter, no change -
no frame used today.
CC Okay, we copy. And do you - also, we
don't recall hearing the number of bags completed on house-
keeping 8A by the PLT°
CDR He did all 24.
CC Roger, we copy.
CDR Okay, and one correction for the evening
status report on medication. Put the PLT down for one chloral
hydrate tonight. And if Dr. Hordinsky or Dr. Burchard are still
around there, you might notify them of that. I forgot to
mention it when we had a medical conference.
CC Okay, will do.
CC Skylab, Houston, you might be interested
to know tlhat today is the fifth anniversary of the Lunar
Program. It was five years ago today that Apollo 8 launched
to go to the Moon, and one year ago today, Apollo 17 crew
arrived back in Houston following the last flight to the Moon.
CDR Roger, Hankp that's interesting. Kinda
coincidental that they both happened on the same day.
CC And also_ Jerryp we did some checking on
the EVA assignments, and you're absolutely correct.
CDR Okay, that's a relief. I was afraid
somebody down there was working in a different direction
than us
SPT Hey, Hank, active region 00 looks relatively
quiet for right now. The two bright areas were immediately
to the east of the leader spot have subsided substantially.
And the _ there's two other areas a little bit further east
of that and which appear a little bit brighter now. But I'd
still be betting on the bigger ones coming out of the areas
SL-IV MC1203/2
Time: 21:35 CST 37:03:35 GMT
12/21/73
right adjacent to the leader spot where the field gradients are
probably the highest.
CC Roger, we copy.
CC CDR, Houston, when you take a look at
your Flight Plan this evening, you'll probably notice we've
got that same conflect in the morning between $233 and S073.
And we're looking at it to see if there's anything we can do.
If we d if we are not able to work something out, we'll
probably have to use your same little trick again.
CDR Roger, Hank. How come they're scheduling
corrollar:[es during the PSA time?
CC Okay, Jer, I guess the problem there is
we got hit: with the momentum management. You know, the
inhibits and working only with 2 MCGs - 2 CMGs in order to
get all the maneuvers in, we kind of had to spread things
out. We tried to give you back all the PSA that - that
that was missing there. We're about 40 seconds from LOS.
We'll be coming up at Goldstone at 47 and we can about it
a little more there.
CDR Okay.
PAO Skylab Control Greenwich mean time 3
hours 44 minutes. Loss of signal through Hawaii. Next
acquisition in 2 minutes i0 seconds will be the Goldstone
tracking station. CAP COMM Hank Hartsfiled calling the
crew's at1:ention to today, December 21, five years ago today,
the launch of Apollo 8 with Frank Borman, Bill Anders, and
James Lovell, on the first lunar flight in the Apollo
series. And a year ago today, the Apollo 17 crew returned
to Houston from the Pacific after a successful flight after
splashing down in the Pacific following a very successful
mission, The last lunar Apollo flight, Apollo 17. Commander
Carr replied that's interesting and coincedental that both
events, the launch of the first lunar mission and the
return of the last lunar crew to Houston falling on the same
day. Next acquisition will be in 1 minute i0 seconds through
Goldstone. We_ll hold the line up for this stateside pass,
the last stateside pass for the crew tonight. Their sleep
period bel_inning in about 15 minutes. We'll hold the line
up for CAP COMM Hank Hartsfield.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC 1204/1
TIME: 21:46 CST, 37:03:46 GMT
12/21/73
CC Skylab, Houston we're through Goldstone

for 6-1/2 minutes and, Jer, in looking at the Flight Plan
here each of you have an hour and a half of PSA time except
for the PLT is shorted about 3 minutes and his is a little
bit broken up by the experiment. We got a Kohoutek maneuver
at 16:12 there roughly and we have to have at least one rev
without a momentum dump prior to that in order to have our
momentum state right, so we got backed up on the S073.
However, I also want to point out that that really wasn't
one of those things that we did send up as a guideline
that we would put in the post-sleep.
CDR Yes on those guidelines, I think a
broken up PSA is really not worth much. The purpose of
those things as far as I'm concerned is to give you a chance
to get your motor running in the morning, get yourself
squared away and be get ready to go to work and do a good
day's work. And the PSA after dinner is the time to start
slowing your motor down so you can go to bed and get a good
night's sleep. And we if we keep getting those things
hacked up with all sorts of little picayune jobs, you're
not going to have a efficient crew up here. I've talked
about this on tape several times and now we're on
air-to-ground talking about it.
CC Roger, we copy. Okay, Jer, we were in
error there and so we're going to delete the S073 ops in
the morning in order to stick by our guidelines and try
to prevent it from happening in the future.
CDR Okay, Hank thank you.
CC Skylab, Houston we're i minute from
LOS, we_ll see you again at Bermuda in about 5 minutes.
CDR Roger.
SPT Goodnight, Hank.
CC Go ahead.
PAO Skylab Control, Greenwich mean time
3 hours 55 minutes. Loss of signal through the Goldstone
tracking station as the spacecraft crosses over the
Great Lakes. Next acquisition will be through Bermuda in
i minute and 45 seconds. Corollary officer reporting to
Flight Director Chuck Lewis that the scheduled launch tomorrow
of the rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base for the
upper atmosphere studies by the crew has again been canceled.
This will more than likely call for a reevalution of the
latter part of tomorrow's Flight Plan. Discussion now
going on to revise the Saturday Flight Plan. The latter
part of the plan to let the crew go back to their normal
sleep period which begins at Greenwich mean time 4 hours.
SL-IV MC1204/2
TIME: 21:46 CST, 37:03:46 GMT
12/21/73
The Fligh1_ Plan had called for them to end their Greenwich mean
time D 5 hours or ii p.m. tomorrow. We'll hold the line up for
this Bermuda pass which should be the final communication with
the crew for tonight. We'll hold the line up for CAP COMM
Hank Hartsfield.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-1205/I
Time: 21:57 CST, 37:03:57 GMT
12/21/73
CC Skylab, Houston. We're through Bermuda

for 6-1/2 minutes and this is the last site for the evening.
I have some news if you want to listen to it.
CDR Fine, Hank. Go ahead and by the way, I'm
going to be hopefully taking some pictures of the aurora
tonight so that photo report you might tell the camera
folks not to bank on there being 8 frames left on it in the
morning _ on Nikon 02.
CC Okay, will do. Here's a few words of
news. The Associated Press just announced their top i0 news
stories of the - of the year_ and Skylab made it in there - in
the top i0. The number I, of course_ was Watergate. The
first Arab_Israeli peace conference in the 25-year existence
of the Jewish state opened today in the Palace of Nations
with the chief antagonists, Israel and Egypt, at opposite
sides of a seven-table circle. The historic conference
opened 40 minutes late. United Nations Secretary, General
Kurt Waldheim presided at the ceremonial opening session and
told the delegations there was no need to remind them "of
the concern of the international community for the success
of our deliberations." There's a gentleman by the name of
Robert L. May, who wrote Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer in
1939. And he has a big 9-foot-high statue of Rudolph on his
front lawn with a red light bulb in his nose. Well, according
to _ because of the energy crisis, he_s turned out Rudolph's
light. He says, "I think Rudolph would go along with my
decision. He's always been a pretty well-behaved fellow and
has tried to do the right thing." Here's another good one.
A homeowner opened his door Thursday and found his outdoor
Christmas lights dismantled, neatly wrapped in ribbon and
left undamaged on his stoop_ the police reported. Attached
was a note reading, "Energy crisis, energy crisis, rah, rah,
rah, Energy crisis, energy crisis, sis, boom, bah; We shall
winr We shall fight_ We shall get your Christmas light."
The note was signed "Power protectors." Russia's latest
manned space flight is being used to test a self-supporting
ecological system to feed cosmonauts on interplanetary space
missions, a Soviet newspaper said today. The goal is a kind
of self_sustaining farm on board spaceships shuttling to and
from Mars or Venus. The labor newspaper Trud - Trud - Trud -
something - said the experiment on Soyuz 13, which carried
two men into Earth orbit last Tuesday_ was called Oasis 2
and involved growing and "harvesting" micro-organisms. The
paper'_s science writer said that the experiment was among
the first steps in preparing for long-distance space flight.
"The most important goal is to supply normal conditions of
life to members of the crew their need for air, food and
water." Official reports on Soyuz 13 have not disclosed how
long it and its crew will be aloft. Latest reports indicated
SL-IV MC-1205/2
Time: 21:57 CST, 37:03:57 GMT
12121173
no problems on board. Well, our state legislature here in

Texas has finished a 3-1/2 day special session and on Thursday
night they passed a bill allowing the state highway commissioner
to lower speed limits to deal with fuel shortages or to
prevent the loss of federal highway funds. The bill was
signed hy the Governor this morning. A special session in
the neighboring State of Louisiana and their legislature
last montlh resulted in establishment of a state "energy
czar" wit]N the power to alter private contracts in a more
in a move designed to insure that the state retains an
adequate share of its resources. It also approved sharp
increases in state taxes on oil and gas taken from state
land.
CC The Senate and House today passed an ii
percent Social Security increase Friday. And they sent the
measure to President Nixon. Its sponsors said they were con-
fident Nixon would sign it, although he was reportedly unhappy
with some aspects of the legislation.
CC And inflation is still with us. The worst
since the Korean War. The Labor Department said consumer
prices in November rose eight-tenths of 1 percent_ seasonably
adjusted, matching October's rise. Two_thirds of the increase
came in food and fuel prices. All is not gone though. Honesty
paid an elderly widow $4,000 for Christmas. Mary Eastwood
was shopping 6 months ago when she tripped over a paper
hag. She picked it up and discovered it was stuffed with
$4,000. She turned it over to the police, who attempted to
find the owner but the money was never claimed. On Tuesday
police gave the money back to Mrs. Eastwood - an early
Christmas present.
CC Well, old Grover Cleveland showed up in a
Salvation Army kettle again this year. Last December, a
grateful but perplexed Captain William Crabson Salvation
Army, I assume - found a $i,000 bill, which bears the
President's picture in the donation kettle in front of a
local bank. Crabson said he had no idea who the donor could
have been. Thursday, Crabson found another $I,000 bill in
the pot. Well, that's about it for the evening. We'll say
good night to you and see you in the morning.
SPT Hank, would you read the one with the
cheer in it again?
CC Okay, a fellow opened his door and he
found all his Christmas - -
SPT No, no, no. I was only kidding. Thanks
for the news_ Hank.
CDR Good night_ Hank.
CC Good night.
CDR Good night, all you bronze guys.
CC Bronze team says good night.
SL-IV MC-1205/3
Time: 21:57 CST, 37:03:57 GMT
12/21/73
SPT Good night, bronze team.

4 hours, 5 minutes. A goodnlght to the crew of Skylab IV
from Commander I mean, CAP COMM Hank Hartsfield and the
flight control team headed by Charles Lewis, the bronze
team, the evening news read to the crew. Their day 36 ending
on this stateside pass. Next acquisition will be tomorrow
morning, December 22nd with a wake-up scheduled at 6 a.m.
central standard time. Flight Planners here looking at
tomorrow's Flight Plan with the announcement a little while
ago that the scheduled launch of the rocket from Vandenberg
for up -upper atmosphere studies has been again canceled.
This will call for a revision to Saturday's Flight Plan,
which called for a late sleep period for the crew tomorrow
beginning at ii p.m. Central standard time, however, Flight
Director Lewis is now looking at tomorrow's Flight Plan with
possible changing around of this late sleep period for
tomorrow, At Greenwich mean time 4 hours, 6 minutes_ this
is Skylah Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1206/I
Time: 22:15 CST 37:04:15 GMT
12/21/73
PAO Skylab Control Greenwich mean time 4 hours

15 minutes. The crew began their sleep period through the
Bermuda pass. We have the daily surgeon's report from
Dr. Ed Burchard the Skylab Flight Crew Surgeon. Is as
follows: "The crew remains in good health; the pilot skipped
his exercise today to go to bed early to get a good night's
sleep." Dr. Burchard also reported that last night pilot
Bill Pogue, elected to take a sleeping pill, chloral hydrate.
He took one - one chloral hydrate last night, because he had
reported the night before he had only had 6 hour's sleep. Next
acquisition will be wake-up time. The public affairs
console will be reactivated at 6 a.m., Saturday, December 22.
At Greenwich mean time 4 hours 16 minutes, this concludes
reports from Skylab Control Center, at Greenwich mean time
4 hours 16 minutes.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1207/I
Time: 05:50 CST, 37:11:50 GMT
12/22/73
PAO Good morning, this is Skylab Control at

ii hours 50 minutes Greenwich mean time. Skylab is approaching
acquisition through the Hawaii station. CAP COMM Bill Thorn-
ton plans to put in a wakeup call at Hawaii. The Flight
Director on this shift is Milton Windler. We'll stand by
for the wakeup call.
PAO This is Skylab Control. The CAP COMM
and the Flight Director just concluded a conference with
the compassinate results that they decided to let the crew
sleep until the Vanguard acquisition in 25 minutes. So the
wakeup call will not go up in Hawaii. Skylab will loose
signal at Hawaii in about i0 seconds. We'll come back up
at Vanguard for wakeup there in 25 minutes. At ii hours
54 minutes Greenwich mean time, this is Skylab Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1208/I
Time: 06:18 CST, 37:12:18 GMT
12/22/73
PAO This is Skylab Control at 12 hours 18

minutes Greenwich mean time. Skylab coming up on acquisition
through the tracking ship Vanguard. CAP COMM Bill Thornton
will be putting in a wakeup call at this station.
CC Skylab, Houston. AOS for 9 minutes,
Vanguard. Good morning.
CDR Good morning, William.
CC And) Skylab, we have some moderately ex-
tensive changes in the Flight Plan whenever it's convenient
for you to copy them.
CDR Go ahead.
CC Okay. The first one, at - Okay, that
first one at about 12:45 on the Flight Plan. Eliminate the S073
op i. Also the DET 12:40 and in place of the DET 13:49 add
housekeeping. Also, at the pre-sleep activity, just past
14:00, for the PLT add housekeeping, and the handheld photo-
graphy stays in.
CDR Okay. That's done.
CC Moving on down the Flight Plan, for - again,
for the PLT, at 23:30, change housekeeping 8 Alpha to housekeeping
12 Alfa and 14 Charlie.
CDR Okay. 12 Alfa, 14 Charlie.
CC All right. For the CDR, at 24:45, pad
M509-2C prep. This is with the M151 photography and refer
to general message 3742 baker doing this and this will be
followed by eating.
CDR Roger. Copied.
CC All right. Going over to the PLT at
01, this pre-sleep activity and M509-2C prep and this will
be reference general message 3741 Echo. This is to be
accomplished after the CDR has completed his 509 prep.
CDR Okay. We got it, Bill.
CC All right. Moving on down to the SPT at
03:00, delete $201 operations and for the PLT, delete $201
manevuer. Also for the CDR, eliminate $201 operations.
CDR Roger. We got it.
CC For the CDR, at 03:45, add housekeeping
3-. And for the SPT, at 03:45, delete - correction on that -
For the PLT at 03:45, delete S201-K maneuver.
CDR Roger. We have it.
CC And all of you are scheduled to sleep now
at 04:00.
CDR Roger. 04:00.
CC And the PLT can now eat at approximately
02:00 or prior to that.
CDR Roger.
CC Going through the details on the CDR, the
SL-IV MC1208/2
Time: 06:18 CST, 37:12:18 GMT
12/22/73
Evening Status Report, is changed to 03:01 at Goldstone.

CDR 03:01 Goldstone.
CC And at 02:53, delete the $201 ops. Change
the 04:08 medical conference to 03:24 at Canary. And moving
on to the SPT details, at 02:53, delete - -
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC- 1209/I
Time: 06:28 CST 37:12:28 GMT
12/22/73
CC This is 0408 medical conference to 0324

at Canary. Moving on to the SPT details. At 02:53 delete
$201 ops assist.
CDR Roger.
CC On the PLT details at 12:40 delete the
line NTC S073 camera install. At 12:50 delete S073 ops i
pad, also delete at 13:49 the NTC remove and stow S073 camera
and leave in installed S063 COP camera and reference S063 COP
pad 3724.
CDR Roger, Bill.
CC At 02:31 delete $201 maneuver pad. At
03:36 dele1_e $201 maneuver pad. At 03:55 delete the NuZ update,
that's the 03:55 to 04:10. That's it and we're going LOS.
We'll have you again at 12:43.
PAO This is Skylab Control. The Vanguard has
loss of signal. During that pass CAP COMM Bill Thornton read
up a number of flight plan changes. Revision D of the cal
comp that will be available in the news center shortly, reflects
all of the changes and will be an accurate cal comp for today's
Flight Plan. Next station to acquire Skylab, is Tananarive,
12-1/2 minutes. At 12 hours 30 minutes Greenwich mean time this
is Skylab Control.
PAO This is Skylab Control at 12 hours 42 minutes
Greenwich mean time. Skylab coming up on acquisition at
Tananarive now.
CC Skylab, Houston. We're AOS for 7 minutes.
SPT Good morning, Bill. What did active
region 00 do last night, when we were asleep?
CC Ed, 3752 pad is up and has a description
of what occured during the evening. That's the solar activity
pad.
SPT Thank you, Bill.
CC Did you get all the messages at the last
minute, that I sent up before?
CDR Roger. We copied them all, Bill. Thank
you.
CC How's your Christmas decoration coming up
there today?
CDR Well, we still got to trim our tree, but
we got it built now.
CC I'm afraid to ask you what you used.
CDR We'll have "show and tell" later.
CC Copy.
CDR We can't find the mistletoe, Bill.
CC Hey, you better not find it, under the
circumstances.
CDR Bill, we grew a 4-foot tree out of the
ED63 agar.
SL-IV MC- 1209/2
Time: 06:28 CST 37:12:28 GMT
12/22/73
CC Hey, be sure you keep the gypsy moths

out of the tree you're growing.
CDR It does have that mothy quality to it.
CC Skylab, we'll be LOS in a minute. We'll
have you again at Hawaii at 13:27.
CDR Thanks a lot, Bill. (Garble).
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MCI210/I
Time: 06:51 CST, 37:12:51 GMT
12/22/73
SPT (Garble)
SPT Hey, Bill, what color shirt are you wearing
this morning? What team you working with?
CC This is the maroon team on, Ed.
SPT Hello, maroon team.
CC Maroon says "Hi."
PA0 This is Skylab Control. Tananarive has
loss of signal. The next station is Hawaii in 35 minutes.
At 12 hours 52 minutes Greenwich mean time, this is Skylab
Control.
minutes Greenwich mean time. Hawaii is about to acquire
Skylab.
CC Skylab, Houston. A0S for 9 minutes.
CC Skylab, 1 minute to LOS. We'll be dumping
the tape recorder the next pass at Vanguard at 13:57. And
if I'm not talking to you fellows again, why, have happy
hoiidays up there.
PLT Same to you, Bill.
CDR So long, Bill. Same to you.
SPT Merry Christmas, Bill, and enjoy yourself.
CC Thank you and you may not realize it but
you gave me some pretty good presents to play with down here
over Christmas. Sure appreciate it.
PAO This is Skylab Control. Hawaii has loss
of signal. Those presents that CAP COMM Bill Thornton re-
ferred to he received from the crew was a reference to
some of the medical data - data from some of the medical
experiments that Dr. hornton will be evaluating over the
holidays. He finds it of interest. Today, with comet Kohoutek
28,000,000 miles from the Sun, Skylab astronauts will use
an ultraviolet camera designed for photographing the upper
atmosphere to record details of the comet's composition.
Skylab Science Pilot Ed Gibson will make a series of four
photographs during the morning while Pilot Bill Pogue keeps
a careful watch as the space station's attitude is changed
to point tlle instrument at Kohoutek. The comet, seen by
Gibson on Skylab's TV monitor yesterday, is a very faint point.
is now moving toward the Sun at more than 180,000 miles per
hour. It will loop the Sun passing just 13,000,000 miles
above its surface on December 28th. The International
Astronomical Union's working group on Kohoutek, has designated
today as a worldwide comet observation day. The IAU has
noted that useful observation should be made with airborne
or space instruments. Because of the comet's nearness to the
Sun, virtually no observations are now being made from the
Earth's surface. The comet becomes visible only about 30
SL-IV MC1210/2
Time: 06:51 CST, 37:12:51 GMt
12/22/73
minutes before sunrise and the bright dawn sky makes viewing
extremely limited. In addition to Skylab's ultraviolet photo-
graphy, the crew will also take 35-millimeter black and white
photographs; as they have been doing regularly since early
in the mission. A specially equipped C135 aircraft from the
Atomic Energy Commission's Losilamose Scientific Laboratory,
will carry its extensive collection of cameras and astronomical
instruments to a high altitude in an attempt to gather data
on the molecules and atoms that make up the large cloud of
material composing Kohoutek. Although ground based obser-
vations will continue to be difficult until early January,
the 120-foot haystack radio telescope just west of Boston,
Massachusetts will search for water vapor in the comet. Methyl
cyanide, the most complex molecule ever detected in a comet,
was reported earlier as a result of radioastronomy. Two
other forms of space observation are planned for the coming
weeks as Kehoutek comes very near the Sun_ an orbiting solar
observatory, 0S0-7, one of NASA's sun observing satellites,
will attempt to gather data on the small visiter from the
outer solar system. In January, a series of five small
rockets will be launched from the White Sands missile range
to carry instruments above Earth's atmoshpere for a clear
look at Kohoutek. Though the comet was not as bright in
early Decemher as some scientists had expected, Bill Pogue
told Mission Control Thursday night, that is looked a heck
of a lot brighter than it did last night. Pogue's report
was confirmed yesterday when Gibson saw the comet on Skylab's
television monitor. Gibson had been unable to see Kohoutek
on the television 2 days earlier. Astronomers continue
to predict a maximum brightness equal to Venus next to the
Sun and Moon, the brightest light in the heavens, with a
total magnitude of minus 4, the comet would be nearly 25
times as bright as Halleys on its last circuit through the
solar system. While maximum brightness will be reached next
week, as the comet slips past the Sun, Earth viewers will
see Kohoutek best in January. Ground based observations
may begin as early as January 2nd with peak opportunities
expected from January 5th to 10th during the hour and a half
after the Sun sets. Tomorrow's scientific research will also
place heavy emphasis on solar observations. Active region
double zero, near the center of the Sun's disc, could still
produce medium sized flares. It continues to produce con-
tinuous X-radiation and radio waves, a sign of its intensity.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-1211/I
Time: 07:42 CST, 37:13:42 GMT
12/22/73
PAO this on solar observations. Active

region 00 near the center of the Sun's disk could still produce
medium sized flares. It continues to produce continuous
x-radiation and radiol waves, a sign of its intensity. The
widely scattered Sun spots associated with the active region
have changed forms substantially over the past several days.
A the number of smaller spots have combined to form a giant leader
at the forward edge of the active area. The circular leader spot,
more than 25,000 miles across, is the largest ever seen by
Skylab solar instruments. Solar scientists are preparing for
another unusual opportunity Monday morning. The space station
will see portions of a solar eclipse as the moon cuts across
the Sun's surface during five orbits. Before the crew awakens,
the solar instruments will be operated from the ground on
two orbits. During several hours of the morning, the Skylab
astronauts will point the telescopes to gather data on three
additional orbits. The partial eclipse is of special benefit
to scientists. The Moon provides a sharp dividing line that
aids investigator s in making out the exact details of very
small features that normally would be beyond the resolution
of their telescopes. From Earth, the eclipse will be viewed
best along the equator in South America over the Atlantic and
a small part of northwest Africa. It will appear as an annular
eclipse with the outer edge of the Sun remaining in view
as the Moon passes directly between the Earth and Sun. The
Sun is now nearer to Earth than it is during much of the year
and appears larger than usual, while the Moon is farther away
and looks smaller. As a result, the Moon fails to block out
the entire solar disk, leaving an annulus or washerlike disk
of light in view of the maximum eclipse. Most of the United
States, with the exception of the northern and western extremes,
will see the Moon cover part of the Sun just at Sunrise on Mon-
day morning. In Miami, the best U.S. observing area, the eclipse
will last nearly 2 hours. Skylab is 13 minutes away from
Be@ni_ition through the tracking ship Vanguard. At 13 hours
PAO This is Skylab Control at 13 hours
56 minutes Greenwich mean time. Skylab nearing acquisition
through the tracking ship Vanguard. Here in the Mission Control
Center, the purple team of flight controllers is relieving the
maroom team. The new flight director is Phil Shaffer. The
CAP COMM is Astronaut Hank Hartsfield.
CC Skylab, Houston through Vanguard for
8 minutes. Good morning from the purple team for the guest
CAP COMM from the bronze team.
CDR Good morning, good morning. It's kind
of a short night for you, wasn't it Hank?
CC It sure was.
SL-IV MC-1211/2
Time: 07:42 CST, 37:13:42 GMT
12/22/73
CC And Skylab, for a reminder, we'll be

dumping the recorder here.
CDR Roger. You catching cold?
CC You're right.
CDR Merry Christmas.
CC And, SPT, Houston. We'd like to get the
H-alpha i door open, please.
SPT Morning, Hank.
CC Good morning.
SPT Say, when I got up here this morning,we
ended up with a - uh up/down reading of 2531, I believe it was
or 2532. l'm (garble) that the wedges had to be zeroed, which
I went ahead and did, and I'm wondering whether the operations
last night caused that. That's the unattended ops. I don't re-
call seeing that the wedges in that position when we left the
panel.
CC Okay. We're checking it out, Ed.
SPT Thank you.
CC SPT, Houston. About 2 hours ago, we
commanded the center from the ground and apparently it has
drifted. And you did the proper thing by recentering.
SPT Okay. Thank you.
SPT We were pointed Sun center at (garble)
H-alpha, but the reading was off.
CC We copy.
SPT And, Hank. Also for the past about day and
a half or so our X-ray spec image of the CRT has been working
properly. That is in the full scan all the way down.
CC Roger. That's good news.
CC Skylab, Houston. We're i minute from
LOS, we'll see you again at Hawaii 59 minutes from now.
CC And Hawaii is at 15:05.
PAO This is Skylab Control. Vanguard has
loss of signal. The next station will be Hawaii in 57-1/2
minutes. At 14 hours 7 minutes Greenwich mean time, this is
Skylah Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MCI212/I
Time: 09:04 CST, 37:15:04 GMT
12/22/73

Greenwich mean time. Skylab is moving in range of the Hawaii
station now.
CC Skylab, Houston through Hawaii for 6-1/2
minutes.
CDR Rog, Hank.
CC Skylab, Houston. Got a general question
for all of you. If you would like to have a traditional
turkey dinner on Christmas, we have a plan that will accom-
plish it. What it would require would be, do housekeeping 60E
on mission day 39 instead of mission day 42 and follow
a rearranged daily menu schedule which we've prepared for
mission day 40 to 44. Your preference.
CDR Hank, hink we'll just take the menu as
it comes.
CC Okay. We copy, Jer, and while I've got you
here, last night, we shipped up some messages regarding CSM
take over. Have you had a chance to look at those and do
you have any comments on them?
CDR I've looked at them briefly. Haven't
really gotten into them in depth. I hope to get to that
sometime today and Ed and I are both going to walk through
it since he'll be inside while Bill and I are outside. We'll
walk through the entire procedure per the EVA take over.
CC Okay. That sounds real good, Jerry, and I
got a note here from Rusty. He says, "With regards to who
does what during EVA, Jerry, you're exactly right. EV-I is
PLT, EV-2 is CDR and EV-3, SPT. I have subjected myself to
40 lashes and added five VSs to my book. Sorry for the confusion."
CDR Okay. Tell Rusty, his apology is accepted.
CC He said, "Thank you."
CDR Also, I was suggesting yesterday that we
might possibly need some time assigned to it to study some
of this stuff for the S054 and I think this walk through that
Ed and I need to do, should have some time allowed. So maybe
the guys working up tomorrow's Flight Plan ought to figure in
some time.
CC Okay. What we have set up for tomorrow,
Jer, in taking a look at it is around 21:00, we've got about an
hour set up for you to go through the checklist changes and
review them for the EVA and along about the last part of that
period, we have some site covered through MILA/Bermuda and we
can have Rusty standing by to answer any questions.
CDR Okay. I think that'll be just fine and
Ed and I'Ii try to get through the walk through then too.
CC CDR, Houston. The way that Flight Plan
looks now is, you're the only one available at that time. The
SL-IV MCi212/2
Time: 0!):04 CST, 37:15:04 GMT
12/22/73
SPT will be finishing up his JOP 18 Delta along about that

time.
PLT He's listening, Hank. He was just going
down to the experiment compartment.
CC Okay. What I said there was that at the
time we have set up for the checklist change, the SPT is
finishing up the JOP 18-D. And so Jerry will be the only one
available at that time.
CDR Okay, Hank. We'll try to get along with-
out it. If Ed and I can get that walk through done between
now and then, well it'll be fine. If not, I'll holler for
relief.
CC Okay.
CC Skylab, Houston. We're 1 minute from LOS.
We'll see you at Vanguard at 36. We plan to dump the recorder
there and that's about 25 minutes from now.
SPT Thanks, Hank. So long.
PAO At 15 hours 12 minutes Greenwich mean time,
this is Skylab Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-!213/I
Time: 09:34 CST 37:15:34 GMT
12/22/73

34 minutes Greenwich mean time. The tracking ship Vanguard
is about to acquire Skylab.
CC Skylab, Houston. Through Vanguard for
9-1/2 minultes and as a reminder, we're dumping the recorder
here.
CDR Roger.
CC CDR, Houston. We took a look at your
TV78 and had them play it back for me, this morning, and
like to give you a pat on the back. It was outstanding. You
could really see the currents real well in there and the whole
thing was well put together.
CDR Hank, I'm sorry. I was too far away from
the VOX and none of us heard what you said.
CC Okay, we took at look at TV78 and I had
them play :it back for me this morning, and it was an outstanding
piece of work. You put that together real well. The comments [?]
and everything sticking together real nicely. And you could
see the currents plainly in the television.
CDR Yeah, Hank, what really makes me sick,
is that very next pass, at noon. We were up there right by
Montevideo and we could look out and see the confluence and
I considered that to be the most important part. And, dog-
gone it, we missed it, and I really felt bad about that.
CDR I would suggest if possible, that we take
a - make another try at 78 and try to get a picture of that
confluence and add it to that particular little program,
because I 1:hink it would really round it out very nicely.
CC Okay, we'll take a look at that, Jerry.
CC Skylab, Houston. We're 1 minute from
LOS. We'll[ see you again at Ascension at 51, and that's about
6-1/2 minutes.
PA0 This is Skylab Control. The Vanguard has
loss of si_nal. Ascension will pick up Skylab in 4-1/2 minutes.
We'll keep the line up monitor into the Ascension pass.
CC Skylab, Houston. Through Ascension for
7 minutes.
CDR Rog; Hank.
CC Skylab, Houston. We're about i minute
from LOS. We'll see you again at Guam at 16:35, that's
37 minutes from now. And as you go over the hill there, every-
thing looks real good to us on the bird. Looks like you're
all set for the maneuver.
CDR Rog; Hank. We're ready to go.
PA0 This is Skylab Control. The Ascension station
has loss of signal. The next station is Guan in 35-1/2 minutes.
SL-IV MC-1213/2
Time: 09:34 CST 37:15:34 GMT
12/22/73
And about i0 minutes or so Pilot Bill Pogue will maneuver

to an attitude where the S063 ultraviolet camera will be
able to photograph comet Kohoutek. That camera through the
antisolar scientific airlock. We'll come back up just prior
to Guam acquisition. At 16 hours Greenwich mean time, this
is Skylab Control.
END OF TAPE
SL- IV MC1214/I
Time: 10:3.4 CST, 37:16:34 GMT
12/22/73

through the Guam staticn.
CC Skylab, Houston through Guam for 5-1/2
minutes.
PLT Rog, Hank. Got about 4 minutes left in
the maneuver.
CC Roger. We copy.
CC CDR, Houston. You free to listen now?
CDR Stand by just a minute. I'll be right back.
CC Okay. Nothing urgent.
PLT Okay. He's listening.
CC Okay Jerry. Just to let you know what
we're doing with the Flight Plan for Christmas Eve. We
had to do a little shoving around but we think we fitted in
your TV 81 and get plenty of time for your pre-prep too.
What we have scheduled now is an hour of TV 81 at 14:50 Zulu
in the morning. It'll be a VTR only, with no stations during
that time and it's the only place we could fit it in there.
So if you want to be thinking about that.
CDR Okay, Hank. That's fine. Around 14:50,
you say, and I had heard that there might be a possibility of
direct downlink later on in the afternoon. I don't know how
compatible that is with your training [?] but we're amenable to
that, too. I mean compatible with your schedule.
CC Okay. I don't think that's going to work
out, Jet. We've got a pretty tight schedule with all the EVA
pre-prep from most of the afternoon until about lunch time on.
CDR That's kind of what we thought too when we
sent down our suggestion yesterday morning. But I had heard
that they were looking into the possibility of that late
afternoon or evening and we are amenable to it if the schedule
can be moved. But we'll take whatever you can do.
CC Okay. We did the best we could, Jerry.
We just couldn't work it out.
CDR Okay. Fine. Thank you, Hank.
The next site is Ascension at 26 and that's 46 minutes from
now.
PA0 This is Skylab Control. Skylab is out
of range at the Guam station now. And the maneuver to the
comet photography attitude has been completed without the
use of any thruster attitude control gas. Next station is
Ascension. TV 81, which was the subject of conversation be-
tween Skylab Commander Jerry Carr and CAP COMM Hank Hartsfield,
is crew option television. The - they were discussing the
television the crew plans for Christmas Eve. That will be
SL-IV MC1214/2
Time: 10:34 CST, 37:16:34 GMT
12/22/73
put on the onboard video tape recorder. The crew's Christmas

program about 8:50 a.m. central standard time on December 24th
will be dumped later that afternoon over one of the stateside
passes. Jerry Carr also reported the crew was amenable to
some live television later that day if it could be worked
out. However, the flight planners here on the ground have
been unable to schedule a time for that. Christmas Eve will
be a busy time for the crew with preparations for the Christ-
mas day extravehicular activity. Ascension will acquire
Skylab in 42-1/2 minutes. At 16 hours 43 minutes Greenwich
mean time, this is Skylab Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1215/I
Time: 11:25 CST, 37:17:25 GMT
12/22/73

minutes Greenwich mean time. Skylab coming into acquisition
now at the Ascension Island station. This pass will carry
through Canary Islands and the Madrid station.
CC Skylab, Houston through Ascension/Canary/
Madrid for 18-1/2 minutes.
CDR Houston, CDR.
CC Go ahead.
CDR Got a quite peak at the comet on that
last night pass and really is long and bright. I didn't
have time to do much more than just glance at it. I'd like
to take a look at it again. Can you give me the next comet
rise time?
CC Okay. I'll see if I can get that.
CDR Okay. In fact, Hank, why don't you go ahead
and give us the right times for the next three or four night passes.
CC Okay. Will do.
CC SPT, Houston. We've called out the MI51 on
both the Flight Plan in your details. Is that going to be
sufficient?
SPT (Laughter) Yeah, Hank. I think we're
going to get it this time. I tested the camera, and we're
all lined up and just tell Rudy to hang in there.
CC Okay. We'll do and the info for your
I have info for your phone call if you want to copy that down.
SPT Okay. Sure enough. Thank you, Hank. Go
ahead.
CC Okay. It's tonight at 03:01 and - Stand by
i. Okay. It's at Goldstone and right to left.
SPT Okay. 03:01 Goldstone, right to left. And
Hank, you sound like you got a real cold. I could recommend
you to a good doctor.
CC I think I need one. Okay. I have those
next comet rise times if somebody wants to copy them down.
CDR Yeah, go ahead.
CC Okay. 18:17, 19:50, 21:23, and 22:56.
CDR Okay. 18:17, 19:50, 21:23, and 22:56.
CC That's correct and, SPT, whenever you get
the S063 stow complete_ Bill is standing by to talk ATM.
SPT Oh, okay. Very good. I'ii go up into
the MDA right now. Hold on.
SPT Hello, Bill. Go ahead.
MCC Okay, Ed. Good morning. A little bit of
solar update here as you've already seen active region
double zero is quieting down a bit. The - I guess we have
to say the flare possibility is less today than yesterday or
we would expect less energetic flares today, I should say.
SL-IV MC1215/2
Time: 11:25 CST, 37:17:25 GMT
12/.22/73
However, the neutral line is still pretty kinked and predomi-

nately eastwest and this is expected to straighten up. And,
of course, associated with this there will be some flaring
activity. That's about all I can add new to double zero.
There's apparently a new bypole coming up just east of 04
you might want to just take a look at that and see if it looks
reasonable to you. Our emphasis for the day, still emphasizes
active region double zero and we are still looking for a flare
type activity there. During your operations today, you'll
notice that essentially what you have is observing time for
your three consecutive orbits later on. The main feeling here
is that this is the best way that the flare interested experi-
ments get their best flare data being 54, 56, 82B and so on.
During the operations there, both 54 and 56 have requested
that when zonvenient_ during each orbit, try to get 54 - -
MCC High voltage 7, off please.
MCC Oh, okay. Ed, high voltage 7 off, please.
SPT Bill's got it.
MCC Okay. 54 asks for 256-second sequence
once per orbit whenever it's convenient, and you plan to be still
that long anyway. At about that same time, 56 would like a
PATROL NORMAL and they'll take as many as they can get, pre-
ferably PATROL NORMAL once and then PATROL SHORT as frequently as
possible as is mentioned. 82B
SPT (garble) You've had one PATROL NORMAL per
orbit and then as many PATROL SHORT. That's what I understand;
is that correct?
MCC Right. That's correct. And 82B's main
emphasis is on fluetuaing bright points as you would detect
on the XUV MON and possibly on H-alpha and again, you should
be familiar with that so I won't go into any greater depth
on that. We're hoping you have good -
SPT You could. On that particular item I carried
out a shopping list item the other day which took 2-1/2-second
exposures; I made 4 minute on it. Was that a reasonable approach
or would thry prefer another way to go at it.
MCC This is the shopping list 7?
SPT I think it was the new shopping list items.
MCC Okay. I think what - Okay, Ed, we just had
a handover -
PAO We're having a handover to the Canary Island
station. We should have good communications again within the
next few seconds.
MCC Okay, Ed. Sorry about that. We just had
a handover here. The preferred item is shopping list 7 which
involves SHORT WAVELENGTH exposure TIMES a quarter. And that's
82B's main interest on the fluctuating bright points And for
SL-IV MC1215/3
Time: 11:25 CST, 37:17:25 GMT
12/22/73
that matter, I'll get to later on flare type activities. Do

you have any more questions on that?
SPT Yes, I do. In order to get a time history
there, it means you got to take a fair number of them. I
was trying to conserve film and thatls why I gave just the
2-1/2_second exposure knowing they had the very sensitive
film in there. What do they presume - How many times would they
like the building block or shopping list 7 repeated in order
to get any time history?
MCC Okay. Well, 82B - we'll be passing you
up a message later on today or early tomorrow about film here.
Let me get into that now. They don't want any more FLARE
MODES which means even if you get them flared today, they
preferred :not to go into FLARE MODE. You might just put a
piece of tape or something there to remind you of that. What
they are budgeting is some 30 to 40 times a quarter exposures
either on the flare or on fluctuating bright points which
they feel are very similar to flares in a much smaller scale.
We will be uplinking that later but that's sort of the total
budget between now and - well, actually, the next couple of
weeks - about 2 more weeks until the comet observations are
over. They have - -
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-1216/I
Time: 11:38 CST, 37:17:38 GMT
12/22/73
MCC Let me get into that now. They don't

want any more FLARE MODE, which means even if you get a flare
today, they prefer not to go into FLARE MODE. You might just
put a piece of tape or something there to remind you of that.
What they are budgeting is some 30 to 40 times a quarter
exposures either on the flare or on fluctuating bright points,
which they feel are very similar to flares in a much smaller
scale. We will be uplinking that later, but that's sort of
the total budget between now and - well actually, the next
couple of weeks, About 2 more weeks until the comet observations
are over. They have gotten fairly deeply into the i01
film. As a matter of fact, about half of it has been expanded
already. So they would like, over the next few weeks, to
hold it to 30 to 40 3 feet - 3 exposure sequences to observe
the flare and the preflare brightenings. It seems to me that
you may have a good idea here for shortening some of these
up. Let me get a better answer from them and get it back
to you later.
SPT Okay.
MCC And while I'm on that, 82A wants to save
two frames per day for synoptics. Should you go into a flare mode
on that try to stop it at 4 if you catch it today, or 2 if
you catch it tomorrow. And I understand the problems with trying
to catch that at those numbers.
SPT Okay.
MCC Okay. On the flare detecting now, the
best information that we can get for you to confirm the PMEC
with is still the X-REA BERYLLIUM APERTURE. Any time the
aperture goes to 3, we feel that you're looking at a real
C type flare, anytime it goes to 2, you're looking at a
real M type flare. And this has been reconfirmed. AT least
into the C level on the C-5 that they observed the other day.
The general feeling is that the aluminum is not good at all
as a flare indicator. For one thing, you're up in the longer
wavelengths and you get a smaller delta in the activity in
a flare from _ out of a flare. There's a significant amount of
scatter and just not a very good flare indicator at all. Have
you found that _ We've been putting the FLARE THRESHHOLD at C-5
have you been getting a - an ordinate amount of false alarms here
or is this the tolerable level.
SPT Well, Bill, I've been working it, really,
at all different levels, depending upon where we are relative to
the anomally. If we're in the anomally, I turn it way up, if
we're not, I turn it down to, usually around 512. And every once
in a while the film bulk up (garble) and catch my attention. But
I find the way to really get a flare, like we're looking for today,
is to monitor the XUV monitor and surprisingly enough H-alpha.
And the two bright point rises I've seen so far both came up
SL-IV MC-1216/2
Time: 11:38 CST, 37:17:38 GMT
12/22/73
together. So I find myself keeping my eyes glued on the

scope. And occasionally looking at the PMEC and if I have
any reason to believe we got any X-ray activity at all,
checking t]he BERYLLIUM APERTURE.
MCC Okay, Ed. That sounds real good. Some
words from S054. They've been real happy on your flare
searching operation. They want to pass up the word not to
get discouraged with false alarms. They're quite happy
to take those, because by getting those, that means that when
one comes along, they're going to get the real McCoy. So
they're very happy with the way you've been operating that.
On 55, we've noticed on the transcript that several times
you've mentioned the Oxygen Vl count of on the order of 40 and
50,000. S055 has not found any of these in their rasters, so
we assume this happens when you're looking around peaking up.
If you get a chance, when you see any of these, take a spectrum
of it. And we've got a handover coming up here. And let's see,
on SO52 on the - -
SPT Bill.
CC Yes?
SPT Okay. One for example, yesterday, when
we did get the bright points, there at the peak we were up
to around 58. And I'm sure if you go back and look at that
data it should certainly indicate that. We were in a MIRROR LINE
SCAN and I stopped it once the thing was (garble) and the most
intense point of a brightening. And we were out to 58 at that
point. I did get a detector, tripping off when I was looking at
that, point previously also, although it could not confirm what
the count is.
MCC Okay. That's good. They - Normally, they're
a day or so behind. So l'm sure they just have not looked at
that one yet.
MCC Okay. The one we did bright point rise
that they did yesterday, I made some comments about not being
happy about it because it was small and I realize that small
flares are as good as large ones if they truly are flares.
But what I observes is that their bright points, which are very
isolated and that there's no propagation along their neutral
line on rivets on either side and I think that probably is
what we're really looking for. The bright points may act
as a trlgger_ but the real release of the energy, in my
mind_ would be when you propagate along the neutral line and
you involwe a much condensed area. So that's really what I'm
look_ng for, And that's why I was a little discourage when it
did not propagate.
MCC Okay. Understand. And let's see. Flight
says he needs about 90 seconds here real quick. Let's give
it to him and then I'ii come back at the end.
SPT Okay.
SL-IV MC-1216/3
Time: 11:38 CST, 37:17:38 GMT
12/22/73
MCC Okay. Skylab, Houston. On panel 203

we'd like to check the MOL SIEVE A TIMER in PRIMARY. We
don't see the bed cycling and like to make sure the
switch is in the right position.
PLT Rog. Itts in PRIMARY.
CC Okay. We copy.
MCC Okay, Ed, and while they're talking
here let me just get you with a couple of quickies.
SPT Bill.
MCC Yes?
SPT Let me give them the information they
needed. The nitrogen was off it's coming back on. (Garble)
MCC Okay.
SPT Go ahead.
SPT Go ahead, Bill.
MCC Okay. On S052 on the comet ops, 18D
apparently the way the JOP - the building block 30 is written, it's
easy to confuse. What is desired there, and we'll try to clarify
it on the pad, is the STANDARD sequence followed by three
SINGLE exposures, followed by a FAST SCAN until the BB truncation
point. And the FAST SCAN is required for picture averaging,
especially on the dimmer comets. And the FAST SCAN has been
deleted. And we just - -
SPT Yeah. That - Sure that's most confusing.
The way I saw it was - The way I read it was to use the FAST
SCAN for the three l-second exposures. Which I did not quite
understand why so many were involved in their experiment logic.
MCC Okay.
SPT I did misread that.
MCC That's what we thought it was and about
half of the people misunderstood that. On the JOP 7, BB 15,
yesterday the SINGLE 1-second exposure was not gotten. I
think we got something link an ll-second exposure. That's
just a reminder that that's a off/on kind of a thing. And
we will be sending up a change on 55 per 18D ops to make
sure that we don't have Lyman alpha on detector 1 while we're
on the Sun. And let me turn it over to you here.
MCC Okay. I have to take that back. We're
over the hill here, Ed. The $201 pad is not on board, we'll
get it up at Guam in 25 minutes.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-1217/I
Time: 11:45 CST 37:17:45 GMT
12/22/73
PAO This is Skylab Control. Madrid has loss

of signal. Guam will pick up Skylab in 25 minutes. During
much of this long pass through Ascension, Canaries, and
Madrid, Science Pilot Ed Gibson has been discussing solar
science and Apollo telescope mount operation with Scientist
Astronaut Bill Lenoir. Lenoir reporting that the solar experts
on the ground continue to expect some flare activity in
active region 00 today, but that they anticipate that it will
be - be arty flares seen today will be less energetic than
yesterday. Skylab Commander Jerry Carr also reporting during
this pass that he did get a quick peek at the comet Kohoutek
during the last night pass. He described it as long and bright.
He wants to continue looking at it over the next several
night passes and we passed up the next 4 comet rise times.
Skylab now, 23 minutes away from acquisition at Guam. At
17 hours 47 minutes Greenwich mean time, this is Skylab Control.
Greenwich mean time. Guam is about to acquire the space station.
CC Skylab, Houston. Through Guam for 9-1/2
minutes, and we'll be dumping the recorder here.
SPT Roger, Hank. In setting up the ETC, I had
to put the END OF FILM light and also, the other day when we
were putting that seal, we could never locate the seal. It
was never in the location specified, so we still have that
chattering seal. It poses no problem to us, as long as it
doesn't in any way degrade the data.
CC Roger; we copy.
CC CDR, Houston. Last night - and we were -
revising of Flight Plan, we scrubbed that late 201 maneuver
for tonight. We scrubbed out the pad, not realizing that the -
both 201 pads were on the same pad. And, so, we just uplinked
you a new pad to cover the 201 ops and it's on board now.
CDR Roger, Hank.
CC And, SPT. The END OF FILM light you have.
Is that on the DAC or the ETC?
SPT That's on the ETC, Hank. The DAC working
for M051 is all set and accomplished.
CC Okay, we copy.
SPT The last time I used that spare mag in
the ETC, flank, I did not get a END OF FILM light. The first
time I've - seen get the film light since I've been working on it.
CC Ed, would you say again. I didn't
understand you.
SPT Okay, the last time which I used a spare
mag with this film in it, I did not get an END OF FILM light
at the conclusion ol those operations. This is the first
time I've seen the END OF FILM light.
SL-IV MC-1217/2
Time: 11:45 CST 37:17:45 GMT
12/22/73
CC Okay. You do have the magazine installed

now, is that correct?
SPT That's affirm, Hank. It's all set to go
and I'm just checking it out, and got to get the film light.
CC Let us think about that one a bit.
CC SPT, Houston. When you cycled the film
after advanced couple of frames, did you see both of those
knobs turning?
SPT No, I did not, Hank. Would you like me
to cycle one more and verify that?
CC That's affirmative.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1218/I
Time: 12::18 CST, 37:18:18 GMT
12/22/73
CC And Ed, if that supply knob doesn't turn,

that's going to be an indication that the film is broken.
SPT Say again, Hank.
CC Roger. If the supply knob doesn't turn,
that's an indication that the film is broken.
SPT Okay.
SPT Hank, both the supply and the takeup turns
with a single mode.
CC Okay. I guess we suspect that the camera's
working all right and we just have a faulty light.
SPT Okay, Hank. Then I'll press on with the
operations as planned and check the camera - check the film
when I take it out.
CC Okay. We concur.
SPT And I'll keep an eye on the supply (garble)
also during the operation.
CC Okay. That sounds like a real good plan, Ed.
We'll see you again at Canarys at ii and that's 51 minutes
from now.
SPT So long, Houston.
PAO This is Skylab Control. Skylab has passed
out of range of Guam's antennas while over South America on
this revolution. Science Pilot Ed Gibson will operate the
Earth terrain camera for photographs over the country of
Paraguay. At 18 hours 21 minutes Greenwich mean time, this
is Skylab Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1219/I
Time: 13:310 CST, 37:19:10 GMT
12/22/73

minutes Greenwich mean time. Skylab coming up within range
now of the tracking station at Canary Islands with overlapping
coverage through the Madrid station.
CC Skylab, Houston throngh Canary/Madrid for
13-1/2 minutes and for the SPT, did the END OF FILM light
stayed on during the ops or did it go off?
SPT Okay, Hank. During the total ops in the
AUTO MODE the light stayed on. The film appeared to advance
normally at the end when I went to the SINGLE MODE to shoot
three frames. As soon as I shot the first on, the END OF
FILM light went out and the frames advance advance normally.
We used a 1_otal count of 35.
CC Okay. We copy. Thank you, Ed.
CC Okay, Ed, and we've did a little head scratching
on this feel for the ETC mag and Owen used one of the fields
on the spare mag and it should be two more fields. And we
think they're in the 35-millimeter flash bag in drawer G of the
film vault. They're individually bagged with instruction
decals and the bag is about oh, 2 inches by 4 inches - a little
flat plastic bag with a little seal in there about the size of
a dime or a penny.
SPT Okay. I got - that was seal looks llke -
could you say again - the bag it's in as far as being in
drawer G, that's where we keep all the Nikons and from day-l,
we never ran into any extra supplies in that drawer.
CC Okay. We think it's in the 35-millimeter
flash bag.
SPT Okay. I'ii go on up and take a look. Thank
you, Hank.
SPT Oh, Hank. I finally located in the seal.
It was the flash bag but the flash bag was in a different drawer.
It never occurred to me to look in the flash bag. I'm glad
you finally mentioned it that particular item and we turned it
up.
CC Okay. Which drawer was it in?
SPT It was in drawer H, Hank.
CC Roger, copy. Drawer H. Did you leave it
there, Ed?
CC That's right, Hank. That's where the flash
bag is now. We got Nikons up in G, and there's just no way
of putting anything else in there.
CC Okay. We copy.
CC Skylab, Houston. We're i minute from LOS.
We'll see you again in Honeysuckle at 59 and we'll dump the
recorder there. And for the SPT, did you go ahead and put the
seal in? If not, we will schedule it some later date.
SL-IV MC1219/2
Time: 13:10 CST, 37:19:10 GMT
12/22/73
SPT You don't have to do that, Hank. I've

already got it in. It's doing too good a job.
CC Okay. Thank you.
of signal. The next station is Honeysuckle, Australia in
33-1/2 minutes. At 19 hours 25 minutes Greenwich mean time,
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC- 1220/i
Time: 13:58 CST, 37:19:58 GMT
12/22/73

58 minutes Greenwich mean time. Skylab coming within range
of the Honeysuckle station now.
CC Skylab, Houston through Honeysuckle for
7 minutes. And as a reminder, we're dumping the recorder
here.
CDR Roger, Hank. And I took a look at the
comet, and I'm disappointed. $3 (sic) now, we're loosing
all but about 30 percent of it, I think. I image the tail of
that comet is probably 6 or 7 or maybe 8 degrees long. And I
think you can only see about 2 or 3 degrees of it. And that's
occulted behind that strut out there. So we're really missing
a lot of data by not being able to see that full comet.
CC Roger. We copy, Jer.
CC Which part of it can you see, Jerr, the
head or the tail?
CDR You can see the first 30 percent, the
head plus about 30 percent of the tail.
CC PLT, Houston. You had a question
earlier regarding the M509 in reference to the goggles in
the bump hat. We've studied that and we say it's okay
to do away with the goggles, but we would like to see you
retain the bump hat for safety reasons.
PLT Sounds good, Hank. I'll try it next
time.
CC Skylab, Houston. We're 1 minute from
LOS. We'll see you through a short pass at Bermuda at 45.
SPT Okay, Hank. Just looking at the XUV
monitor and can see the 2 bright spots just to the east of
active regions 3 and 4, which apparently is supposed to
a new bipolar group (?) breaking out. They're very faint,
but they were visible this morning and still are visible.
CC Roger. We copy.
SPT The streamer over in the east limb at
about 300, is still fairly sharply peaked, a little broader
at the base, and over at the west limb, the streamer itself
is becoming a little more dense, especially to the south.
Other than that it looks pretty much unchanged.
CC Roger. We copy. And for info, your
Flight Plans for tomorrow are on board.
CC Make that two of them.
CDR Thank you, Hank.
PAO This is Skylab Control. Honeysuckle has
loss of signal. The next station contact in 42-1/2 minutes.
That's very low elevation at Bermuda. We may or may not get
acquisition there. If we do not, the next station would be
Canaries. At 20 hours 7 minutes Greenwich mean time, this is
Skylab Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1221/I
Time: 14:43 CST, 37:20:43 GMT
12/22/73
PAO Skylab Control. Greenwich mean time 20

hours 44 minutes. We will have acquisition through Bermuda
in 35 seconds. We'll hold the line up for this pass. CAP
COMM is Hank Hartsfield.
CC Skylab, Houston. We're with you through
Bermuda for 3 minutes.
SPT Hello, Hank.
CC Hello there and for the CDR, we did a little
checking and it's possible he might be able to see the comet
out of CM-I.
CDR Okay, Hank. We'll try a look out there
and we are changing our right legbands back to Alfa Quebec. Alfa
X-ray must have an open or something in it because the right-
hand leg volume meter just fades out to the top of the meter
and we got it back down to zero now by changing the deadbands -
or changing the legbands.
CC Roger. We copy.
SPT Hank, I didn't tell you the full story
about the corona when I talked to you last. There's a streamer
which is becoming more prominent over on the west limb at
around 3:30. It's a diffused one - pretty much like the
one at 2:30 and maybe associated with active region 97.
CC Okay. We copy, Ed.
We'll see you at Canarys at 59.
PAO Skylab Control. Greenwich mean time
20 hours 49 minutes. A brief pass through Canary. Next ac
a brief pass through Bermuda. Next acquisition will be
Canary in 35 seconds. We'll hold the line up for this pass,
Canary through Madrid.
CC Skylab, Houston. We're with you through
Canary and Madrid for 12 minutes.
CC SPT, Houston. When you get a moment there
after you've closed out the panel between passes, could you
give us a few words on the condition of the ETC field you moved?
SPT Yeah, Hank. I could not tell any real
significant difference other than just a few superficial
abrasions on it. It looked in reasonable shape. There was
a small piece of tape on the back side of the canister with
S written on it, for spare, I guess. I'm not sure whether
this prevented complete seating it or not. We'll see next time
we put it in the ETC.
CC Okay. We copy. Thank you.
CC Although the Vikings beat the Redskins 27
to 20, and they'll play the winner of the Cowboys-Rams game.
CDR Say, thank you, Hank. That must have been
a good one to watch.
SL-IV MC1221/2
Time: 14:43 CST, 37:20:43 GMT
12/22/73
CC It got pretty wild toward the end. It was

sort of back and forth all the way through.
We'll see you at Carnarvon at 29. That's about 20 - 30
minutes from now.
SPT Roger.
PAO Skylab Control. Greenwich mean time 21
hours 3 minutes. Loss of signal through Madrid. A pass through
Canary and Madrid tracking stations. Next acquisition in
25 minutes and 15 seconds will be Carnarvon, as the Skylab
crew continues their 37th day in orbit, 222 days in the life
of the Skylab space station. Pilot Bill Pogue performing the
MO92 lower body negative pressure device with measurements
being made on the limb blow flow limb blood flow, A
measurement which began early in the mission. Science Pilot
Ed Gibson at the Apollo telescope mount control and display
panel. Bill Pogue will take up his exercise period in about
20 minutes. A 90-minute period where he will either ride the
bicycle ergometer or perform exercise on several - several of
the onboard exercise devices. Next acquisition will be in
24 minutes i0 seconds through Carnarvon. At Greenwich mean
time 21 hours 4 minutes, this is Skylab Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1222/I
Time: 15:27 CST 37:01:27 GMT
12/22/73

21 hours 127 minutes. Acquisition coming through Carnarvon
in a back to back pass Carnarvon, Honeysuckle in I minute.
We'll hold the line open for CAP COMM Hank Hartsfield, a
CAP COMM with a hoarse throat today.
CC Skylab, Houston, through Carnarvon
and Honeysuckle for 14 minutes.
SPT Hello, Hank.
CC Hello there.
SPT I was looking at the comet at this last
Sun up. And command module window i is a much better way
to go. I was able to see the tail quite far back. The
coma has gotten a lot higher in intensity and much larger
than l've seen it about a week ago when I looked at it in
detail. I only was able to see one tail however. Strickly
a gas tail driving a dust tail going straight back. Fairly
wide, the coma itself has become quite a bit larger and the
tail just picks up that size and goes straight back. I
think command module window I is the one to follow it from
here on out.
CC Okay, we copy. Do you think you can
do $233 out of that window?
SPT I think so Hank.
CC Skylab, Houstonp we're i minute from
LOS. We'll be handing over now the bronze team; we'll see
you at MILA at 16. The purple gang wants you to know that
they've enjoyed the day very much. It's been a super day.
SPT Well, thank you Hank. We've enjoyed
it too, enjoy the holidays for all you folks.
CC Will, do.
21 hours 44 minutes. Loss of signal through Carnarvon,
Honeysuckle tracking stations. Next acquisition in
32 minutes and 20 seconds will be the trucking tracking
at the Merritt Island, Cape Kennedy facility. The change_
of_shift is scheduled now for 4:30 at building i news room,
with off going Flight Director, Phil Shaffer. Phil Shaffer
will hold a change_of_shift news briefing at building i
news room at the Johnson Space Center, at 4:30 central
standard time. Next acquisition in 31 minutes and 50 seconds
will be the MILA tracking station. At Greenwich mean time
21 hours 44 minutes, this is Skylab Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1223/I
TIME: 16:20 CST, 37:22:20 GMT
12/22/73
PAO Skylab Control; Greenwich mean time

22 hours 20 minutes_ we have recorded a few moments of
discussion with the crew of Skylab IV during Mr. Shaffer's
change-of-shift statement. We'll play that recorded message
and pick up the air,to-ground through the MILA, Bermuda
tracking stations live.
CC Skylab, Houston Hello at MILA and Bermuda
for 11-1/2 minutes from the bronze team.
PLT Hello bronze team.
CC It only sounds like the purple team but
the CAP COMMs are switching around today so I'll be with you
for the rest of the day with Chuck Lewis and the guys.
PLT Very good Dick.
CC Sounds like you guys are having a very nice
day, today.
PLT Yeah, we're enjoying it, it's a good day,
thank you.
CC Looks good from down here. And Skylab,
Houston we're going to be handing over to Bermuda shortly
here and when we do we're going to dump the data/voice
recorder.
CDR Houston, CDR.
CC Go ahead.
CDR Hey, Dick we're doing instrumented
exercise today rather than MI71, the assumption we're making
is that we still have to set up the MA in the same manner as
we do for 171 except we'll omit the vital capacity. Is that
that the way you guys know about it?
CC Let us make a quick check, Jerry; stand by.
CDR Okay.
CC CDR, Houston in answer to your question,
what we're looking for in the instrumented exercises is for
you to wear the VCG only and we see no requirement for you
to use the MA at all, over.
CDR Okay, did they tell us that sometime or are
we suppose to know that?
CC Well I'm not sure let us see if we can
research and square it away Jerry but for this afternoon
VCG is plenty good enough for us.
CDR Well he_s already got the MA on_ we set the
whole thing up and did it that way_ last time we did instrumented
exercise_ they wanted the MA, so we assumed they wanted it again
this time.
CC Okay, we'll research it, Jerry and get it
squared away for sure and get you and us together.
CC Okay.
CC Skylab, Houston we're about 30 seconds from
SL-IV MC1223/2
TIME: 16:20 CST, 37:22:20 GMT
12/22/73
LOS, Madrid comes up at 00:32. We had a couple of problems

on the dump of the data/voice recorder and we're going to
redump it at Madrid.
22 hours 28 minutes. Loss of signal through the stateside
pass, next acquisition in 2 minutes 45 seconds will be the
Madrid tracking station. Discussion with Commander Gerald Carr
concerning the exercise procedures_ he referred to the fact
that the crew was instrumented to do the MA, the metabolic
analyzer during the activity - exercise activity. The
crew advised them they had thought he would be doing the
VCG, the vectorcardiogram measurement during this particular
phase of the exercise period. Periodically throughout the
mission the crew is asked to instrument themselves during
the physical training exercise period at times with the
metabolic analyzer and other times with the VCG which records
their vital signs during the exercise period. Next acquisition
will be in i minute and 50 seconds through Madrid, we'll hold
the line up for CAP COMM Dick Truly.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1224/I
time: 16:30 CST 37:22:30 GMT
12/22/73
CC Skylab, Houston, we're AOS Madrid for

8 minutes. And a reminder again, we're going to be dumping
the data/voice recorder here again.
PLT Dick, I think Jer's right in the middle
of 201.
CC Roger, Bill, we'll make sure that we
redesignate recorders or something. And I'll check on that
before he gets started. Hang on.
PLT He's already running.
CC Skylab, Houston. The experiment 2 re-
corder is running; we'll recover Jerry's voice off that
and go ahead and get our dumping out of the way.
PLT Okay.
CC And, Bill, I have a sort of a lame explana-
tion for this PT thing I thought I'd mention to you. I'm
not sure Jerry can listen, but here's what the deal was.
The other evening, about 3 or 4 days ago, there was an even-
ing question that discussed the future plans for instrumented
PT and it was mentioned in there that we were pondering going
ahead and scheduling some instrumented PTs only requirement
being a VCG and blood pressures to be taken. And I think
rereading the way that was stated, I think we - we read a little
bit too much into that. And we should have been a little
more specific on the pad today_ and we will be in the future.
But, in essence, the requirement is when we schedule an
instrumented PT, that we'd like the VCG and the blood pressures,,
if it turns out that the MA is already set up after an MTI
run, we certainly don't have any objections to you using it.
So we'll try to do a little better on the pads and to make it
a little bit more specific to you.
PLT No sweat. The thing was that we didn
we - we didn't know for sure there. It took a little while
to set it up and we almost got us in a bind on time for
finishing the ergometer, and starting 201.
CC Yeah, we - we looked at the flight plans
and saw the little trap we built for you there.
PLT I set the work rate up 25 watts and we made
it.
CC Good show.
CC Skylab, Houston, we_ve got about a minute
and a half left here. If - we noticed that both experiment
recorders kave stopped. If you have it any voice comments
you'd like to put on the - on tape between here and end of this
pass, we'd like you to start one of the experiment 2 recorders
and then stop it after LOS. And Skylab, Houston, the dump
is completed now, so you're in good shape. The - we're 1
minute from LOS, Carnarvon comes up at 23:05.
SL-IV MC1224/2
Time: 16:30 CST 37:22:30 GMT
12/22/73
CDR Okay, Dick, thank you.

CC Roger.
PAO Skylab Control, Greenwich mean - 2 hours
40 minutes. Loss of signal through Madrid. Next acquisi_
tion in 24 minutes and 15 seconds will be Carnarvon. CAP
COMM_ Dick Truly, commenting to the crew it looks like it's
been a good day. Science Pilot Ed Gibson replying said we've
been enjoying it, it's a great day. This has been seconded
by Flight Director, Phil Shaffer, who reported earlier that
it's the best day so far as far as flight planning activies.
The crew maintaining the flight plan schedule. Next activity -
next acquisition will be at Carnarvon at 23 minutes 40 sec_
onds. At Greenwich mean time 22 hours and 41 minutes, this
is Skylab Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1225/I
TIME: 17:04 CST, 37:23:04 GMT
12/22/73

in 50 seconds. We'll hold the line up for CAP COMM Dick Truly.
CC Skylab, Houston Carnarvon for i0 minutes.
SPT Hello, Dick.
CC Hello there.
CC SPT, Houston we still got about 7 minutes
left here at Honeysuckle, when yon get a chance I'd like to
talk to you for about 45 seconds or a minute please sir.
SPT Sure enough, Dick, go ahead.
CDR Ed on the subject of 233 and where best
to - which window to best look out to see the framed comet,
in looking at the Flight Plans and on the previous
estimate that y'all gave us about like half an hour to set
up the cameras between windows, we've elected to not schedule
in that time prior to supporting $233 - $233 operations day
after tomorrow. So we did get the comment about changing the
windows but we unless it's a much simpler job than the
30 minutes, we're going to stick to what we have on the
Flight Plans until day after tomorrow and by that time we'll
have it scheduled in there and we can change it.
SPT Hey, Dick I've already changed it, it's
over there in CM window i and I've got one exposure off this
past orbit but I haven't lined up in time to get
two off, I'ii get two off this next orbit however. It's much
easier going into the command module when you can mount
on the window mirror as opposed to having to cut up
cardboard and go through what we had to for the SCS windows.
So it's already there and all set to go.
CC Well you might very well suspect that that
what I was hoping you were going to say and we sure do
appreciate it, thank you much.
SPT Thank you, Dick.
CC Skylab, Houston we're about to go LOS.
Carnarvon in about 15 seconds we're going to drop out less
than a minute and and I'ii give you a call when we're locked
up good and sound at Honeysuckle.
SPT Okay, Dick; so long.
23 hours 15 minutes. Loss of signal through Carnarvon. Next
acquisition will be through the Honeysuckle tracking station.
G&N officer reporting to Flight Director Chuck Lewis that the
ground has commanded the CMG bearing heaters back on. A
procedure instituted late yesterday, taking over ground
control of the heaters in the control moment
CC Honeysuckle for the next 4 minutes and
Ed I can't find any mention in my air-to-ground notes here
SL-IV MC1225/2
TIME: 17:04 CST, 37:23:04 GMT
12/22/73
if you've been reminded about the family comm this evening

so if it's a double reminder sorry about that but it's set up
at Goldstone at 03:01, it's the same pass as Jerry will use
for the evening status report.
SPT Thank you Dick I got it.
CC Rog.
CC Skylab, Houston i minute to LOS, give
you a call at Texas at 23:49.
23 hours, 20 minutes. Loss of signal through Honeysuckle
tracking station, next acquisition in 27 minutes and 50 seconds,
we be at the Texas tracking station. G&N officer reporting
to Flight Director Chuck Lewis during this Carnarvon/
Honeysuckle pass that the ground has commanded on the heaters -
the bearing heaters in the control moment gyros. This is
a procedure instituted late yesterday to relieve the stress
on the control moment gyros, control moment gyro number 2
which has been exhibiting various anomalies in the last
several weeks, since the 5th of December. This procedure
whereby the heaters will be turned off when the control
moment gyros bearing temperatures reach clcse to 80 degrees
and then turned back on when the temperature's lowered to
close to 70 degrees. This procedure hopefully will relieve
the stress on the CMGs. Next acquisition in 26 minutes
and 45 seconds through Texas. At Greenwich mean time
23 hours, 21 minutes, this is Skylab Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1226/I
Time: 17:47 CST 37:23:47 GMT
12/22/73

23 hours 47 minutes. Acquisition coming through the Texas
tracking station for a Texas/Bermuda pass in 45 seconds.
We'll hold the line up for CAP COMM, Dick Truly.
CC Skylab, Houston, AOS stateside for
16-1/2 minutes.
SPT Hello, Houston.
CC Hi there. You might be interested to
know that this afternoon at - that Oakland beat Pittsburgh
33 to 14, in a playoff. And they're going to next week play
the winner of tomorrow's game between the Miami Dolphins and
the Cincinnati Bengals.
SPT That must have been a real barn burner.
I understand the Vikings did pretty well.
CC Yes, they did.
SPT Dick, I sure do wish that TV downlink
was a two-way street.
CC (Chuckle) I bet you do. You really are
going to want it that way on New Years Day.
SPT On the dark side we can play the all
the good bowl - all the good ballgames on the ATM TV.
CC Roger.
CC If we'd only give you time to look at it.
CDR Roger, we have a solar flare on the
50 yard line.
CC (Chuckle) Rog.
CC Skylab_ Houston_ another comment on the
in the football scene. Local team does good, Friendswood
beat Hooks High School Texas 28 to 15 this afternoon. They
won the State Championship in class AA.
SPT Hey, give them our congratulations,
sounds like a good job.
CC Roger, and all the folks around here
that live out in that area are really tickled pink today.
SPT Well, they got a right to be, very
proud.
CC Then SPT, Houston, since you're close to
the phone. After this daylight cycle you and Bill are
goinK to be doing this - the limb volume measurements. Just
a reminder that was the deal the other day where Jerry was
goinE to correct your checklist to reflect that we wanted
Just left arm and left leg and the torso measurements. We
did not need the right ones, And since we didn't send up a
checklist change, and this would be the first time after that
that you're doing it, just though I would remind you about that.
SPT Okay thank you for the reminder, Dick.
SL-IV MC1226/2
Time: 17::47 CST 37:23:47 GMT
12/22/73
CC Okay.
CC Skylab, Houston, we're going to be
handing over from MILA to Bermuda here in about a minute
or so. And we're going to dump the data/voice recorder at
Bermuda.
SPT Okay, Dick.
CC Skylab, Houston, we're having a little
problem in being able to command to TRANSMITTER Charlie.
We'd like somebody to check a circuit breaker for us if
you could on panel 200, under instrumentation system
transmitter Charlie. And report the status of it. If the
circuit breaker is closed we'd like you to cycle it open
and reclose it again.
SPT In work.
CC Roger. And if it's open Ed just close
it and let us know.
SPT Roger, Dick it was open, it's closed now.
CC CC Thank you.
CC Skylab, Houston, we still have about
3 minutes left here at Bermuda. For Jerry, Jerry the other
day we sent up a general message to you that was numbered
3443, which was - had to do with scheduling constraints. It
listed a whole series of times. We would appreciate it if you
have the time by sometime tomorrow for you to put your - any
comments you have about the specifics of that message
on dump tape and let us know - just let us know after youtve
done that so we can find it quickly and be able to respond
to that. If you feel llke that you don_t the three of
you dontt have the time between now and then to sit down
and discuss that in some detail, we'll be happy to try
and schedule some time for you.
CDR Well, now that we got PSA freed up
tonight we ought to have time to talk it over a little bit.
We_ll try to get an answer out tonight.
CC Okay, good. I think we'd - we'll all
profit if you'd just look down that list and correct any
numbers you see fit_ put it on the dump tape, and
let us know.
CDR Okay.
CC And of course any other - any other
comments that you have, too, they're welcome.
CDR Wilco.
CC Skylab, Houston, i minute to LOS.
Madrid comes up at 00:09, that's 5 minutes from now.
CDR Roger.
SL-IV MC1226/3
Time: 17::47 CST 37:23:47 GMT
12/22/73
PAO Skylab Control, 6 minutes after the hour.

Loss of signal through Bermuda. Next acquisition will be
Madrid in 2 minutes 20 seconds on the stateside pass. After
receiving the latest ball scores, professional football, Ed
Gibson remarked, it's too bad that they don't have two - two
way telew[sion. Whereby they can watch the Rose Bowl
games and the professional football games on television. The
crew also asked to look over general message sent up two days
ago concerning scheduling constraints on various experiments
the ground had worked out very detailed time line on schedules
of experiments. How long it takes the crew members to perform
the various functions aboard the spacecraft. The crew has
been asked to review these times and see if they fit with
their estimate of the time required. And the crew has been
asked to ]put their comments on the tape recorder, which will
be then dumped to the ground on succeeding passes. Next
acquisition through Madrid in i minute 20 seconds. We'll
hold the line up for CAP COMM, Dick Truly.
END OF TAPE
SL IV MC-1227/I
Time: 18:08 CST 38:00:08 GMT
12/22/73
CC Skylab, Houston. Hello at Madrid for

7 minutes.
CC Skylab, Houston. We're i minute to LOS.
Honeysuckle comes up at 00:56.
PAO Skylab Control, 18 minutes after the
hour, with loss of signal through Madrid tracking station.
Next acquisition in 37 minutes will be Carnarvon tracking
station. As the - As the crew of Skylab IV, in the final
hours of their 38th day in orbit, gathering additional data
on the Sun_ Comet Kohoutek, and man himself, on thia the
fourth mission of the Skylab Program. Next acquisition will
be in 36 minutes 30 seconds through Honeysuckle tracking
station. At Greenwich mean time, 19 minutes after the hour_
END OF TAPE
SL IV MC-1228/I
Time: 18:54 CST 38:00:54 GMT
12/22/73

hour. Acquisition coming in 50 seconds through the Honeysuckle
tracking station as the crew concludes their 38th day in the
flight of Skylab IV. We'll hold the line up for CAP COMM
Dick Truly.
CC Skylab, Houston. Wetre AOS here at
Honeysuckle just in time to tell you that we're 1 minute
from LOS at Honeysuckle. Goldstone comes up at 01:25.
SPT Roger, Dick.
hour, Loss of signal through Honeysuckle. Next acquisition
in 26 minutes 25 seconds through the Goldstone tracking
station. The 37th day in orbit for the crew of Skylab IV,
Gerald Carr, Ed Gibson, and Bill Pogue. Their evening meal
this evening for Commander Carr consists of prime ribs of
beef, tomatoes, ambrosia, coffee with sugar and biscuit.
Science Pilot Gibson has on his menu this evening filet of
mignon, peas, lemonade, and vanilla wafers. Pilot Bill
Pogue has_ as the commander, prime ribs of beef, macaroni,
shrimp, tea, and ice cream. The Skylab crew tonight will
begin their rest period at 10:00 p.m. central stay - central
standard time, 3 hours from now. Next acquisition will be
in 25 minutes and 20 seconds through Goldstone. At Greenwich
mean time 59 minutes after the hour, this is Skylab Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1229/I
TIME: 19:24 CST, 38:01:24 GMT
12/22/73

i hour 24 minutes. Acquisition coming through Goldstone
CAP COMM Dick Truly.
CC Skylab, Houston stateside for 16 minutes.
CDR Hello, Richard.
CC Hello there.
CC Skylab, Houston if the SPT is not busy and
has a couple of minutes to listen, I had a couple of notes on
tomorrow's JOP 18 Delta.
SPT Go ahead Dick.
CC Ed it really is no particular change to
what's going on tomorrow, we wanted to visit with you just
for a second here and about the pointing error that we saw
last time. Ted O'Neill and Steve Bales spent a good bit of
time this afternoon trying to psych out exactly why we were
able to point so well when we looked at Mercury and then we
missed Antares pointing the other day by about a 10th to 0.15
degrees and then we missed the comet pointing by somewhere in
the order of magnitude of 0.3 degrees. And after much searc -
searching and rechecking all of the corrections factors and
also having some other folks recheck their work, we simply
haven't come up with a very good explanation as to why the
pointing has been in that fashion and tomorrow, the way the
pad is worked out, if the error is still present and not random,
it still should appear to you very much like it did the other
day, that is possibly down a little bit to the left on the grid
but still within the edge of the field of view.
SPT Okay, Dick you planning on putting in that
77 again like you did last time; I think we're very fortunate
happened to have the error in that particular direction or I
never would have seen it. Came out with just barely in edge
of the scope and just barely visible.
CC Okay, it's going to be pointed a little
more to the center. I think we're going into a keyhole here
let me wait a few seconds and then get with you when we get
out of it.
CC Skylab, Houston we're about 1 minute from
LOS at Bermuda. I'll give you a call a Madrid at 01:47 and
we're going to dump the data/voice recorder there at Madrid
and Ed back to the 18 Delta, the pointing we're shooting for
tomorrow is i00, 50 and so if the error is appears again and
is not random, it probably will be down and to the left but
that should give you a - that should put you in a little better
position than it did the other day for keeping it in the
field of view. Of course if it is around in there and it
is in some other direction then you'd probably be better off yet.
SL-IV MC 1229/2
TIME: 19:24 CST, 38:01:24 GMT
12/22/73
SPT Okay, Dick thank you. I got a question

for you - for ASCO. When we see a number a 10th of a degree,
is that a truncated number to a 100th of a degree or is it
rounded off?
CC Stand by, I'm not sure we'll be able to
get an answer to you here but if not, I'ii call you at Madrid.
SPT Okay, Dick, the reason for asking is that
you send up final attitude to expect to a hundredth of
a degree, sometimes we're off by a tenth and I'm wondering
whether that's because of truncation or whether it's actual
error.
CC Okay.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1230/I
Time: 19::42 CST 38:01:42 GMT
12/22/73

1 hour 43 minutes, loss of signal through Bermuda. Next
acquisition in 3 minutes, 20 seconds will be the Madrid
tracking station. As Skylab space station now in its
3,212 revolution since launch from Cape Kennedy on May 14th.
CAP COMM, Hank Hartsfield, discussing with the crew some
problems encountered the last time the space station was
pointed for use of J0P 18. Joint observation program 18D
which is aiming the Apollo telescope mount instruments at the
vast approaching comet Kohoutek which is approaching the Sun
at speed of 180,000 miles per hour. JOP 18D is again
scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. As is another flight
of the M509, the Buck Rogers style maneuvering unit, which
will be flown by Commander, Gerald Carr tomorrow in the
dome area of the workshop. This is the experiment of
Air Force Major Ed Whitsett, of the Johnson Space Center,
with coinvestigator being Astronaut Bruce McCandless. We'll
hold the line up for this pass through Madrid. Pass to
last approximately 9 minutes. We'll hold the line up for
CAP COMM, Dick Truly.
CC Skylab Houston, AOS Madrid for the next
9 minutes. And SPT, Houston, I think I have an answer to
your question about the - the attitude numbers.
SPT Okay, Dick go ahead.
CC Roger. It turns out that on the JOP 18
Delta pads that we send you. We send you attitude numbers
listed as final attitude that you should expect, that are
listed as XF, YF and CF to the nearest 100th of a degree.
In the case of the atom DC, the computer calculates these
attitudes as accurately as it can which is somewhere in the
neighborhood of a couple of hundredths of a degree. However
it rounds off and displays to you to the nearest tenth.
Does that answer your question?
SPT Yes, it does Dick. It rounds off rather
than truncates a i00 digets. Now in that case if you look at
the numbers I read down for the final attitudes, then I don't
think we're really at the attitudes that we had initially
requested. Were you able to check all the DAS entries also?
CC Well, we don't have immediate answer
for you Ed, but it's certain - certainly something to think
about. At: any rate the Atom DC does its calculations as
accurately as it can. And when ASCO calculates his attitudes
he sends them up to you to his best accuracy, but the
displays are to the nearest tenth and it's rounded off.
SPT Okay, thank you Dick. I'm just trying to -
in my own mind trying to figure out where the discrepancy
SL-IV MC1230/2
Time: 19::42 CST 38:01:42 GMT
12/22/73
arose. I guess we were off a tenth or so it now can be

explained by round off. And the (Garble) latitudes we
achieved versus which you sent up.
CC Well, we certainly haven't given up
thinking about it, but as of now we just don't have a real
straight answer for you. But we'll get one and you'll hear
just as soon as we have it.
SPT Okay, thanks very much. Thanks to
Steve and all his troops for working hard on it.
CC Okay.
CC And Skylab, Hou - Houston, I forgot
to warn you we're dumping the data/voice recorder here at
Madrid.
SPT Attention Skylab.
CC Go ahead.
PLT Dick do you have a comet rise time for
the current rise, ought to be in about another 4 or 5 minutes
I guess.
CC Stand by.
CC Skylab, Houston, 1 minute till LOS
Tananariw_ comes up at 02:07. And we're checking on the
rise time I hope we can get it before LOS, we'll try.
CC SPT, Houston. The comet rise is estimated
to be about a minute and half prior to sunrise. We're looking
for GMT now, if we don't get it though you should be able
to use the time remaining clock and - and get a good hack on
that.
SPT Okay, a minute and a half before. Thank
yOU.
CC Yes, sir.
1 hour 56 minutes. We've had loss of signal through the
Bermuda tracking station. Next acquisition in i0 minutes,
will be the Tananarive voice relay station. Discussions
concerning the comet rise time. Science pilot Gibson,
scheduled to use the $233, 35-millimeter camera out the
command module window, to take photographs of the comet
Kohoutek. The 233 experiment is scheduled twice a day,
once in the morning and once in the evening to capture the
approaching comet on film. Next acquisition in 9 minutes
45 seconds will be Tananarive. At Greenwich mean time
i hour 57 minutes, this is Skylab Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC 1231/1
TIME: 20:06 CST, 38:02:06 GMT
12/22/73

2 hours, 5 minutes. Acquisition coming through the Tananarive
voice relay station in 50 seconds. We'll hold the line up
for CAP COMM Dick Truly.
CC Skylab, Houston we're AOS Tananarive for
the next 7 minutes and we think we missed a nuZ update
the last scheduled opportunity. One is available now,
Ed if you can get it for us anytime in about the next
5 minutes.
PLT Rog, we copied that Dick_ thank you.
CC Okay, Bill thank you.
CC Skylab, Houston i minute to LOS, Tananarive,
Honeysuckle comes up at 02:33 see you there.
2 hours, 17 minutes. We've had loss of signal through
Tananarive, next acquisition in 14 minutes 55 seconds will
be the Honeysuckle tracking station in Australia. Very
quiet pass through Madrid_ little conversation with the
crew. As they complete the remaining 2 hours of their
scheduled day, Day 37 in the mission of Skylab IV. Today
raises the grand total of manned occupancy of the i00 ton
space station to 119 days_ 28 days on the first mission with
Commander Pete Conrad, Science Pilot Joseph Kerwin, Pilot -
Paul Weitz. 59 days with Commander A1 Bean, Dr. Owen Garriott,
and Pilot Jack Lousma. That total should be 124 days rather
than 119o Next acquisition will be in 13 minutes and 45 seconds
through Honeysuckle, at Greenwich mean time 2 hours and
18 minutes, this is Skylab Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1232/I
TIME: 20:31 CST, 38:02:31 GMT
12/22/73

2 hours 311 minutes. Acquisition coming through the
Honeysuckle tracking station in Australia in 50 seconds,
while Science Pilot Ed Gibson is spending the final portion
of his evening at the Apollo telescope mount. The crew
generally preparing for their presleep activities scheduled
sleep period starting at 04:00 Greenwich mean time, i0 p.m.
central standard time. A collective total of 20 hours of
science today aboard the space station. We'll hold the line
up for this pass through Honeysuckle, CAP COMM is
Hank Hartsfield.
CC Skylab, Houston AOS Honeysuckle for
5 minutes. And -
CC And Skylab, Houston to the SPT on the
ATM panel, we'd like to get DETECTOR 3 on.
CC Thank you much, we're 1 minute from LOS,
Hawaii comes up at 02:53.
SPT Dick, I'm reading 80 for my GRATING
position now, apparently we got another transient in here
we has bumped it up from zero.
CC Okay, we show a zero on TM on the ground
for your information, Ed. Thank you for letting us know
thoagh.
2 hours 40 minutes. Loss of signal through the Honeysuckle
tracking station, next acquisition in 13 minutes will be
Hawaii. In a few moments from now Science Pilot - not
Science Pilot, one of the crew members will have the opportunity
to again add to the crew's visual observation program by
taking photographs in the South Pacific area, north of
New Zealand in attempts to learn a little more about the
ocean - oceans of this area. To possibly locate and study
recycling weight patterns of the ocean. Scientists say it
appears tlhat weight patterns recycle regularly and long_term
conditions possibly can be predicted from only a few observations.
A knowledge of such weight patterns would be useful in locating
fishing areas, Today's target of opportunity, handheld site
number 34 A-6 is one of the more than i00 target sites
around the world the crew has been asked to visually describe
as well as photograph on their orbits around the Earth. Next
acquisition in ii minutes 30 seconds will be Hawaii. At
Greenwich mean time 2 hours and 41 minutes, this is Skylab
Control.
END OF TAPE
SL IV MC-1233/I
Time: 20:52 CST 38:02:52 GMT
12/22/73

2 hours 52 minutes. Acquisition coming through the Hawaii
tracking station in 50 seconds. CAP COMM is astronaut Dick
Truly. We'll hold the line up for this Hawaii pass.
CC Skylah, Houston. AOS Hawaii for 7 minutes.
3 hours i minute. Loss of signal through Hawaii. Next
acquisition will be Goldstone. We'll hold the line up for
this stateside pass, last stateside pass for this evening.
CC Skylab, Houston. We're AOS Goldstone
for 9 minutes. How do you read?
CDR Loud and clear, Dick.
CC Roger, Jer. We're standing by for the
evening status report and we did have a little comm problem
there down at Hawaii. I'm trying to check now and make sure that
Ed's family conference is set up. This is the site for it.
CDR Roger. I'll check.
CC Okay, and I'm standing by for the evening
status report.
CDR Okay, Ed's in the command module.
CC Good show.
CDR You caught us trimming our Christmas
tree.
CC Hey, we've got a pretty one down here,
also.
CDR Can't be as pretty as our's.
CC Well, the people who trimmed it were a
lot prettier.
CDR All right, let's have the evenin_ status
report. Enough of that talk.
CDR Just get us all lathered up here. Sleep:
CDR, 6.5, 6.5 heavy; SPT, 6.8, 6.8 heavy; PLT, 9.5, 9 heavy,
half light. Volume: CDR, 1200; SPT, 1750; PLT, 2000. Water
gun: CDH, 7647; SPT, 3175; PLT, 9357. Body mass: CDR, 6.317,
6.319, 6.3159 SPT, 6.366, 6.356, 6.355; PLT, 6.258, 6.258,
6.259. Exercise: CDR, method Alfa: minus 2 minutes. SPT,
no Alfa done today. PLT, Alfa: minus 5 minutes. Foxtrot:
plus 5 minutes. Medications: CDR, none; SPT, one Dalmane;
PLT, Tinactin as directed. Clothing: CDR, one pair of socks.
SPT, one pair of shorts, one pair of socks and a shirt. PLT,
one shirt and i shorts. Food log: CDR, zero salt, minus
two coffees with sugar, plus 1.5 water. SPT, 11.5 salt, plus
one grape drink, plus one number 2 mineral supplement,
phosphorus - -
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1234/I
Time: 21:04 CST 38:03:04 GMT
12/22/73
CDR - - coffee with sugar, plus 1.5 water; SPT,

11.5 salt, plus one grape drink, plus one number 2 mineral
supplement phosphorus which was taken by mistake, rehydration
water, zero; PLT, no salt, plus one butter cookie, no water.
Flight Plan deviation: none. Shopping list accomplishments:
none. Inoperable equipment: none. Unscheduled stowage: none.
Photo_s next.
CC Okay.
CDR Okay. Photo log: 16-millimeter, 151.
ETC prep, Charlie India 75, 82, Charlie India 73. MI51,
M509 prep, Charlie India 75, 68, Charlie India 73. Nikons: 01,
Charlie X-ray 36, 15; 02 Bravo Victor 43, 03; 03 no change;
04 Bravo, Echop 08, 38; 05 Bravo Hotel 05, 43; 70 millimeter,
Charlle X-ray 17, 152. ETC, Bravo Whiskey 03, 035. EREP
no change. Drawer A: Alfa i, 02, Charlie India 75, 68;
Charlie llndia 73; Alfa 2 no change; Alfa 3 no change;
Alfa 4, 08, no supply reel; takeup is Charlie India 74;
back no ci_ange. That's it.
CC Okay, Jerry thank you very much, we still
have about 4 minutes left in this pass and I'm standing by.
When we get to Bermuda in a few minutes we are going to drop
out between Goldstone and Bermuda. I've got a pass there I
can read you guys some news if you're amenable to that.
Following that we'll have a pass that'll be the med conference
and then the final pass of the evening so between this Bermuda
pass and the last one of the evenin_ I can read you the news.
CDR Okay, turn 'em loose.
CC Well I figured I'd wait until this next
pass to - for _ Ed got off the phone.
CDR All right, that'll be
CC Okay, y'all can go back to tree trining.
CC Skylab_ Houston we're about 45 seconds
from LOS, Bermuda comes up about 5 minutes from now, I'ii
give you a call there.
END OF TAPE
SL IV MC-1235/2
Time: 21:14 CST 38:03:14 GMT
12/22/73
you the rest of the news. The next pass is scheduled to -

AOS at Canary at 03:24 and that's the med conference. So
I'll give you a call at Tananarive.
CDR Roger Dick. See you then.
CC Okay.
PAO Skylab Control, Greenwich mean time,
3 hours 21 minutes. Loss of signal through Bermuda. Next
acquisition in 2 minutes and i0 seconds will be Canary,
during which time Flight Surgeon Dr. Eduard Burchard will
conduct the evening medical status review with the crew
of Skylab IV. The crew presently in their presleep activities
for the day. The three astronauts, much like the people
at home are performing such things as turnin_ the lights
down, turning the speaker intercom assembly to low position,
stowing away any loose objects aboard the workshop, enabling
the Apollo) telescope mount configuration for unmanned operations
during their sleep period, and generally getting things in
order for retiring for the night. This, their 37th day in
orbit. The next pass through Canary, approximately 8 minutes
in duration, will be devoted to the medical conference with
Dr. Eduard Burchard, the Skylab flight crew surgeon. We'll
have a report of that conference at the close of the pass.
Next communication with the crew is scheduled for the
Tananarive tracking station. This pass will come in
approximately 22 minutes. We'll bring the line back up at
that time. At Greenwich mean time 3 hours 23 minutes,
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1236/I
TIME: 21:36 CST, 38:03:36 GMT
12/22/73

3 hours, 36 minutes. We had a brief conversation at the
tail end of the Canary pass at the close of the medical
conference, we'll replay that tape now.
CC - - 03:46 and I'ii call you there.
SPT Okay, Dick, thank you talk to you
then.
CC Okay.
PAO That concludes the conversation through
Canary. Next acquisition in 8 minutes 55 seconds will be
the Tananarive tracking station where CAP COMM Dick Truly
indicated to the crew that he'll finish reading the
evening news as the crew prepares for their final activity
of the day in their pre-sleep activities aboard the workshop.
G&N advised Flight Director Chuck Lewis that the heaters
were commanded on again. The control moment gyro heaters
in the bearings to take the load off the CMGs to as
Flight Controllers described - relieve the stress on the CMGs.
Next acquisition will be through Tananarive in 8 minutes at
Greenwich mean time 3 hours, 37 minutes, this is Skylah Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1237/I
Time: 21:44 CST 38:03:44 GMT
12/22/73

3 hours 44 minutes. Acquisition coming through Tananarive
trackin_ station in 50 seconds. This possibly the last
communication with the crew for the night. We_ll leave
the line up for CAP COMM, Dick Truly.
CC Skylab, Houston, through Tananarive
for about 2 or 3 minutes.
CC And Skylab, Houston, a couple of notes
for you here. First of all we don't have any data here
at Tananarive, but when we last saw you at Canary the
ATM coolant loop was still on. If it's bugging you with
the noise, you're certainly welcome, your option to turn
the pump off this evening and leave it off. Or you can
leave it on as you will. Also, for Ed. There is going
to be a checklist change to the JOP Summary Sheets, it
will effect JOP 18 Delta. It does two things, it adds
a note and an option to the 52 experiment. The note has
to do with, and it's caused by detector 1 sensitivity
when the pointing at the Sun, and it appears in several
places in the JOP. Also the option, the additional option in
52 is one that will allow to get background starfield data
and help us with our post flight evaluation. The checklist
change looks quite long. However the only portion of it
that needs to be made in the morning is JOP 18D, and I
don't think you'll have any problems getting in there in
good order.
SPT Okay, Dick I understand the intent of
both of those. I don't think they_ll be any problem.
CC Okay, we only have about 30 seconds
left prior to LOS here at Tananarive. So - so we'll be
giving you in the call - a call in the morning so you
guys get a good night sleep.
CDR Okay, Dick thanks. And that shutting
down the coolant loop is on Bill's presleep checklist.
So he_ll catch that before he goes to bed.
CC Okay. Well I just wanted to make the
point to you that it's your option. You're welcome to do
it or not as you desire.
CDR Okay thanks. We'll see you.
CC Okay.
3 hours 51 minutes. CAP COMM Dick Truly bidding good
night to the crew, through the Tananarive tracking station wake-
up call scheduled for 6 a.m, central standard time tomorrow.
Crew advised that they - at their option if they'd like to
turn off the ATM coolant loop. The crew had reported the
SL-IV MC1237/2
Time: 21:44 CST 38:03:44 GMT
12/22/73
pump in the coolant loop was very noisy and it disturbed

their sleep. Bill Pogue will take care of this turning
the coolant loop off during his presleep check activities,
which include disenabling the flare alarm on the
ATM, turning down the lights in the multiple docking
adapter and the workshop. And generally configuring the
vehicle for sleep mode for the crew. At Greenwich mean
time 3 hours 52 minutes, this is Skylab Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1238/I
TIME: 22:15 CST, 38:04:15 GMT
12/22/73

4 hours, 15 minutes. We have the daily surgeon's report
which is as follows: "The crew remains in excellent physical
and mental health. The pilot was well rested after last
night's long sleep and this probably contributed to his good
performance today." It's signed by Dr. Eduard D. Burchard
for Dr. W. R. Hawkins_ Director of Medical Operations here
at the Johnson Space Center. In the evening status report
Commander Carr had reported that Pilot Pogue had 9 hours of
sleep last night. He had taken a sleeping pill. At
Greenwich mean time 4 hours and 16 minutes the Public Affairs
Console will close for today and reopen at 6 a.m. December 23rd.
At Greenwich mean time 4 hours and 16 minutes, this is
Skylab Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-1239/I
Time: 05:58 CST 38:11:58 GMT
12/23/73
PAO Good morning. This is Skylab Control at

Ii hours 58 minutes Greenwich mean time. Skylab about 50
seconds away from acquisition at Tananarive. Wakeup is
planned alt this station.
CC Skylab, this is Houston through Tananarive.
We want to wish you a merry Christmas from the silver team
here and we're back - glad to be back working with you.
We'll talk to you through Hawaii in 42 minutes at 12:44 Zulu.
Out.
CDR Morning, Bruce. Merry Christmas. to all
of the Silvers.
CC Roger; thank you.
PAO This is Skylab Control. Tananarive has
loss of signal. The crew beginning their 38th day in orbit
with some very nice Christmas music, but also beginning it
with some blood letting, one of the days that blood samples
are taken on each of the crewmen. That being done now imme-
diately after wakeup. Hawaii is the next station in 34
minutes. At 12 hours i0 minutes Greenwich mean time, this is
Skylab Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-1240/I
Time: 06:43 CST 38:12:43 GMT
12/23/73

43 minutes Greenwich mean time. Skylab is about to be
acquired through the Hawaii station.
CC Skylab, this is Houston. Through Hawaii
for 8 minutes. Over.
CDR Roger; Bruce.
CC Okay, Jer. Couple of items for y'all.
I guess first, the bad news. During the evening, we've had
a major telemetry malfunction, and the net result of it is
that we've lost most of our insight into the airlock module
power distribution system. But we do have valid data for
monitoring the power generation system. Right now, looks like
we've at ].east temporarly lost the low level multiplexis
associated with the airlock module and we've got some noise
and low readings on the airlock module high level multiplexis.
We've also lost some of our insight into the coolant loops and
life support system. But so far, we still have enough valid data
that we can keep pretty much aware of what's going on. By
ground command we've switched to secondary instrumentation
units with no success. The only onboard monitoring that
you have lost at the present time is the PCG battery half
hour indicators. And, the reason that you've lost these is
that we are powering down the multiplex and telemetry systems
during periods of LOS. And, when we power them down, that
takes down the power supply for the primary and secondary
half hour indicators. And, if you need to get them back, why
you probably recall the procedure we used in training. And,
later on we'll have a list of parameters that we'd like you
to read out on board for comparison with the readings that
we have down here, just so we can verify your onboard read-
outs are still good. Over.
CDR Okay, thanks, Bruce.
CC Okay. Couple of minor ones, for you
Jerry. On your detail pad at time 00:09, we'd like to add
S019 PR-3, or at S019 PR-3. We want to add canister 002 and
22. Over.
CDR Okay, hit that again, Bruce. I was busy
fumbling for my papers.
CC Okay. On your detail for today. At time
00:09, add S019 PR-3, prep 3 that is. Canister 002 and 22,
presumably referring to the fogus gear wheel. Over.
CDR Okay, I copy.
CC That goes right along with your S019-K pad,
which you have indipendently, probably still in the teleprinter.
For the SPT and the PLT. I have a couple of changes, also.
Over.
PLT PLT. Give me about l0 seconds, Bruce.
SL-IV MC-1240/2
Time: 06:43 CST 38:12:43 GMT
12/23/73
CC Okay.
PLT PLT. Ready to copy.
CC Okay, Bill. The on-statlon time for
your S019 Kohontek maneuver, should be 00: - this is on your
detail pad, should be 00:39 instead of 00:41. And, that's it.
PLT Got it.
CDR Okay, and Ed's ready to copy his.
CC Okay, Ed. On your detail pad at 17:50.
Delete the 17:50 nu update 17:50 to 18:10. The on-station
time for your $201 _ohoutek pad, should be 14:56, instead of
14:58. And, the on-station time for JOP 18 Delta, should
be 18:35 instead of 18:37. Those are all on your details.
CDR Okay. He's got them. Thanks.
CC And, on your JOP 18 pad. There is an
error in item 31, if you can dig that out, please.
CDR Can we get that a little bit later, Bruce?
CC Sure can. Tell you what, if Ed wants to
just write it down. It's fairly simple and we can check back
with him also. In the course maneuver, item 31, the course
maneuver, the Z entry, that is Zulu, should be 50004 (plus 4.0
degrees). Over.
CDR Okay. 50004 plus 4.
CC Roger.
CC Skylab, this is Houston. 1 minute til
LOS. Next station contact in 22 minutes, through the
Vanguard in port at 13:14. Out.
CDR Say again the good news Bruce.
CC The good news is the Vanguard's in port.
CDR That's what we fiBured.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-1241/I
Time: 06:53 CST 38:12:53 GMT
12/23/73

of signal. The next station is the tracking ship Vanguard
in 20 minutes. During the Hawaii pass CAP COMM Bruce McCand-
less informed the crew that there has been a telemetry mal-
function in the airlock module and that the ground is unable
to monitor most of the power distribution system. We also
lost insight into some of the coolant loops. They report a
low level multiplexer appears to have been lost and some
problem with one of the high level multiplexers. However,
at loss o5 signal the cognizant flight controllers informed
Flight Director Neil Hutchinson that during this Hawaii pass
all of the high level telemetry appeared normal, and that
function appeared to have been regained during Hawaii. The
low level information is still out, however. Experts here
on the ground both in Houston and in Huntsville will study
this situation, try to gain a better understanding, and will
continue to take a look at these telemetry systems at each
station. To repeat, at Hawaii loss of signal it appeared
that some of the telemetry functions that had been lost were
back to normal. The ground will check regularly with the
crew for onboard readouts on some of the systems that con-
trollers here are unable to monitor now, Skylab, 18 minutes
away from Vanguard acquisition. At 12 hours 55 minutes
Greenwich mean time, this is Skylab Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1242/I
TIME: 07:12 CST, 38:13:12 GMT
12/23/73

12 minutes Greenwich mean time. Skylab coming within range
of the antennas aboard the Vanguard tracking ship now. We'll
stand by for that pass.
CC Skylab, this is Houston; through the
Vanguard in port for 8 minutes with a data/voice tape recorder
dump. Out.
PLT (Garble) PLT on the ATM. Is there any
way the back room can verify my grating condition on the
55? I think I got an 80 Delta here; I'm set up for i08_ and
I was wondering what they were reading.
CC We show 28 on your grating position, Bill.
PLT Thank you.
CC Skylab, this is Houston. The solar activity
update is on board now in your teleprinter. And for the CDR,
if you could we'd like you to take a second and verify two
switches for us up in the STS on panel 204. They are the
INSTRUMENTATION SYSTEM PROGRAMMER and ELECTRONIC switches
and they should be in the COMMAND position. Over.
CDR Okay, Bruce, both the INSTRUMENTATION - -
Stand by.
CC Roger, that's panel 204, INSTRUMENTATION
SYSTEM PROGRAMMER switch, and the ELECTRONIC switch.
CDR Yeah, they're both in COMMAND.
CC And right next to it the CONVERTERS rotatory
switch, is that also in COMMAND?
CDR That's affirmative.
CC That's what we were afraid you were going
to say, Jerry. Thank you for checking.
CC Skylab, this is Houston; 1 minute to LOS.
Next station contact in 58 minutes through Hawaii at 14:21.
Out.
PAO This is Skylab Control. Vanguard has loss
of signal. There'll be a long period without acquisition
now. The next station will be Hawaii in 57 minutes. Pilot
Bill Pogue has started today's Apollo telescope mount work.
The first order of the day for the crew is blood samples in
a medical experiment to help doctors here on Earth understand
roll played by gravity in maintaining man's vital life fluid.
Previous space flights found that the number of red blood cells
in the astronauts' blood stream decreased as a result of the
changed environment. To the doctors this seemed to indicate
that fewer cells were needed to carry oxygen. Two changes
in the environment seemed likely candidates for the reduced
red blood count, which was accompanied by a lower quantity of
blood plasma as well. Many physicians believe that the pure
SL-IV MC1242/2
TIME: 07:12 CST, 38:13:12 GMT
12/23/73
oxygen atmosphere of the Apollo and Gemini spacecraft might

have produLeed a change. Other physicians believe that the
absence o5 gravity let the body relax so much that less
oxygen was required to nourish the muscles. Skylab's mixed
atmosphere, about 70 percent oxygen and 30 percent nitrogen,
gives scientists a new environment to compare. The much longer
Skylab missions also allow scientists to monitor changes
over many weeks. Todays blood sample is the fourth of seven
planned during this flight, which may last longer than all
six of the: Apollo Moon landing flights combined. After
drawing the blood Gibson determines the amount of hemoglobin
in each sample, then separates plasma and blood cells in a
centrifuge so they can be frozen and stored for return
to Earth. Scientists on the ground will carefully analyze the
samples when the crew splashes down in February. Later
today, Ed Gibson will float into the lower body negative pressure
device to test another part of his physical condition. This
device produces a very slight vacuum around the lower half
of the body, simulating the effects of gravity for a man
standing on Earth. For more than 5 weeks Gibson and his
colleagues have been floating about the orbiting laboratory
giving their heart and other muscles an extended vacation.
Despite am exercise program that surpasses even the most
energetic schedule by previous astronauts, a slight reduction
in the hearts ability to pump blood occurs when gravity isn't
available to give it a workout. Inside the waist - high vacuum
chamber Gibson will experience about the same sensation as
he would standing up on Earth. He has some time to adjust
as the vacuum pressure is slowly increased from zero to
about minus i pound per square inch. When the vacuum is at
a maximum he will feel as if his head were at sea level and
his lower body at 2000 feet altitude. A mission controls
biomedical officer said this morning, the differences in
pressure though very slight, tend to reduce the amount of
blood flowing out of the astronaut's legs. He added fluid
increases the leg size slightly, returning some of the bodily
fluids that had been transferred from the legs when the stress
of gravity was removed. During his last test in this device,
Gibson began perspiring and his blood pressure dropped below
prescribed[ levels when the greatest stress was produced by
the vacuum chamber. Doctors have seen such symptoms before
but often they are associated with improper sleep, exercise,
or eating habits. When Gibson was tested Wednesday, the
80-degree temperature in the laboratory may have been the
problem that forced Jerry Carr to stop the experiment with
several minutes to go. In addition to the standard equipment,
SL-IV MC1242/3
TIME: 07:12 CST, 38:13:12 GMT
12/23/73
Gibson will participate in another test designed to find out

how well the astronauts are able to resist the tendency for
blood to cool in the legs. A blood pressure cuff will be
tightened just above his left knee preventing blood from flowing
out of the lower leg, but not so tight that blood is kept
from flowing into the calf and foot. After blood has filled
the leg for periods from 20 seconds to 2 minutes, the cuff
will be released from the leg will be measured as it returns
to normal. In previous tests the blood flowed back quite
readily with about 1 minute required to empty the blood
aceumulated over the 2 minute periods. And munh less for
the smaller amount accumulated in 20 seconds. As an added
part of the - -
END OF TAPE
SL_IV MC-1243/I
T_me: Q7;29 CST 38;13:29 GMT
12/23/73
PAO _ with about i minutes required to empty

the blood accumulated over the 2 minutes periods and much
less for tl_e smaller amount accumulated in 20 seconds. As
an added part of the test Gibson will make rapid contractions
of his leg muscles to assist the blood returning from the
leg. Telemetry indications show that the blood spurts through
the veins much more rapidly as a result of the second long
tensing of the leg muscles. Today's research focusing on the
heart and blood system of men in space may help doctors to
understand the role of certain kinds of stress provided by
gravity and exercise on Earth in maintaining healthy systems.
Such studies which require that physicians be able to change
the conditions during their tests could not be performed on
Earth where gravity is always present and masks many changes.
Hereof too, space gives us a better look at ourselves. Sky_
lab now 51 minutes away from acquisition at Hawaii. At 13
hours 30 minutes Greenwich mean time this is Skylab Control.
now through Hawaii.
CC Good morning, Skylab. We're AOS Hawaii
with _ for 7 minutes, and good morning from the purple gang.
CDR Good morning, Dick.
PLT Hello to all the purple gang.
CC Good morning and a merry Christmas season
to you.
CDR Thank you, Dick. Merry Christmas to
everyone down there,
CC Thank you.
PAO This is Skylab Control. Flight Director
on the oncoming shift now is Phill Shaffer, and CAP COMM astronaut
Dick Truly,
CC Skylabp Houston. We guess there must be
some Christmas elves on board because our little telemetry
problem that we were telling you about earlier, at least for
this moment, has gone away. We got good TM on all the para-
meters that we expected to here at Hawaii. If there's
anything tlhat the crew did on board in between the last sta-
tion and this one that might possibly have any bearing on
the - the telemetry or instrumentation systems, we'd appreciate
knowing about it, but at any rate, for now everything looks
good.
CDR Okay, Dick. That's good news, but all we
did was eat breakfast. I don't know if that helped the tele-
metry any_
CC Well, maybe it did. We'll think about
that one,
SPT I drew a little blood out of these guys_
too_ Dick. Maybe - Maybe that scared the sytem in shaping
up.
SL-IV MC-1243/2
Time: 07:'.29 CST 38:13:29 GMT
12/23/73
CC Ed, you were so far down in the mud that

time that I didn't I couldn't read you.
SPT Dick, you're probably well of. That's
okay.
CC (Laughter) Okay.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-1244/I
Time: 08:27 CST 38:14:27 GMT
12/23/73
CC Skylab, Houston. We're i minute from LOS

Hawaii. We'll see you down at the Vanguard at 14:53 and we're
going to dump the date/voice recorder at the Vanguard.
of signal. The tracking ship Vanguard will acquire Skylab
in 23-1/2 minutes. And, as reported to the crew during the
Hawaii pass, the telemetry problem in the airlock module has
disappeared. The ground is now receiving good telemetry
signals from that section of the Skylab space station. CAP
COMM Dick Truly attributed to Christmas Elves, and at the
moment that's as good an explanation as any. At 14 hours
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1245/I
TIME: 08:51 CST, 38:14:51 GMT
12/23/73

Greenwich mean time. Skylab coming up on acquisition through
the Vanguard tracking ship.
CC Skylab, Houston; Vanguard for i0 minutes.
And a while ago I told you a story, I said we were going
to dump the data/voice recorder here. It turns out that that
plan was changed and I wasn't aware of it due to the telemetry
problems we had earlier. So, we - there is no data/voice
recorder dump here at Vanguard. I'm standing by for i0 minutes.
CDR Roger, Dick.
CC Skylab, Houston; for the friendly SPT.
We see that you've loaded good numbers into the ATM DC for
the upcoming maneuver. Bird looks good, so you're GO
for the maneuver. We still have about 3 minutes left here
at Vanguard; I'm standing by.
CC Skylab, Houston; we're i minute to LOS.
Ascension comes up at 15:08.
PAO This is Skylab Control. Skylab is out
of range of the Vanguard now. Ascension will pick up the
space station in about 4-1/2 minutes. We'll keep the line up
and monitor through the Ascension pass.
CC Skylab, Houston; Ascension for 7 minutes.
CC Skylab, Houston; we're i minute from LOS.
Next station contact is Guam at 15:53. That's a very slow
pass and just in the event we have any problems picking you
up there at Guam, the following station contact is again here
at Ascension, and that time is 16:43.
PAO This is Skylab Control. Skylab is out of
range of the Ascension station. The ne_t station is Guam
in 37-1/2 minutes. If we're successful in acquiring there, it
will be a very short pass, a very low elevation. Otherwise
the next station would be Ascension again, a complete revolution
from now, in 1 hour and 27 minutes. We'll come back up just
prior to Guam and see if we are able to lock onto the antennas
at that time. At 15 hours 15 minutes Greenwich mean time,
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-1246/I
Time: 09:52 CST 38:15:52 GMT
12/23/73

minutes. Skylab is about 45 seconds away from possible acqui-
sition at Guam, just skinning the acquisition ring at that
station. Be a very short pass. We'll stand by.
CC Skylab, Houston. AOS Guam for 2-1/2 min-
utes.
SFT Hello, Dick.
CC Hi, Ed.
CC Skylab, Honston. We're going LOS here
at Guam. Next station site is Ascension at 16:43, and we're
going to dump the data/voice recorder at Ascension.
PAO This is Skylab Control. Guam has loss
of signal. The next station will be Ascension Island in 45
minutes. Skylab Commander Jerry Carr shortly will begin the
M509 astronaut maneuvering unit experiment. Carr will be the
pilot on the maneuvering unit during this morning's trial runs.
Bill Pogue will be the observer. During this period the
Science Pilot, Ed Gibson, will be at the Apollo telescope
mount console, and he will also be preparing for the JOP 18
run which begins after lunch for comet photography. About 3
hours set aside in the Flight Plan this morning for the
maneuvering unit exercises. At 15 hours 58 minutes Greenwich
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-1247/I
Time: 10:42 CST 38:16:42 GMT
12/23/73

minutes Greenwich mean time. The Ascension Island station
is about to acquire Skylab.
CC Skylab, Houston. We're AOS Ascension for
ii minutes;.
CC Skylab, Houston. For the SPT, we believe
we need the star tracker shutter closed, and also, Ed, I had
three or four notes that I wanted to talk to you on the JOP 18
Delta information after you've filled it in. If you have a
chance to discuss it here at Ascension, that's fine with me.
Otherewise it's also okay to wait until the next Guam pass.
That'll be time enough.
SPT Okay, Dick. Could you Just hold it up for
a few minutes and I'll be right with you.
CC Okay. No hurry at all. I understand
we're here for about 9 minutes. SPT, Houston. We're about -
the GNS is about to launch some biass for the upcoming JOP 18
Delta. We: need for you to give us the DAS for a few minutes.
Over.
SPT Surely, Dick. It's all yours.
CC Okay. I'll let you know when we're through.
CC SPT, Houston. Another comein for you.
We noticed[ some some pretty high counts in detector 3 and
the PIs in the background request a spectral scan in that
region.
SPT Rog, Dick. That's what I'm getting lined
up to do. I got some counts up around 40,000. I was just
going to get back to that same location. I think we've got
a fluctuating bright light. I was just trying op the line
to the location and then give her the GRATING AUTO SCAN on a
zero AUTO RASTER.
CC Good show.
CC And Skylab, Houston, for the PLT. I'm
not sure where you guys are 509 2 Charlie preps and operations,
but if you've got a couple of minutes I had one note here I'd
like to talk to you about tomorrow's Flight Plan.
CC SPT, Houston. The DAS is yours.
SPT Okay, Dick. Thank you. I believe the
region we're looking at is region 05, which is right adjacent
to 0304, and it's much far the brightest thing in H-alpha,
and pretty much even with the active region 00 in XUV, maybe
it's even a little bit brighter. Appears as though the bright
points in this area are fluctuating quite a hit, like it's got a
GRATING AtTO SCAN when we had a density of almost 30,000. A
little bit before that I was up to 40. That was that 16:40 if
they want to dig it back. We had about a 40,000 count
there.
SL-IV MC-1247/2
Time: 10::42 CST 38:16:42 GMT
12/23/73
CC Okay, Ed. Thank you.

SPT And why don't you go ahead and give the
information 18 Delta if you would, please, Dick.
CC Okay. Before I start, Ed, have you -
have you entered all the information into your JOP summary
sheet yet?
SPT Negative, Dick. I'm just up through the
building block 30's. I have not work - put in any returns on
SI information yet. I'm still working on putting the building
block information in an understandable format.
CC Okay. Okay; let me - I got three notes
for you here, Ed. Let me go through them kind of slowly and -
and I think we can get it okay. Bruce earlier read up an
error in the JOP 18 Delta maneuver in the pad. And it it
occurrs - At the time you didn't have the piece of paper and
I just wanted to remind you of it again. It is to be entered
in JOP 18 Delta in step 31. So it's in the JOP 18 Delta pad
to fill in the blanks under step 31, the - it was the Z-axis
maneuver was incorrect. The correct numbers - the DAS com-
mand is 5 three bBalls 4, and the amount of angle was plus 4.0
degrees. And I just wanted to make sure that you got that be-
cause ear]_ier they said you didn't have the piece of paper.
SPT Okay, Dick. I understand that step 31,
the Z-axis maneuver, should be a 50004, which is 4 degrees.
CC Okay. Second note I had was, and you
and I talked about this last evening before you went to bed,
but we do want to make sure that that checklist change
number 14 to the JOP summary sheets that came up while you
were asleep last evening gets put in prior - or at least that
portion for 18 Delta gets put in prior to the run today. I'm
sure you're aware of that. One more note, if you'll look at
the pad, the fill-in-the-blanks pad at step 27, 27, you'll
notice there that for the information for that building
block 30, where it gives you some information as to how to
point into the tail at a C equals 0, T equals 0.5, that 0.5 is
we didn't put in there an octal. We probably should have.
That's T of 62. Also, I have some information here from the
back room concerning the orientation of the tail. Assuming
that the comet's head appears - assuming perfect pointing on
the comet's head appears as we expect that it will, the tail
will be off to the right and at an angle of about 12 degrees
above the horizontal as you look at it on the monitor.
SPT Okay; thank you_ Dick. You have - these
maneuvers have put the coma at the location, specified and -
not any other feature. That is you haven't tried to center it
a little bit back in the tail or anything. And we're really
talking about the coma all the time, are we not?
SL-IV MC-1247/3
Time: 10:42 CST 38:16:42 GMT
12/23/73
CC That's affirmative, Ed. That's correct.

SPT Thank you.
CC Thank you, sir. Those are the only
comments that I had on JOP 18 Delta. We're about 30 seconds
from LOS here at Ascension. Guam comes up at 17:27.
SPT Okay, Dick. Talk to you then.
CC Roger.
SPT Dick, if the people in the back room, the
NOAA folks, have any updated information on 05, the magnetic
activity and what else (?) they expect out of it, I'd appreciate
it. It looks like it might be the better performer today.
CC Okay, Ed. We'll do some looking at that
while you're gone and when we have some more information or
whatever information we do have we'll pass it up to you.
SPT Thank you.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-1248/I
Time: 10::53 CST 38:16:53 GMT
12/23/73
PLT Thank you.

PAO This is Skylab Control. Ascension has
loss of signal. Skylab's next acquisition will be through the
Guam station in 33 minutes. Jerry Carr and Bill Pogue still
involved with the M509 astronaut maneuvering unit. Perparing
that unit for a test flight, shortly. And, the Science
Pilot Ed Gibson at the console of the Apollo Telescope Mount,
scanning the Sun. The majority of today's ATM operations,
beginning about noon 1 o'clock will be devoted to the comet
Kohoutek. Two complete cycles of viewing and photographing
Kohoutek, from comet rise to comet set will be performed by
Gibson at the ATM console, this afternoon. The comet rise is
about 4 minutes before sunrise and sets about 4 minutes before
sunset, as; seen from Skylab as it orbits the Earth. On the
back-to-back comet passes, about 51 minutes of data will be
taken on each pass by the ATM instruments. Looking at the
nucleus of the comet will be the S052, white light corenagraph.
The S055, ultraviolet scanning polyerometer speetroheliometer.
The S056, extreme ultraviolet and X-ray telescope and the
S082B, chromospheric extreme ultraviolet spectrograph. A small
maneuver ¢f Skylab will also be performed to enable the ATM
instruments to take their first look at the spectra of the
comet's tail. The tail, being somewhat dimmer than the comet
itself, will probably not be visible on the ATM television
monitor, but it is expected to be bright enough for data to
be taken by the instruments aimed at the comet. During the
comet viewing by Science Pilot Gibson, Commander Jerry Carr
will hold an EVA conference with astronaut Rusty Schweickart.
They'll go over the checklist for the extravehicular activity
on Christmas Day. This conference is scheduled to take place
at 03:24 p.m., central standard time. Pilot Bill Pogue will
assist Gibson on some of the Kohoutek viewing exercises.
Pogue is also scheduled to perform the student experiment,
which studies capalliary action. The aim of this experiment
is to determine if zero gravity environment enduces changes
in the characteristics of capalliary and wicking action from the
familiar Earth gravity characteristics. Pogue will photograph
the experiment as he performs it. This is student experiment
number 72. The student experimenter is Roger G. Johnston,
of Ramsey High School in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Skylab,
now 29 minutes away from acquisition at Guam. At 16 hours
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1249/I
TIME: 11:26 CST, 38:17:26 GMT
12/23/73

26 minutes Greenwich mean time. Skylab is coming within
range of the Guam station now.
CC Skylab, Houston; hello at Guam for i0 minutes.
SPT Hello, Dick, got a couple of questions on
18D.
CC Okay, go ahead, Ed.
SPT The building block 30 which is to be
run from 20:49, I do not know when the effective stop time
on that is. What is the 400K time?
CC Okay, -
SPT Also - Also the pointing which is to be
done on the last building block where we moved to 0.5 for the
tail how was that pointing accomplished? What the scale there?
CC Okay, Ed, on the second one that 0.5 was
the one that I'd mentioned earlier. That's 0.5 degrees, and
it's 62 in octal, and that was the reason that I - In - just
in case you couldn't see the tail that was the reason that
I had mentioned to you the business about we think that it
should be extending to the right and ab - at about a 12 degree
angle above the head whereever that appears to you on your
monitor.
SPT So, we'll take the point that we arrive
at atthat time then thus put in a maneuver of 0.5 to the right.
CC Stand by just a second on that.
CC SPT, Houston; again on the second item.
I guess what we intended by that was that ycu get the head
of the cornet in view and then either by looking at the tail
or making your best estimation based or our prediction of the
fact that it's going to the right and slightly above the
horizontaJ[ moving out the center line of the tail distance
of half a degree or 62 in octal.
SPT Okay, what this implies then is that
once we maneuver up to the comet we then take and before the
following pass we maneuver back out to where we think we can
see it and then try that all over again.
CC That's correct, Ed. That That was the
idea.
SPT Okay, is that true before each one of the
three observation periods? Yesterday it was not done that way.
CC Roger. I think our intention was that
it would be only necessary just for this one pointing where
we're instead of pointing at the coma of the comet, we're
pointing at a certain point out of the tail. Does that make
sense to you?
SPT Yes it does. I just wanted to clarify
how we're going to do it. And partly you'd like us to have
SL-IV MC1249/2
TIME: 11:26 CST, 38:17:26 GMT
12/23/73
a go at it visually, and if we (garble) get it visually

then we'll get the maneuver right back into where we were
and make it maneuver to the right.
CC Roger; we concur with that. And let us
get back to you on the first question. Hang on.
SPT Thank you.
CC SPT, Houston; let me get back to you and
clarify what your question was. I assume it was on the building
block 30 that's scheduled as step 26 that is to be begun at
20:49. And say your question about that again, please sir.
SPT Yes, Dick, I wanted to know how long we
should carry that building block out.
CC Okay, stand by.
CC SPT, Houston. On answer to that question
what we'd suggest that you do, if you notice - if you get the
two 82 Bravo exposures that'll put you out to a time of around
24 21:14. And if you do get to that point and those
exposures are not complete, we would like you to truncate
at 21:14, which provides you 5 minutes to get setup for
the next building block which is step 27. Over.
SPT Okay, understand. We take it from 20:49
to 20:14 and then that gives us approximately 5 minutes to
get setup for the next one. Okay, thank you, Dick.
CC That's right, 20:49 to 21:14.
SPT I copy.
CC And, Skylab, Houston. For your information,
preparation for the JOP 18 Delta that's coming up, we have
configured the EPCS from EXPERIMENT POINTING into SOLAR
INERTIAL mode.
CC Skylab, Houston; we're 1 minute from LOS.
Canary comes up at 18:28.
PAO This is Skylab Control. Skylab is out
of range of the Guam station. Next acquisition will be through
the Canary Island station in 49 minutes. At 17 hours 38 minutes
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-1250/I
Time: 12:26 CST 38:18:26 GMT
12/23/73

minutes Greenwich mean time. The Canary Island station is
about to acquire Skylab and will be overlapping coverage
through Madrid.
CC Skylab, Houston. AOS through Canary and
Madrid for 14 minutes. And Skylab, Houston, for the SPT.
Owen _s sLandlng by here for the ATM conference. It was
originally scheduled when we handed over to Madrid but it's
a pretty long passp it's 13 minutes, so whenever you get
prepared to talk to him he's standing by and y'all can go
ahead and get with it, maybe have a few extra minutes to talk.
SPT Okay, Owen. Why don't you go ahead.
MCC Okay, Ed. How do you read. All right?
SPT Yes, Bob. Clearo. Glad to have you
with us. Go ahead.
MCC Okay. There's only a few items on my
list here so I suspect we can finish before we get to the
end of Madrid here. First item, I think you asked the other
day for a little bit more information about the magnetic
configuration on active region 05. The configuration is
really fa_Lrly complex, and although I do have a sheet here
which daserlbes in some detail just ho_ the neutral line runs, I
rather hesitate to try to either read or describe it to yon
unless you had a picture of the display right in front of

you_ and also I suspect your H-alpha looks a little different
then ours,which is some 7 or 8 hours old at this point. So
unless there's more detail required I_d suggest I'd Just stop
with the general comment, that we believe, as yonVve described,
the act±re region 05 is becoming more interesting. It is getting
more probable from a standpoint of flare productivity and if
we were to find the regions most likely to flare it's just
the one you would - of picked anyway, I think, where the bright
plage l_es just to the northeast of the peros, - principal spot.
The plage corridor runs from the northwest down in more
or less straight line toward the southeast, and I think
that's the region where you found the brightest intensity in
ultrav±olet and where I'm sure you would have picked the flare
probability to be the highest. Now that's an adequate des-
cript_on. I think it's be better for me not to go into much
more deta_l. Over,
SPT No, that's good enough, Owen. I was just
busy here getting something going on JOP 18D. Go ahead.
MCC Okay; fine. Are you up at the ATM panel
now, Ed?
SPT Yes, I am, Owen.
MCC Okay. Active region 00, as you know, is
decl_ning although our - although our NOAA prognosticators
SL-IV MC-1250/2
Time: 12:26 CST 38:18:26 GMT
12/23/73
do suggest that in the southern parts of 00 there may still

be some complexity and some possibility of growth in the
southern part of 00, but it has been declining over what
it's been showing for the last couple of days. Now I've got
two other words for - one for Bill Pogue and one for Jerry
Carr. Are they still tied up on 509 or are they where they
could hear me?
SPT They're tied up on 509. I think they
can hear you, though, but they're kind of busy.
MCC Okay. Well, let me go ahead. I'ii make
these very brief and possibly Dick could relay them at another
pass, particularly the one for Jerry, in case they miss
it. But Bill Pogue had asked when to truncate building
block 30 in running JOP 18D. Oh, sorry. I guess that was
you, Bill - you, Ed, who had asked about that, and the intent
was to truncate the building block 35 minutes before the
next building block so that that'd give you an extra 5 min_
utes get ilt _ get set up for the next building block. Is
that clear enough?
SPT 5 minutes between the two building blocks
is what you had said. Is that correct?
MCC Right. That will be the standard routine
unless they put it on the pad otherwise, The 5 minutes is
intended to separate the two building blocks.
SPT Okay.
MCC Now the next item is really for Jerry,
although I think you ought to know about it, as well. And this
is the one I'ii leave with Dick in case Jerry would like to
have it read up a little later. But the first cycle for to_
morrow morning on tomorrow's schedule is for Jerry, and it's
going to be devoted to eclipse observations by S052. The
time of sunrise is 13:52 Zulu, which will occur just shortly
after you all get up in the morning. And at the time that
you get to the panel for the first of this pass, in other
words, at sunrise, ATN sunrise, the Moon will already partially
occult the Sun when you look at it on the 52 display. Now,
$052 desires to initiate their FAST SCAN before the line
of sight to the Sun reaches 400 kilometers. It wants to
catch it while the Moon is still behind the S052 disk.
So the pad is going to list the time at which the observa-
tions should begin, and the thing to note is that this time
will be before 400 kilometers is reached. And so it'll be
important to go ahead and start the S052 operations at the time
l_sted on the pad, even though it's not up to 400 kilometers.
These are going to complement the unattended operations that
will have been completed during the two preceding cycles be-
fore you get up for breakfast. And they'll permit an accurate
SL-IV MC-1250/3
Time: 12:26 CST 38:18:26 GMT
12/23/73
determination of the coronagraph's vignetting function and

the scattered light. So that'll be accomplished for the two
unattended ops and then this one pass that Jerry will catch
first thlng in the the morning. Is that reasonably straight-
forward, Ed?
SPT I think so, Owen. Looks like we'll have
to take a look at the pads when they come up we'll ask
(garble) at required.
MCC Okay. That'll be fine and I'll leave
this note here with the - with Dick so that he could remind
Jerry of lit again. If and when hers through with 509 we'd
llke to have any other information. That's about all we have
from the l_round, Ed. If you have any other description of 0 -
active rel_ion 05 or any other questions for us, why, let us
know.
SPT Nothing in detail right now, Owen, other

than we got up (garble) count of about 40 some odd thousand,
though, in and oxygen 6 at that (garble) I did do a grating
on the (garble) GRATING AUTO SCAN. (static and garble)
MCC Okay, Ed. Understand it was that you've
been reading 40,000 on oxygen 6, and that one was - was one
other note I might have mentioned to you. 55 is particularly
pleased with the spectra that you've been getting for them
over the course of the last couple of days. They have confirmed
those high counts. On several occasions on oxygen 6 over 32,000.
I note here on one day magnesium i0 in one case was a factor
of 200 above the quiet disk flux. So theyTre very enthused
about the sort of spectra that you've been getting. I want
to thank you for that and appreciate any more you can get them.
Over.
SPT Okay, (garble), Owen. Hope that it'll come

up with a Sun that looked a little bit like yours.
MCC Well, itOs looking that way right now,
Ed. I think you're going to have a good spread of variabil_ty
there all the way from very quiet right up to some active
regions, and of course you got all the other eclipse and Ko-
houtek, (garble), so you're in good shape, it looks to us.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-1251/I
Time: 12:35 CST 38:18:35 GMT
12/23/73
CC - - magnesium Vl over 32,000. I note here

on one day, Magnesium X, in one case was a factor of 200
above the quiet disk flux, so they are very enthused about
the sort of spectra that you've been getting. Want to thank
you for that and appreciate anymore you can get them. Over.
SPT Okay, (garble) come up with a Sun
that looked a little bit like yours.
MCC Well, it's looking that way right now,
Ed. I think you're going to have a good spread of variability
there, all the way from very quiet right up to some active
regions and of course, you got all the other eclipse and
Kohoutek so you're in good shape it looks to us.
SPT We got lots of interesting things to keep
us busy, that's for sure. Might be able to go into things in
more detail right now at another time, Owen, but right now
18D is kinda got my preoccupied.
MCC Okay, you know one thing that I've been
mentioning in a couple of places, recently, is about the
precision of the pointing, Ed. You might see if you can
confirm that but for several of the pointing exercises, like at
the limb and so on. We'll want to move by just 1 arc second
at a time. And, the way I was doing it was to actually look
at the display and then make the very smallest motion that I
could preceive on the H-alpha display. And, frequently that
would show up as just 1 arc second decrement in the FSS
reading. Can you confirm or relay the same thing I've been
saying. That it really does appear to be stable to that i arc
second and we can see the motion of 1 arc second on the disk.
SPT Oh, yeah. You can see the motion of the
1 arc second on the disk. You can tell when you've tweeped
it and obtained no change in the fine sun sensor. And then
you could do even something less than 1 arc second - -
MCC Oka - -
SPT - -(garble)
MCC Okay, fine, Ed. Thank you. And, we need
to turn the CMG bearing heaters off. If you would clear the
DAS please, and let us get the command in.
SPT Okay. You've got it. Tell me when it's
free.
MCC Okay. We'll let you know.
MCC Hello, Ed. It looks like you've reloaded
again. We were wanting - Stand by. Let it go.
MCC Ed, the DAS is yours.
SPT Thank you.
CC SPT, Houston. We're looking over your
shoulder. The ATM officer notices that at the moment we have
the number loaded for OPTICAL REFERENCE and we're in MECHANICAL
REFERENCE and we just want to make sure there in step i, that it
SL-IV MC-1251/2
Time: 12:35 CST 38:18:35 GMT
12/23/73
was that we had MECHANICAL REFERENCE of 0678 OPTICAL

REFERENCE to 0574. Over.
CC Skylab, Houston. We're 30 seconds to
LOS. Guam comes at 19:08 and SPT, Houston. Just to remake
that same call again. We'd like to make sure you recheck
step l, that MECHANICAL and OPTICAL REFERENCE are loaded
correctly.
SPT (Garble) I'ii get them.
CC Okay.
of signal. Guam will acquire Skylab in 25-1/2 minutes. During
this pass at Canaries, Madrid, Apollo Telescope Mount Conference
between Science Pilot Ed Gibson and Astronaut Owen Garriott
who was the science pilot on the preceeding Skylab mission.
Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1252/I
TIME: 13:06 CST, 38:19:06 GMT
12/23/73

6 minutes Greenwich mean time. Skylah is about to start
a 3-1/2 minute pass at the Guam station.
CC Skylab, Houston; hello at Guam for
3-1/2 minutes.
CDR Hello, Dick.
CC Hi, there. How'd the 509 go?
CDR St went real well, we just about finished
on time.
CC Great, Jerry.
CDR Got all the way around to baseline maneuver
with the HHMU and no broken bones.
CC That's the good news.
SPT Hey, Dick, we're just sitting here waiting
for a comet rise. We ended up with final attitudes of
357.7, 349.3, 356.0. So in terms of roundoff the second two are
okay, but the first one, I believe, should have been a .8.
CC Roger, Ed; and one configuration thing.
Would you check S052 to be TV position?
CC Thank yon.
SPT Glad you mentioned that, we got it early.
CC Okay.
CC Skylab, Houston; we're about 30 seconds
from LOS. I'll give you a call about 5 or 6 minutes from
now at Honeysuckle.
SPT Dick, we ended up at plus 106 in X, and
74 in Y.
CC Okay, plus 106 and plus 74. I'll call
you at Honeysuckle.
PAO This is Skylab Control. Skylab has moved
out of range of the Guam station. Honeysuckle will pick
up the space station in 4 minutes. The Apollo telescope
mount officer here in the Control Center reports that it
appears that Science Pilot Ed Gibson has acquired the comet
Kohoutek with the ATM instruments. And during this Guam
pass crew Commander Jerry Carr reported that the M509, the
astronaut maneuvering exercise went very well. We're 3-1/2
minutes away from Honeysuckle acquisition, we'll keep the
line up.
CC Skylab, Houston; Honeysuckle for 5 minutes.
CDR Roger.
CC SPT, Houston. We've got some commanding
to do on the CMG heaters, so we'd like the DAS. And I'll
let you know when you can have it back.
SPT Okay, Dick, I won't he needing it for about
another 8 :minutes.
CC Okay.
SL-IV MC1252/2
TIME: 13:06 CST, 38:19:06 GMT
12/23/73
CC SPT, Houston; we notice SO52 is not running

at the moment.
CC And, SPT, Houston; the DAS is yours.
PLT Roger, Dick.
CC Skylab, Houston; for the CDR. I got a
couple of things to mention to you if you're not busy and
can listen, otherwise it can wait.
CDR Go ahead, Dick.
CC Okay, Jer, first thing, we talked about
this last night, but you know on your instrumented PT today, the
VCG and the blood pressure data is what we request on that.
And the MA data is strictly your option and not a requirement.
There are two messages on board for yon that you might look at.
One of them is troubleshooting procedure on the legbands
for when you do your M092 this afternoon. You ought to get
a look at that message and accomplish it during that M092.
And finally there there's a checklist change for the EVA
checklist in which we have uplinked a table of data to
accomplish TO25 during the EVA. And you might glance at
that prior to the scheduled EVA conference with Rusty a
little bit later today.
CDR Okay, Dick, and the schedule criteria
that we talked about last night, I put on tape at 05:00.
CC Okay, Jerry, thank you very much.
CC We're about 30 seconds from LOS. I'll
give you a call at Canary at 20:06. And we're going to be
dumping the data/voice recorder at Canary.
CDR Roger.
CC And, Skylab, Houston; one of tomorrow's
Flight Plans is on board and in the teleprinter now.
CDR Okay, Dick; thank you, In the white
light coronagraph TV display, when the second time we
looked at it we had a fairly large shadow which was - looked
like a very large aculting disc, both the - the pylon for
the disc and the aculting disc itself moved a little bit
off to the left. We're still able to see the comet, however.
I imagine it must be our attitude and something maybe light
coming from the Earth's atmosphere.
CC Roger, Ed; copy.
PAO Honeysuckle has loss of signal. The
next station will be Canary Islands in 42 minutes. At
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-1253/I
Time: 14:05 CST 38:20:05 GMT
12/23/73

minutes Greenwich mean time. Skylab is about to begin a pass
that begins at Canary Island station and carries through
Madrid.
CC Skylab, Houston. We're AOS Canary and

Madrid for 13 minutes. We see the DAS is clear. We are
doing some commanding here.
SPT Okay, Dick.
CC I'll let you know when we're through, Ed.
And Skylab, Houston. I forgot to warn you. This is a data/
voice recorder dump site.
SPT Hey, can I use the VTR for around 30 sec-
onds?
CC That's affirmative, Ed. Go ahead.
SPT I didn't (?) get all that very straight-
forwardly on this past data take period. The only thing we
noticed was that on the WLC monitor, when we turned it to TV,
we got a fairly pronounced shadow on the occulting disk. On
the monitor, however, when we had the comet out at the edge
it was still very visible, but we did have the shadow all the
way through.
CC Okay, Ed. Thank you. Were you able to -
to see the tail on the monitor?
SPT A very brief hint of it. Since you told
me was to the right, I was kind of biased. I'll look a
little harder next time. I think I saw something going off
in that direction, but not very clear.
CC Roger. Understand. Well, I was - we're
just kind of wondering if we - I'm sure we should continue
to try to keep you updated where we think - what orientation
the tail ought to be in.
CC Skylab, Houston. We certainly don't
have any immediate explanation of the shadow that you see on
the 52. One possibility is that it might be oblique sunlight
possibly bouncing off the occulting disk in 52. We'd like
you to take a particular look at it this next data take and
then of course later on this evening at that last pass that
Bill has, and keep us updated on it.
SPT Okay, Dick. Will do. You've got on the
VTR a little picture of the Earth going by and also a picture
of the shadow.
CC Okay; good. We'll probably wait until
we get a good look at that before we get back to you and see
if we can psych out what it is.
SPT Dick, (garble).
CC Go ahead.
SPT Dick, just a couple points. One is,
the information which was sent up on 55 for the crushing of
SL-IV MC-1253/2
Time: 14:05 CST 38:20:05 GMT
12/23/73
the JOP summary sheet. I got them all down here. Got about
on the sheet. " Then I noticed that the neck (?) ref for Lyman -
alpha I think is the wrong number. Should be 678 rather than
676. I don't think that'll be a problem because we usually
set it early in the game and won't depend upon these references
for setting that position. The other is, it would be
possible when we do a JOP 18 to try to keep the period of about
a half an hour or so before the maneuver starts relatively clear
because I was unable to do my discussion with Owen any justice
this morning and because I already had my mind all keyed up
on getting the maneuver going here and the nominal HK.
CC Roger, Ed. Roger, Ed. We copy, and we
certainly recognize that about this - that this morning. I
think the little problem we were having having at the same
time with the bearing temps and commands was also aggravated a
little bit, but we'll try to do better and make sure you have
that half hour completely free.
SPT No problem. I just was started you
know and had worked up lots of good information, however, and
wasn't able to give full attention.
CC Roger; understand.
SPT Also, Dick, during this last data
take period we saw what we thought was a star out at position of
minus 50 in X, of minus Iii in Y. It was not the artifact
that we've seen on the scope before, which is - we were
able to also see, but this one also moved when we made the
compensation maneuver.
CC Roger, Ed. Copy.
CC Skylab, Houston. We're i minute from
LOS. Carnarvon comes up at 20:46. I'ii give you a call
down there. And Skylab, Houston. As we go over the hill, I
forgot to let you know we got all our commanding done and
the DAS is yours. We're all set.
SPT Thank you very much, Dick.
CC Okay. See you around Australia some-
where.
of signal. The next station to acquire Skylab will be Car-
narvon, Australia, in 26 minutes. At 20 hours 19 minutes
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-1254/I
Time: 14:45 CST 38:20:45 GMT
12/23/73

tracking station in 50 minutes. 50 seconds as Skylab space
station is completing JOP 18, joint observation program
18D, aiming the apollo telescope mount instruments at comet
Kohoutek. We'll hold the line up for this Carnarvon pass.
CAP COMM is Dick Truly.
CC Skylah, Houston. AOS Carnarvon and
Honeysuckle for 14 minutes.
CC SPT, Houston. We see 82 Bravo running in -
with long wavelength. What we'd like to do is terminate this
exposure and start one with a short wavelength.
SPT Roger; Dick.
CC Skylab, Houston. For Jerry or Bill. Not
sure how far you guys got through the M509 post procedure,
but we notice that the duct fans that are not on and you might
want to get the thermal control system reactivated. That
procedure is page 14-4 of the EVA check - I mean the maneuvering
experimen1:s checklist.
CDR Thank you.
CC Roger.
PLT And, Dick. Just a quick word of explanation.
I had to terminate early and Jerry had to do my work and actually
l've already commented that the 509 runs are really taking all the
time that's scheduled and just a little bit more and I had to quit
early and run up (garble) the head on the maneuver. But, anyway
that's our comments are on tape.
CC Okay, Bill. Thank you.
CC And, incidentally, we have received the
comments you made on the Flight Plan, from last evening
Jerry and, we're in the process of distributing them and ahsorbing
them and we'll be getting back to you on that when we are all
pulled together.
CC SPT, Houston. We checked on that reported
star that you saw. Actually that was the planet Mercury and
for your information_ the magnitude presently is a minus .5,
if you'd ]like to compare that to the comet's brightness, if
you get another opportunity or can remember.
SPT Okay.
CC And, SPT, Houston. We need the DAS so
we can command the heaters again.
SPT You have it.
CC Thank you.
SPT Dick, I'd like to make a suggestion for
the formatting of our JOP summary sheet here.
CC Go ahead.
SPT I'd llke to label these building block 30's
Alfa, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, and so on and here them refered to that
SL-IV MC-1254/2
Time: 14:45 CST 38:20:45 GMT
12/23/73
way in the pad. We got so darn many of them here, that we're
working with that it's very easy to get yourself looking at
the wrong one, which is the trap I fell into a little while
ago.
CC Okay, Ed. We'll do that.
SPT Thank you.
CC SPT, Houston. The DAS is yours.
SPT Thank you.
CC Skylab, Houston. For the PLT or the CDR.
We want to get the - both of the experiment i and 2 recorders
off as soon as you're through using them for ED41, or we're
going to get too much on them and will not be able to support
the medical run that's coming up later.
CDR Okay, Dick.
CC Thank you, sir.
CC Skylab, Houston. We're about I minute
from LOS. MILA comes up at 21:33 and Jerry, that's where
we're set up to - for Rusty to come in and have a little
conversation with you about the EVA. Haven't seen him yet,
but he called me a while ago and said he'd be here, so we'll
be standing by there at MILA, 21:33.
CDR Okay, thank you.
CC Yes, sir.
21 hours I minute. Loss of signal through Honeysuckle.
Next acquisition in 32 minutes through the MILA tracking
station. Skylab space station currently in an attitude -
attitude to capture comet Kohoutek with the ATM instruments.
Two 54 minute passes today gathering data on the comet. One
from 19:11 GMT to 20:05 Greenwich mean time and presently
the spacecraft is gathering data and will until 21:38 Green-
wich mean time. This is the second maneuver for the space-
craft today for taking photographs of comet Kohoutek. Another
maneuver will be made later today, when more comet Kohoutek
photography is taken with the ultrastellar astronomy experiment
S019 later this evening. Commander Gerald Carr will begin the
camera set up just after 6 p.m., this evening, by installing
the 6 inch reflecting telescope and moveable mirror in the
scientific airlock that looks towards Earth. With the aid
of the movable mirror and a maneuver of the Skylab workshop
by Pilot Bill Pogue at 6:39 central standard time, the
telescope will be pointed at Kohoutek as the comet approaches
its rendezvous with the Sun. Kohoutek comet is now 25,000,000
miles from the Sun and scheduled to make its closest approach
of 3,240,000 miles early on the morning of December 28.
Kohoutek now has an orbital velocity of 195,000 miles per hour
in relation to the Sun. Cart will begin taking photographs of
the comet at 7:05 central standard time. This is the eighth
photo session of the comet with the ultraviolet stellar
SL-IV MC-1254/3
Time: 14:45 CST 38:20:45 GMT
12/23/73
astronomy camera. Science Pilot Ed Gibson is scheduled to

take more photos of the comet Kohoutek at 8:51 p.m., this
evening, with the 35-millimeter Nikon camera. This continuing
documentation of --
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1255/I
TIME: 15:03 CST, 38:21:03 GMT
12/23/73
PAO - - at 8:51 p.m. this evening with the

35-millimeter Nikon camera. This continuing documentation
of the comet with the 35-millimeter camera will give scientist
back on Earth a true reading of the intensification of the
comet as it approaches the Sun. It is almost impossible
to get accurate readings on the magnitude of the comet from
Earth because of fluctuations in the atmosphere. This will
be the 51st time the crew has photographed the comet with the
35-millimeter camera, the $233 experiment, through the command
module window. Pilot Pogue is scheduled for a late evening
session at the ATM console at 7:40 p.m., for a synoptic
observations of the Sun. More information on the evolution
of the coronal layers of quiet and active regions will be
obtained by these ATM instruments. The spacecraft will
be maneuvered back to solar inertial attitude at the close
of the comet observations with the ATM in approximately
34 minutes from now. The vehicle should be returned totally
to solar inertial attitude at Greenwich mean time 22 hours
12 minutes. Next acquisition in 28 minutes and 30 seconds.
At Greenwich mean time 21 hours 4 minutes, this is Skylab
Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-1256/I
Time: 15:31 CST 38:21:31 GMT
12/23/73

21 hours 31 minutes. Acquisition coming through the MILA
tracking station in 2 minutes. During this pass Rusty
Schweieckart, backup member of the Skylab IV crew, will talk
EVA activity with Commander Gerald Cart. There'll be a change-
of-shift briefing in the Building i newsroom at 4:30 with
off-going Flight Director Phil Shaffer in addition to Dr.
Richard H. Munro, co-investigator for the S052 experiment.
He will discuss tomorrow's annular eclipse of the Sun. Acquisition
in 1 minute and we'll hold the line up for this pass for
Rusty Schweickart discussions with Commander Cart concerning
the Christmas Day EVA.
MCC Okay Skylab, this is Houston through
MILA and Bermuda for the next ii minutes and I got a little
call for Ed there.
SPT Go ahead Rusty.
MCC Yeah Ed we just noticed that we gave you
a conflict here coming out of the 18 Delta, youtve got a
nominal cage scheduled at 22:12 that's 12 minutes into your
M092 run. And we suggest that either Bill or Jerry pick that
up for you.
SPT Okay, thank you.
MCC Okay, and then we're standing by for any
questions on the EVA updates or anything else you've got.
CDR Okay Rusty, I've done my drawing. I'm
going to bring it back and put it on an exhibit down at the
Nassau Bay Bank when I get back it's so beautiful.
MCC It would be competitive.
CDR (Laughter) I think I understand the
whole situation. I can picture this aperture about 4 inches
deep with multilayers of circuit boards and shields and all
that good stuff. The part of the web that you can see in
the back of the aperture toward the - toward the axis of the
filter wheel that you can see down through the aperture. Is
that part of the straight edges of the little elongated
octagon you're talking about?
MCC That's affirmative, Jer. The point of
closest approach of the filters, that is there - that
about a t]iird of the way out along the radius of the filter
wheel. T]hat's where those elongated octagons come closest
together. And that's about a distance of three-eights of
an inch. And of course from that point out it goes in a pie
shape thing; that is it broadens as you go toward the edge
of the filter wheel and it's got a lightening hole between the
outboard sides of the filter wheel - the filters.
CDR Okay, I think I've got the picture then
Rusty. It's just a matter of being able to see and all that
I guess.
SL-IV MC-1256/2
Time: 15:31 CST 38:21:31 GMT
12/23/73
MCC Okay, how about the procedures themselves,

any question there on your - on your branches, the two
branches depending upon whether the wheel rotates with power
on or not?
CDR Well I thought that Ed asked a pretty
good question. And that was, what do we do if it - if it
does turn. besides nothing. Has that strictly become a
ground problem then?
MCC No, the branch in your procedure if
you've got: page 2.2-31 updated, if the wheel rotates when
you put power on it there you go down to step 7. That is
if you come with a yes out of step 2 you proceed to step 7
and you give Ed a GCA to bring filter 3 in and from that
point on you never come out of storage again, That is
we will leave it for ever after in filter position 3.
CDR Okay, I see.
MCC The only difference being is you don't
have to rotate it manually then, you just have to let Ed
know exactly what moment to go to - to storage on it.
CDR Okay, how fast is this filter wheel
moving?
MCC Well it takes about 3 or 4 seconds to
get from one filter position to the next. So if it if
it gets into reset i which we're asking you to do, then it
should take something on the order of 6 seconds to get over
to filter position 3 when you put power on the wheel. So
we've asked for Ed to go on to to put power on by going
to position i for 5 seconds and then back to storage and
from that point you'll just have to tell him to give it
another half a second or something like that and watch it.
CDR Okay, I see it's a - it's a pretty
slow mover. I had no feel for how fast that wheel was
moving.
MCC Yeah, in fact though the wheel - when
you first look in there with a mirror Jerry, youeve
going to have a little uncertainty whether you're really
seeing the filter wheel or exactly what you've seeing.
As soon as you've moved it either manually or electrically
it'll be obvious to you that you really are looking at the
filter wheel.
CDR Okay. Well I don't see any further
problem then Rusty. I think I understand the problem and
the next step is to get out there and see it in real life
and see what we can do about.
MCC Okay. I don't think you're going to have
any trouble, it's just a matter of poking the screwdriver
down there and pushing it around.
SL-IV MC-1256/3
Time: 15:31 CST 38:21:31 GMT
12/23/73
CDR How much force did you find you had to

put on that screwdriver?
MCC When you've got the driver in place
Jerry, and you put it over against the I0 o'clock 9 or 10
o_cloek position in the ellipse and then you starting pushing
to left on the handle the blade of the screwdriver will bend
probably 10 degrees or so. So I would guess you put on the
order of 8 to i0 pounds side force on that screwdriver. And
you can definitely feel the wheel drag when it starts moving.
CDR I see, okay. Okay, I see you got us
pinning open 82A door, too.
CC That's correct, and the ot - the other
change is that we're bringing 149 in, but not putting it back
out againp that is we're just doing it one way this time.
CDR I see, okay.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-1257/I
Time: 15:39 CST 38:21:39 GMT
12/23/73
CDR - - Okay. That's about all the question

I have, Rusty. You got any other words of wisdom?
MCC No, I don't think so, Jerry. The tape
on the screwdriver can help you out in positioning it, if
you stick the screwdriver down into the bottom of the tape
you'll notice from the dimenisions that the tip of the screw-
driver will then be below the metal protector - that is the
tip of the screwdriver will be between the protective plate
and the filter wheel. So, you can almost go down at 12 o'clock
with the screwdriver til the bottom of the tape and then lay
the screwdriver in at an angle, so that it angles to the back
left corner and then just punch straight down until you go
through the filter wheel.
CDR Okay, and then when you're through the
filter wheel you're at the top of the tape.
MCC That's correct. You can go in too far,
Jerry, in the sense that - well, let me put it this way.
Don't go in much past the top of the tape or your lever line
gets short: and you can also scrape the screwdriver on a
little shield down below the filter wheel. You won't hurt
anything, but it may just hang up the screwdriver a bit.
CDR I see. Okay.
MCC And Ed, we'd like to have you off the
DAS for a couple of minutes while we load some momentum biases.
SPT Okay Rusty. You got it.
CDR Okay Rusty, well that's about all l've
got then.
MCC Okay, we_ll be monitoring during your
prep tomorrow also, in case you come up with any questions
between now and then.
CDR Okay, We might possibly ask you about
the rigging of the screwdriver or the penlight routine there.
But it looks pretty straightforward just reading it. We'll
see what happens when we try to do it.
MCC Okay. Fine. Also, we wonder whether
there are any questions about the CSM takeover there, for
the CMG fail situation.
CDR No, Ed and I haven't had a chance to go
through that yet.
MCC Okay. We'll stand by for any questions
you might have on that also.
CDR Okay. And who's going to be on duty
tomorrow for EVA? The duty CAP COMM.
MCC Well, tomorrow it'll be - Dick will still
be on. But then, on Christmas Day, it will be Story.
CDR Okay. Good enough_ Rusty. Thanks a lot.
MCC You're welcome.
SL IV MC-1257/2
Time: 15:39 CST 38:21:39 GMT
12/23/73
MCC Jerry, just a point of information. We're

having you tape the screwdriver close to the tether end of
that mirror so that when you're holding it in your left hand
to look down in there, you don't have a cylindrical object
in your hand. You've got something that's sort of figure-
eight shaped, and it's much easier to hold it.
CDR Roger.
MCC Okay, Skylab, we've got 1 minute left
here and we're going to have Madrid in about 4 minutes at
21:48 and SPT, the DAS is yours.
SPT Thank you.
CDR We'll see you tomorrow, Rusty.
MCC Roger-o.
PAO Skylab Control, Greenwich mean time, 21
hours 45 minutes. Loss of signal through Bermuda. Next
acquisition in 2 minutes and 55 seconds will be Madrid tracking
station. This stateside pass Rusty Schweickart, backup member
of the Skylab IV crew discussing with Commander Gerald Carr
activities surrounding the EVA for Christmas Day. Where one
of the projects on line for the EVA crew of Commander Gerald
Carr and Pilot Bill Pogue is an attempt to fix the filter
wheel on the SO54 experiment. ATM experiment S054, apparently
a filter ihas been stuck in the camera since mission day ii on
November 26, A long series of teleprinter messages were passed
up to the crew 2 days ago describing the work to be done, and
Commander Cart commented he'd made a drawing based on the
inform _ion passed up, He said I've - He was quite proud of
his drawing. He may put it on display at the Nassau City Bank
when he gets back from his mission. Commander Carr has ex-
tensive background in engineering. He received a BS in
Mechanical Engineering from the University of Southern California.
A BS in Aeronautical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate
School, as well as a Master of Science in Aeronautical Engineering
from Princeton. Next acquisition will be i minute through
Madrid. We'll hold the llne up for CAP COMM Dick Truly.
CC Skylab, Houston. AOS Madrid for 7 minutes.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1258/I
TIME: 15:50 CST, 38:21:50 GMT
12/23/73
CC Skylab, Houston I have a question for the

SPT, something we can not verify on telementry Ed and we'd
like to make sure. On the last building block you - when you
were scheduled there was a little short 5 second exposure
right at the tail end you were scheduled to do on S082B, we'd
just like to know whether or not you accomplished that because
if you didntt we'll have to take that in consideration the
next pass, over.
SPT No I did not Dick and I'll do it right
now.
CC SPT, Houston stand by on that just
1 second ]please. Okay, SPT, Houston that's perfectly okay
with us now if you'll just get that out of the way we'd
appreciate it.
SPT Okay, Dick you got it. One of the problems
with doing that is you're usually trying to squeeze as much exposure
time as you can and then as soon as you get the last exposure in
you're concerned about getting back to attitude, I think maybe
we ought to see if maybe couldn't put that particular thing in
somewhere else, maybe somewhere else as we move it back.
CC Okay, why don't you let us think about
that one Ed and maybe we can find a better place to slip it
in there.
SPT Okay, also your question about the
relative brightness of Mercury and the comet. In the maneuvering
I have both out at about the same radius and they look
fairly comparable to me. I could not distinguish one as
being much brighter than the other.
CC Okay, thank you.
SPT Also as I was maneuvering the comet
back in to put the split on looking at the tail, I lost
sight of the comet at around 70 and 70, that's plus 70 in axis
70 and Y.
CC Houston, Roger.
SPT And Dick one last thing, when I was
down - we had the comet down at the bottom of the display
before we moved in again. There was an exceptionally bright
source at the position of 140 in X and minus 60 in Y. It was
small but exceptionally bright.
CC Roger, Ed thank you.
CC Skylab, Houston we're about 1 minute
from LOS, next station contact is Carnarvon, it comes up at
22:21. A couple of reminders as we go over the hill. We - Ed
you've got a power down front unattended that!s listed in the pad
there and also a reminder to get Jerry or Bill to make up
for our mistake there that conflict in the nominal H-cage
and the last few steps of that procedure.
SL-IV MC1258/2
TIME: 15:50 CST, 38:21:50 GMT
12/23/73

21 hours 57 minutes. Loss of signal through Madrid tracking
station. Next acquisition in 21 23 minutes 35 seconds
through Carnarvon. A change-of-shift briefing in the
Building 1 news room at the Johnson Space Center is scheduled
for 4:30 with off-going Flight Director Phil Shaffer, in
addition to Dr. Richard H. Munro, co-investigator for the
S052 who will discuss the annular eclipse tomorrow, the
annual eclipse of the Sun. That's Phil Shaffer and
Dr. Munro at 4:30 in the Building i news room, Next
acquisition in 22 minutes and 55 seconds through Carnarvon.
At Greenwich mean time 21 hours 58 minutes_ this is
Skylab Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-3.259/I
Time: 16:20 CST 38:22:20 GMT
12/23/73
PAO Skylab Control Greenwich mean time 22

hours 20 minutes. We will have acquisition through Carnarvon/
Honeysuckle in approximately 50 seconds. Change-of-shift
briefing still scheduled for 4:30 with Flight Director Phil
Shaffer and Dr, Richard Munro. We'll hold the line up for
CAP COMM Hank Hartsfield.
CC Skylab, Houston through Carnarvon and
Honeysuckle for 15-1/2 minutes and we'll be dumping the
recorder here at Carnarvon.
CDR Roger Hank, you sound a little better
today.
CC Yeah, I think I'm over the worst part of
it, Jer,
CDR Did you take your Dristan this morning?
CC What was that again?
CDR I said did you take your Dristan this
morning?
CC Oh, had a little Actifed, that's almost
as good.
CC Skylab, Houston, for the CDR or PLT which
ever one can break loose at your earliest convenience we_d
like to get 256 in a single S054, make it SO56,
29 minutes. Flight Director Phil Shaffer en route to Building
i newsroom for the change-of-shift briefing. We'll - during
this dropout between Carnarvon and Honeysuckle we'll pull
the line down and record the Honeysuckle pass and play that
at the close of the change-of-shift briefing. Greenwich mean
time 22 hours 29 minutes with slightly more than a minute
remaining, 2 minutes remaining in the Carnarvon pass,
CC Skylab, Houston_ we're i minute from LOS,
we_ll see you again at Texas at 07.
37 minutes. Loss of signal through Honeysuckle, next
acquisition in 30 minutes i0 seconds will be Texas tracking
station. We'll have the change-of-shift briefing with
Flight Director Phil Shaffer and Dr. Richard Munro in
Building i newsroom. Greenwich mean time 22 hours 37 minutes
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1260/I
TIME: 17:05 CST, 38:23:05 GMT
12/23/73

23 hours 5 minutes. Acquisition coming through the Texas
tracking station in approximately 2 minutes. Pilot Bill Pogue
will be sitting down for his evening meal in about 30 minutes,
a meal which consists of pork loin, asparagus, peas, pears,
shrimp, orange drink and tea. Each of the crew members have
the option on this mission to make their personal selection
for Christmas Day. The medics have advised the crew they can
change their menu around for Christmas Day. Christmas Day
they were scheduled to have meal 3 which does not include
the traditional turkey and gravy, however Commander Carr has
been - indicated that he can eat menu 4 that day which has turkey
and gravy, Science Pilot Gibson can have his menu number 5
and Bill Pogue can have standard menu number 6 which all
include turkey and gravy. In addition Commander Carr has
on his menu for that day mashed potatoes, green beans, peas,
orange drink, Science Pilot Gibson has potato soup,
asparagus, pineapple-grapefruit drink, while Bill Pogue has
green beans, peaches and orange drink. Another traditional
Christmas item will be fruitcake. Fruitcake is - went up
with the launch of Skylab I and although it's not on their
menu the crew has been told they have that option to take
it out of the pantry and have it for Christmas Day. So
traditional turkey and gravy dinner for the crew is available
to the three astronauts is they so desire. Next acquisition
in 35 seconds through Texas tracking station. We'll hold the
line up for CAP COMM Hank Hartsfield.
CC Skylab, Houston through Texas and Bermuda
for 15-1/12 minutes.
CDR Roger.
CC CDR, Houston just for info we have one
small change to your S019 pad and anytime that's convenient
in the next hour or so for you to copy it I can read it up.
CDR Okay, I'ii give you a call Hank.
PLT Hank, PLT here, do you have a call set
up for me today?
CC Stand by i.
CC That's affirmative. It's Canaries at
02:40 left to right.
PLT Thank you.
23 hours, 25 minutes. Next acquisition will be Madrid in
i minute and 25 seconds. Science Pilot Ed Gihson performing
his 90_minute exercise for the day using either of the
several exercise devices on board_ the bicycle ergometer or
the tension ropes, or the treadmill. Pilot Bill Pogue having
his evening meal, starting that in about 5 minutes with
SL-IV MC1260/2
TIME: 17:05 CST, 38:23:05 GMT
12/23/73
Commander Carr completing his exercise period and getting

ready to perform the S019 experiment. Acquisition through
Madrid on this the start of revolution 3225 for the Skylab
space station now in orbit 223 days. We'll hold the line up
for CAP COMM Hank Hartsfield.
CC - Madrid for 8 minutes.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-1261/I
Time: 17:26 CST 38:23:26 GMT
12/23/73
CC - - 8 minutes.
CC Skylab, Houston, we're i minute from LOS,
we'll see you again at Carnarvon at 01, about 29 minutes.
CDR Okay Hank, if we got time you can slip
me that S019 change.
CC Okay Jer, the last exposure at 01:23
should be 90 seconds on widened instead of 120.
CDR Okay, 90 seconds on widened.
CC Roger, that's it, thank you.
hours 34 minutes. Loss of signal through Madrid, next
acquisition in 27 minutes and 25 seconds will be Carnarvon
in Australia, Carnarvon tracking station. An update to
Commander Gerald Carr concerning operation of the ultraviolet
stellar astronomy experiment SO19. This is to be used this
evening for photography of the Comet Kohoutek with Pilot
Bill Pogue maneuvering the vehicle - rolling the vehicle to
an attitude to permit the camera to capture the fleeting comet.
The camera will be put through the scien - antiscientlflc solar
antisolar scientific airlock. The solar scientific airlock
has been blocked since early in the mission wit_ the placement
of the parasol and then again with the twin boom solar shield.
Photography of the comet is scheduled for about 6:00 o'clock
this evening central standard time. Next acqusition in 26
minutes and i0 seconds through Carnarvon. At Greenwich mean
time 23 hours 35 minutes this is Skylab Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1262/I
TIME: 18:01 CST, 39:00:01 GMT
12/23/73
PAO Skylab Control, i minute after the hour.

Acquisition coming through Carnarvon in 50 seconds. We'll
hold the line up for CAP COMM Hank Hartsfield.
CC Skylab, Houston we're with you through
Honeysuckle for 4 minutes and we're in the nuZ window now
if it's convenient for one of you to get the update we'd
like to take a look at it to check our fine maneuver?
PLT Okay, Hank I'Ii be right with you.
PLT Okay, Hank you got it.
CC Thank you Bill and we -
PLT Take a look at this. That looks compatible.
CC Roger, looks real good to us and we do
have a change to your fine maneuver. We'll try to get it
up to you at Honeysuckle and that'll be a real short pass only
about a minute long. But it may be long enough for us to do it
and it'll be coming up here in about 6-1/2 minutes.
PLT Okay, I'ii be ready to copy.
9 minutes after the hour. Loss of signal through Carnarvon.
Next acquisition in 2 minutes 30 seconds will be Honeysuckle
tracking station in Australia. We'll hold the line up for
this Honeysuckle pass.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1263/I
TIME: 18:11 CST, 39:00:11 GMT
12/23/73
PAO Skylab, Houston with a pad change for the

PLT.
PLT Go, Hank.
CC Okay, I'll read them in order: X,
time maneuver should be 51063 minus .51 degrees for monitoring.
Y should be 50235 and that's plus 1.57 degrees. Z - 50223
plus 1.47 degrees.
PLT Roger. Quick readback. It's 5.1063 -
that is 5]063, 50235, 50223.
CC Okay, good readback, Bill and we'll
see you at Texas at 42 and we plan to dump the recorder
there.
PLT Okay, thank you.
14 minutes after the hour. Next acquisition in 27 minutes
30 seconds through the Texas tracking station. As Skylab
space station in the latter half of its 3,225th revolution.
Science Pilot Ed Gibson completing his personal exercise period
for today a 90 minute block of time allotted each crew
member on each day for exercise using the bicycle ergometer
for one of the exercise devices onboard the spacecraft.
Science Pilot Gibson should be sitting down to his evening
meal in about 45 minutes from now. Followed by Commander Carr
who is scheduled to eat at Greenwich mean time 2 hours.
Pilot Pogue is scheduled to maneuver the spacecraft, roll
the vehicle on its X axis turning the antisolar scientific
airlock window in the direction of the approaching
Comet Kohoutek. Commander Carr will operate the S019 cameras
through the airlock window in attempt to photograph the
approaching comet. Next acquisition in 26 minutes through
Texas at Greenwich mean time 16 minutes after the hour.
This is Skylab Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-1264/i
Time: 18:41 CST 39:00:41 GMT
12/23/73

hour. Acquistion coming through Texas tracking station in
50 seconds, we'll hold the line up for CAP COMM Hank Hartsfield.
CC Skylab, Houston through Texas and
Bermuda for 16 minutes and we'll be dumping the recorder
here at Texas.
PLT Roger Hank, I think Jerry's using it
right now.
CDR Hank, we're going to - I'm using the
recorder now to debrief M509 and we'll be using it again for
S019. I'll terminate the debriefing and can you set me up
with another recorder for S019?
CC Stand by we'll get right back to you Jer.
CC Skylab, Houston, we're in the process of
commanding the recorder, we have redesignate for you and you
can go ahead and record has you desire.
CDR Thank you Hank.
PLT Hank, would you have them take a look at
that water rate?
CC Wilco.
PLT That may be a result of that change in the
maneuver though. It's no big deal, just outside the limits given,
but we changed the fine maneuver so that may be the reason.
CC Okay Bill, it looks - it looks okay to
US.
CC Just as a little reminder Skylab now that

we've redesignated recorders a little record light will
blink at you.
PLT Okay, thank you Hank.
CC Skylab, Houston, you might be interested
in the results of the pro football playoffs today: Miami
beat Cincinnati 34 to 16 and the Cowboys beat the Rams
27 to 16, so the Cowboys will play the Vikings next Sunday
and Miami will play the Oakland Raiders.
CDR Sounds like a couple of good games today
and two good ones coming up.
SPT You got a pool going Hank?
CC Roger, we had a little bitty one down
here and we'll be off next - next Sunday, so we'll get to
watch a couple.
PLT Have a bag of popcorn for us.
CDR Have a Coors for me Hank.
CC Roger, we'll tap a cool one for you.
SPT I'll take a little of both.
CC Skylab, Houston, we're 1 minute from LOS,
we'll see you again at Madrid at 03.
SPT Okay Hank.
SL-IV MC-]264/2
Time: 18:41 CST 39:00:4i GMT
12/23/73

hour. Loss of signal through the stateside through the
Bermuda tracking station, next acquistion through Madrid in
3 minutes 35 seconds. During this stateside pass the G&N
officer advised Flight Director Chuck Lewis the CMGtr -
CMG heaters have been turned on. This occurs twice during
each revolution, a move to take the workload off the control
moment gyro bearings and the ground controls be on and off of
the heaters. Also Pilot Pogue requested the ground to look
at their re Y rate after the vehicle returned to solar
inertial following the last maneuver for photography of
Comet Kohoutek. The G&N officer looked at the rates on the -
on the data from the spacecraft and he reported to the
flight director everything looks good. Following the
information to the crew on the afternoon ball games Pilot
Bill Pogue responded when Flight CAP COMM Hank Hartsfield
said they'd be off next Sunday watching the ball games he
said have a bag of popcorn for me. Commander Carr said
have a Coors for me and Science Pilot Gibson chimed in by
saying I'll take a little of both. Next acquisition in 2
minutes through Madrid as the Skylab-IV crew in their final
hours of their 38th day in orbit. A day in which collectively
they're gathering more than 24 hours of science data, mainly
of the Comet Kohoutek as well as information on operation
of a maneuvering unit, Buck Rogers style maneuvering unit
inside the workshop. Commander Carr was the test pilot in
a flight of this device today. Principal investigator of
this M509 is Major Ed Whitsett assigned to the Johnson Space
Center, co-investigator is astronaut Bruce McCandless. At
this time in the Flight Plan Commander Cart operating the
S019 instrument out the scientific - antisolar scientific
airlock. Pilot Pogue maneuvering the vehicle for this latest
photographic operation on Comet Kohoutek using the S019
instrument. Acquistion coming through Madrid in 50 seconds
we'll hold the line up for CAP COMM Hank Hartsfield.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1265/I
TIME: 19:02 CST, 39:01:02 GMT
12/23/73
CC Skylab, Houston through Madrid for

8-1/2 minutes.
PLT Hi, Hank.
from LOS, Tananarive's coming up at 25.
PLT Rog, Hank.
1 hour 13 minutes. Loss of signal through Madrid, next
acquisition in ii minutes and 35 seconds will be through the
Tananarive tracking station. When the Skylab crew of
Gerald Carr, Ed Gibson and Bill Pogue awake Christmas morning
they will discover flight controllers have not forgotten them
on this holiday. A first for space a 25 inch long Christmas
card will await the crew at the onboard teleprinter. The
Christmas card addressed to Jerry, Edward and Bill starts
off with Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus and
is followed by caricatures of the Sun, the Comet Kohoutek,
the Skylah space station. They run the length of the
2 foot greeting and following up at the end of the message
is a smiling Santa Claus riding a sleigh loaded with gifts
and goodies for the crew. The card and its figures are made
of letters and numbers spaced apart to illustrate the
Christmas scence. The message ends with s note followed that
this beautifully - this beautiful, technically illustrated
Christmas card comes to you with the greetings and best wishes
of your friendly bronze team, capained by Flight Director
Chuck Lewis. The bronze team is presently on duty here at
the Mission Control center. This 2 foot long message will
be teleprinted up to the crew as they sleep on Christmas Eve
and when they wake in the morning they'll have this on the
teleprinter. Next acquisition in 9 minutes 40 seconds through
Tananarive. At Greenwich mean time 1 hour 15 minutes, this
is Skylab Control.
END OF TAPE
SL IV MC-]_266/I
Time: 19::03 CST 39:01:23 GMT
12/23/73

hour 23 minutes. Acquisition coming through Tananarive
voice relay station in 50 seconds. This is a 8 minute pass -
8 minutes and 45 seconds. We'll hold the line up for CAP
COMM Hank Hartsfield.
CDR CDR.
CC CDR, Houston. Were you calling?
CDR Roger Hank. How many exposures are there
in an SO19 film canister?
CC There should be 150 in the canister.
CDR Okay. Well, in about frame number 58,
we have a problem. It will not move into the slide retract
position, and I'm afraid we've got ourselves a jammed up
canister now. The blow by blow description is on tape.
(Garble) on the tape if Karl would respond and let me know
if there's anything more we can do.
CC Okay Jer.
CC CDR, Houston. You did say that you cannot
get it to slide retracted, is that correct?
CDR That's affirmative.
CC Okay. I think we had something similar
to this happen on the last mission. And the thing is probably
jammed up for good there. I guess you can go ahead with a
normal stow and we'll have to put that one away.
CDR Okay. That's too bad.
CC In the meantime though, we're going to
take a look at if there is anything we can do.
CDR Okay.
CC The other canister should have about
i00 frames on it, so I don_t think wetre hurting as bad as
we could be.
CDR That's good news.
CC Skylab Skylab, Houston. I think we're
about to lose you here. We'll see you at Honeysuckle at 50.
hour 31 minutes. Loss of signal through Tananarive. Our
next acquisition will be in 18 minutes through Honeysuckle.
On this pass Commander Jerry Carr was advising the ground
the magazine in the SO19 experiment, currently being used for
photograp]iy of Comet Kohoutek, is apparently jammed at frame
number 58. There's more than i00 frames in this film carrousel
that's used in the SO19 experiment. This is the third vehicle
maneuver today for operation of Comet Kohoutek photography.
Our next scquisition will be through Honeysuckle in 17 minutes
and 40 seconds. At Greenwich mean time i hour 32 minutes,
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-1267/I
Time: 19:48 CST 39:01:48 GMT
12/23/73
PAO Skylab Control Greenwich mean time 1 hour

48 minutes. Acquisition coming through Honeysuckle on the
3226 revolution of the Skylah space station. This will be
a 5-1/2 minute pass through Honeysuckle, acquisition in 35
seconds, we'll hold the line up for CAP COMM Hank Hartsfield.
5 minutes.
SPT Hi Hank.
CC And CDR, Houston, did you have any questions
on the SO52 OPS on the first ATM pass tomorrow.
CDR I haven't had a chance to look at them
yet.
CC Okay, Owen passed some words to Ed on
that and ]1 didn't know whether you all had a chance to talk
about it or not. Essentially what it is is we're getting
a - in the partial eclipse tomorrow with the Moon and we're
going to get 2 passes on it unattended and your first pass in
the morning wouldtnt complete that sequence. And what we're
going to do is ask you to start your S052 OPS ASAp on
the orbit so you'll be starting below 40Q K. And with this
data trying to catch the Moon behind the disc we're hoping
to determine the vignetting function for the corona _ the
coronagraph,
CDR Okay Hank, I'ii look over the pad and
also get a little briefing from Ed before I start.
CC Okay, good show.
CC Skylab, Houston, we're about 50 seconds
from LOS, we'll see you at Goldstone at 18, and we_ll be
planning to dump the recorder there.
PLT Rog Hank_ would you hit me again with
the antenna on the VHF?
CC Roger Bill, it's left to right.
PLT Thank you.
CC And that's at Canaries at 02:40.
PLT Thanks a lot.
PA0 Skylab Control, Greenwich mean time i
hour 55 minutes. We've had loss of signal through Hone_suekle_
next acquisition in 22 minutes 25 seconds will be Hawaii.
Science Pilot Ed Gibson in his evening meal according to
the flight plan on his menu this evening is pork loin, potato
salad, green beans, orange drink and ice cream. Pilot Pogue
ate earlier in the evening and Commander Gerald Cart should
be beginning his meal momentarily. And his evening meal
calls for filet, potato soup, asparagus, pineapple, and coffee
with sugar. The hot meals aboard the spacecraft cooked in the -
warmed in the food tray in the ward room take approximately
2-i/2 hours to prepare. The crew places the food items
SL-IV MC-1267/2
Time: 19:48 CST 39:01:48 GMT
12/23/73
in the various compartments in the food tray and flips the

heater switches. In the case of Commander Carr_s evening
meal the filet takes 2-1/2 hours to warmup, whereas the
potato soup is scheduled for 1-1/2 hours of warming as is the
asparagus. Next acquisition will be Hawaii, I'ii delay that,
the next acquisition will be Goldstone in 21 minutes according
to the AOS clock here at the Mission Control Center. At
Greenwich mean time i hours 57 minutes this is Skylab Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1268/I
TIME: 20:17 CST, 39:02:17 GMT
12/23/73

2 hours 17 minutes. Acquisition through Goldstone for a
stateside pass approximately 17 minutes in duration.
Acquisition in 45 seconds. We'll hold the line open for
CAP COMM Hank Hartsfield.
CC Skylab, Houston through Goldstone for
9 minutes and we'll be dumping the recorder here.
SPT Roger, Hank.
CC And SPT, if you got a minute I'd like
to chat with you about something on tomorrow's Flight Plan,
we've been looking at it here and I guess we're not too
satisfied with the way it looks here in regards to JOP 14.
You're the: one that's trained on this thing and we doing a
handover right in the middle of the cycle there and also
you've got a very short eat period there. And we were
wondering how it would work out if we let you take the
whole pass there and then well during the 30 to 35 minutes
of nighttime when the comet is set during the JOP 18 to
grab your chow.
SPT Hank, this is the first I had a chance
to look at the schedule, let me do that and I'll be right
back with you.
CC Okay, and CDR Houston.
PLT He's listening Hank.
CC Okay, we're - we noticed too that we've -
in our EVA preps we don't have them ordered together and what
we want to try to do is perhaps flip-flop - what we're going
to do is flip-flop the EVA prep and the PT for the SPT
so that the commander and the SPT can get started out together
and get 2 - 2-1/2 hours of simul (?) preps there. I think
that's the way it should be done.
CDR I tell you what Hank, why don't you just
pump us up a new Flight Plan.
CC I think that's probably going to be the
best thing to do Jer.
CDR Okay.
SPT Hank, would you say your recommendation
relative to switching my Flight Plan around.
CC Roger, if - the way you look at it there
you've got the part of an ATM pass there at around 16:30 and
then you hand over the rest of it to the PLT. And, in other words,
we're splitting one daylight cycle there on JOP 14 and you've
got a very short eat period in there before the JOP 18
maneuver and what we're suggesting is that you take the
whole ATM pass since this is the one you've trained on, the
JOP 14 and then in the middle of the JOP 18 during the
dark cycle, or night cycle of about 30 to 35 minutes, grab
SL-IV MC 1268/2
TIME: 20:17 CST, 39:02:17 GMT
12/23/73
your chow in the middle of that.

SPT Yes, that's crispy bar day tomorrow
so I think I could do that real easily. What is ED-41?
Oh, I got it, maybe I'll knock that one out tonight. One
of the problems is Hank, today I was really pushing it at JOP 18,
right from the beginning to the end. I still have yet to do
the food transfers and clean out the old JOP 18 Summary -
JOP Summary Sheet. So that's a real long - real long task
and I'll have to get starting it a little bit more of it tonight
and take your recommendation for tomorrow.
CC Okay, I understand it, then you want to
go ahead and do it like I suggest that you run that whole
daylight cycle.
SPT That's right Hank.
CC Okay, we'll do it that way then.
CC SPT, Houston we're going to go ahead and
delete ED-41 so don't worry about it tonight or tomorrow
either.
SPT Hank it's already set up here, why don't
you just let me try and take a few laps around it when I
get a chance.
CC Okay.
PLT Hank, I have an ATM frame count if you
want to copy.
CC Okay, Bill we're ready to copy.
PLT 3060, 933, 540, 2756, 1523.
CC Roger, we copy.
CC PLT, Houston do you have the 82A frames?
PLT 7, sorry about that.
CC Okay, we copy.
END OF TAPE
SL IV MC-1269/I
Time: 20:26 CST 39:02:26 GMT
12/23/73
CC Skylab Houston. We're i minute from

LOS. We'll see you again at Bermuda at 31 in 4-1/2 minutes.
CC Skylab, Houston through Bermuda for 5
minutes. And for info if the recorder for recording ED41 -
if you do decide to do that won't be available from 02:40
to 02:50. We've got to dump it at Canary.
CC Skylab Houston. We're i minute from LOS.
We'll see you at Canaries at 40. And a reminder to PLT,
that's his private Comm.
hours 37 minutes. Loss of signal through Bermuda. Next
acquisition will be Canary tracking station in 3 minutes and 15
seconds. This stateside pass, very little conversation with
the crew. CAP COMM Hank Hartsfield discussing possible
changes in the flight plan for tomorrow for Science Pilot
Ed Gibson. Changing his times around where he can spend
more time at the ATM performing JOP 14 and JOP 18 since he
the astronaut that received most of the training on JOP 14.
There will be another JOP 18, maneuvering the spacecraft for
additional photography with the ATM instruments, of the
Comet Kohoutek tomorrow prior to the Christmas Day rendezvous
the crew has with the comet, where the three instruments
scientific instruments will be placed outside the vehicle
by the crew members, Commander Pogue - I mean Commander Carr
and Pilot Pogue, placing the $201, $230, and the T025
experiment outside the vehicle. Have acquisition through
Canary in 1 minute and 55 seconds. We'll hold the line
open for tills Canary pass.
END OF TAPE
8L-IV MC-1270/I
Time: 20:39 CST 39:02:39 GMT
12/23/73
CC Skylab, Houston, we're through Canary

for 8-1/2 minutes.
CC Skylab_, Houston, we're coming up on a
minute to LOS and we'll see you again at Tananarive at 01.
And for the CDR one quick question. Did the film hatch
close prior to your canister stow, did you have any problem
with that on S019?
CDR No, the film hatch works normally. I
even tried cycling the hatch in hopes that it might clear
something up but it didn't do any good.
CC Okay, thank you Jer.
PAO Skylab Control, Greenwich mean time 2 hours
50 minutes. Loss of signal through Canary, next acquistion
in i0 minutes 25 seconds will be Tananarive voice relay
station. On this pass a brief discussion with the commander
concerning the SO19. About 2 hours ago Commander Cart reported
that the S019 had jammed in frame 58. He told the ground
that he'd put a description of the problem on the voice dump
tape. G&N reported to Flight Director Chuck Lewis on this
pass through Canary that the ground had again commanded the
control moment gyro heaters back on. A procedure being performed
at least twice every revolution of the Earth to prevent any
possible problems - any additional problems with control
moment gyro number 2. Next acquistion in 9 minutes and 25
seconds through Tananarive. At Greenwich mean time 2 hours
52 minutes this is Skylab Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1271/I
TIME: 21:00 CST, 39:03:00 GMT
12/23/73

3 hours. Acquisition coming through the Tananarive voice
relay station in 25 seconds. We'll hold the line up for
CAP COMM Hank Hartsfield as Skylab begins its 3227th
revolution. 224 days for the Skylab space station now in
orbit, we'll hold the line up for Hank Hartsfield.
CC Skylab, Houston through Tananarive,
4 minutes.
CC Skylah, Houston as a reminder we're in
the nuZ update window.
CC SPT, Houston we're in the nuZ update
window.
SPT Thank you, Hank.
from LOS, we'll see you at Honeysuckle at 25 and that's the
site for the evening status report.
3 hours i0 minutes. Loss of signal through the Tananarive
tracking station. Next acquisition in 15 minutes will he
Honeysuckle at which time the crew will be scheduled to relay
to the ground their daily status report concerning amount of
sleep, medication, if taken, the film used for today. Then
on the subsequent Hawaii pass Dr. Jerry Hordinsky, the Skylab
Flight Crew Surgeon will talk with the crew at the close of
which public affairs will _ive a summary of that conversation.
Next acquisition in 14 minutes and 25 seconds through
Honeysuckle. At Greenwich mean time 3 hours and i0 minutes,
END OF TAPE
SL IV MC-1272/2
Time: 21:24 CST 39:03:24 GMT
12/23/73
Charlie India 77 was used from Foxtrot 7. In the back of

drawer A 07, Charlie India 74, 12, Charlie India 72. Okay,
Flight Plan deviations: none. Shopping list accomplishments:
none. Inoperable equipment: transporter 02, film broken at
68 percent remaining. Bill has some comments on tape. We
very much - We feel pretty strongly that we probably should
not be testing the cameras in the time mode, because that's
how transporter 03 got broken film. Now transporter 02 is
broken and there was one earlier that was broken that way.
Unscheduled stowage: none.
CC Okay. We copy, Jerry, and got a couple
of quick questions. One for you and one for Bill, For you
first, in reference to your M509 run back on mission day 35.
We apparently have lost on tape your description of your
handheld maneuvering unit ops. We'd like to get you_ if you
would, to record what you can remember some time in your
spare time.
CDR Okay. Is that the day that I did it
following Bill's path?
CC And for the PLT, we're unable to find
on the tape the reference to the $201 film transport. Number
1 being replaced by number 2 back on mission day 37. Could
you verify that that's been done?
PLT That's affirmative. That's was replaced.
Since it was on the pad, I didn't report it.
CC Okay. Thank you Bill.
END OF TAPE
SL IV MC-1272/I
Time: 21:24 CST 39:03:24 GMT
12/23/73

hours 24 minutes. Acquisition coming through Honeysuckle
tracking station in 50 seconds for the evening status report.
We'll leave the line open for CAP COMM Hank Hartsfield on
this a 9-minute pass through Honeysuckle.
9_i/2 minutes, And we're standing by for the evening status
report.
CDR Be with you in a second, Hank.
CC Okay.
CC Skylab, Houston. We saw the C&W. Looked
like CMG SAT. We_ve fired a couple of mibs and it looks
like everything's okay.
CDR Okay. Ed was just checking on them for
me.
CDR Okay Hank. You got your recorder on?
CC Ready to take it.
CDR Okay. Sleep: CDR, 5.5, 5 heavy, half
light_ SPT, 7.8, 7.8 heavy; PLT, 6.5, 6 heavy, 0.5 light.
Volume: (:DR, 1600; SPT, 1550; PLT, 2250. Drinking water
gun= 7- (:DR, 7699; SPT, 3188; PLT, 9422. Body mass: CDR,
6.308, 6.307, 6.306; SPT, 6.360, 6.361, 6.356; PLT, 6.242,
6.239, 6.240. Exercise: CDR, method Alfa: minus 5 minutes,
minus 1000 watt-minutes, SPT, method Alfa only was done. PLT,
no change. Medications: CDR, none; SPT, none, PLT, Tinactin
as directed. Clothing: CDR, one pair of shorts, one shirt,
one pair of trousers; SPT, none; PLT, one shirt, Food log:
CDR, salt, 11.5, deviations, minus one strawberry drink, minus
one tea, rehydration water, plus one. SPT, 4.0 salt, zero
deviation_ plus 16.0 water. PLT, 4.0 salt, zero deviations,
zero water, Okay_ the photo log: 16-millimeter, documentary
photos_ Christmas activities, Charlie India 126, 24, Charlie
India 125. Delta Papa-l, Charlie India 126, i0, Charlie India
125. Ml51 (M509) Charlie India 77, 92, Charlie India 71.
M509 ops, Charlie India 77_ 65, Charlie India 71. M509 ops,
Charlie India 74, 12, Charlie India 72. ED72, Charlie India
77_ 60, Charlie India 71. Nikons 1 and 2, no change; 3,
Charlie India iii, 25; 4, no change; 5, Bravo Hotel 05, 48.
A footnote on number 5 is frame count for yesterday should
be 44 vies 43. 70_millimeter: Charlie X-ray 17, 160. ETC,
no change, EREP, no change. Alfa i - in the drawer config-
uration= Alfa i, 02, Charlie India 75, 68, Charlie India
73, film hroken_ Alfa 2, 05, Charlie India 93, 12, Mike Tango
06; Alfa 3, 06, Charlie India 126, i0, Charlie India 125;
Alfa 4, 08, Charlie India 77, 60_ Charlie India 71. Footnote
on transporter 8. The Charlie India 76 leader was lost during
the loading or before loadingp we're not sure which, and
SL-IV MC1273/I
TIME: 21:33 CST, 39:03:33 GMT
12/23/73
CC (Garble)
PLT That's affirmative and was (Garble)
it was on the pad, I didn't report it.
CC Okay, thank yon Bill.
CC And on the ATM console, we'd llke to
get the SCt54 X-RAY, Image switch OFF please.
PLT Okay, that's in work.
CC And we're about a minute and a half
from LOS, the next station is Hawaii at 45, that's your
med conference, also got a couple of things for you here.
For Ed, if he would go up into R1 in the command module
and look in the back of the entry checklist, I think you'd
find something of interest there. Also on side 2 of his
tape number 7 after an acoustic tone, there's something
he'd be interested in. And for all three of you up in
RI3 attached to one of the 8 PPK bags, there's a little zipper
bag that's got some things in there you might be interested in.
CDR Okay, thank you Hank. If you know -
notice the big momentum change in the spacecraft, that's
because all three guys just clattered into the command module.
CC Roger, we copy.
PAO Skylah Control, Greenwich mean time
3 hours, 37 minutes. The evening status report through
Honeysuckle. The crew advised that there were two mih
firings during this last pass, however G&N officer reported
to Flight Director Chuck Lewis, it's no concern. CMGs are
okay. Vehicle attitude is as expected and there's no problem
here. CAP COMM Hank Hartsfield calling science pilot Gibson's
attention to some items stowed in the command module.
Specifically in lockers R1 and RI3, something special for
Science Pilot Ed Gibson in RI, stowed in the Command Module
before launch. As well as something in RI3, we'll know later
when the crew opens the lockers as to possibly what
holiday special might he aboard the command module for the
crew of Skylab IV. Next acquisition in 6 minutes 35 seconds
through Hawaii. At Greenwich mean time 3 hours, 38 minutes
this is Skylah Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1274/I
TIME: 21:44 CST, 39:03:44 GMT
12/23/73

3 hours, 44 minutes. Coming up at the Hawaii tracking station
for the evening medical report with Flight Surgeon
Dr. Gerald Hordinsky. This is a 9 minute pass through Hawaii,
acquisition coming in 20 seconds. We'll hold the line up in
the event the medical conference is short. We'll catch the
tail in of possible conversations with the crew. On the
previous pass the crew's attention was called to some items
stowed in the command module for the crew. Apparently
something to do with the holidays coming up in 2 days.
Science Pilot Gibson told CAPP COMM Hank Hartsfield that they
noticed a momentum change in the spacecraft was because all
three guys were clamorin_ up into the command module to see
what was stowed in lockers RI and RI3. We'll hold the line
up for possible conversation here through the Hawaii tracking
station,
CC Skylab, Houston through Goldstone for
6_i/2 minutes. This is the last pass of the evening, I thought
if you wanted to lid give you a little run down on the news.
SPT Yeah, hit us with a little news, current
events and all that sort of thing.
CC Okay_ pardon the expression but the
gulf _etween Israel and the Arabs remains just as wide as on
the eve of the October war, but at the end the first of the
first series of meetings Egypt appears pleased that the conferees
tackled the problem of troop pnllbacks, and Israel appeared
_appy that the conference agreed to reach decisions by concensus
rather than majority voting, And Israel and Jordon independently
w_ll start negotiating _ negotiations next month on disengaging
forces along the full length of their confrontation line. The
Jordanians and Israelis face each other along borders and
cease fire lines stretching about 250 miles from the
Sea of Galilee to the Gulf of Aqaba. Meanwhile, US Secretary
of State, Henry Kissinger has returned to Washington from the
Geneva peace conference with considerable optimism that the
antagonists will reach agreement on the separation of their
armies along the Suez canal. Also in the Middle East; the
price of a barrel of crude oil has sky rocketed. Persian
Gulf oil producers advised that they have raised the price of
their oil from $5.11 to 11.65 per barrel effective January
first. At the Swiss border Sunday huge traffic jams formed at
many points on the French side, apparently because Swiss customs
guards enforced a requirement that foreign-registered cars
have their gasoline tanks at least two-thirds full when they
enter Switzerland. Congress went home last night, they
adjourned until mid-January. But they didn't pass the emergency
energy legislation, and so the emphasis has been put on
voluntary fuel saving measures during the next montk.
SL-IV MC1274/2
TIME: 21:44 CST, 39:03:44 GMT
12/23/73
The president expressed regret at the inaction but said he

is "confident we can get on with the job even without having
the legislation. The President today blended relaxation with
a review of Kissinger's Middle East peace missions at the
President's Camp David retreat. Prices were higher this year
and lights were lower, but the Christmas spirit has shone
through as; America put in the final touches for the Holiday
season, l,arge crowds were at the nation's shopping centers
yesterday. The weather has been moderately good over the
nation, and but one shopping day remains before the magic
hour of Christmas eve arrives. In Nottingham, England,
Mrs. Shirley Turner will not eat Christmas turkey this year.
She can't because her jaws are cemented together. She had
them cemented that way to help her shed some of her 217 pounds.
And there's a gigantic brush fire in Argentina. It has
ravaged hundreds of square miles of land southeast -
southwest of Buenos Aires and has caused power failures of
up to three hou _ in the capital. Firefighters said the
fire's 30_-mile front was approaching the border of La Pampa
and Buenos Aires provinces, about 450 miles from the capital.
Hey you might look for that one here next suitable opportunity.
PLT Yeah, weVve seen it.
CC live already give you the football scores
on the big games taking place next Sunday. Last night the
Arrows won over Los Angeles 8 to 3 but the Rockets were
beaten by (garble). I believe it was.
PLT Thank you Hank, that's a good rundown.
CC And one last comment Skylab, we'd like
for you to discard your flight plans and details that we
uplinked to you earlier, we're sending a whole new set up to you
with the flight plan we think in a little better shape than it
was. We'll say good night to you now_ get a good night's rest
and we'll see you in the morning.
PLT Rog, good night Hank and thanks for
the tip, we now have I present under our tree.
CC Hey that's great.
SPT Hey, Hank are the tape recorders free to
us to use now. (garble) the tape recorders.
SPT Thank you.
CC Ed, we are going to dump your voice recorder
at Bermuda at 04=08 but if you run the experiment recorder
we can get the voice off of that if that's what you're going
to put on _t,
CDR Okay, Hank thank you,
SL-IV MC1274/3
TIME: 21:44 CST, 39:03:44 GMT
12/23/73
PAO Skylab Control at Greenwich mean time

4 hours 3 minutes. A goodnight from the crew of Skylab IV
following the evening news read up to the crew by CAP COMM
Hank Hartsfield. Pilot Bill Pogue reporting they have now
one present under their tree. The tree they made on board.
Apparently the crew is - has not opened their package
retrieved from the lockers in the command module. The crew
will have a lengthy Christmas card greeting when they
wake on Christmas morning courtesy of the bronze team.
A 25 inch long Christmas card designed by letters and
numbers of the teleprinter illustrating a - the Sun,
the Comet Kohoutek_ space station Skylab, shuttle,
Santa Claus and a sleigh full of goodies and presents for
the crew. This was put together by the bronze team here at the
mission control center under the direction of Flight Director
Charles Lewis. We'll hold this line up in the event the
crew does have further conversation before loss of signal
through Bermuda on this stateside pass as Skylab begins
its 3,228 revolution since launch of the space station from
Cape Kennedy on May 14. We'll hold the line up for this the
remainer cf this stateside pass.
END OF TAPE
SL IV MC-1275/I
Time: 22:05 CST 39:04:05 GMT
12/23/73

hours 12 minutes. We have the evening medical report from
Dr. Hordinsky, which is as follows: The crew remains in good
health. On-going evaluation of the crew shows no medical
problems that would interfere with the up-coming EVAs.
Signed, Dr. Gerald Hordinsky for Dr. W. R. Hawkins, Director
of Medical Operations of the Life Sciences Director at the
Johnson Space Center. Day 38 concluded for Skylab-IV crew
through the Goldstone tracking station approximately i0 minutes
ago. Monday, another day of comet observations, ATM work,
and preparations for the EVA scheduled for Christmas Day. The
Public Affairs Console will close at this time. We'll reopen
at 6:00 a.m. central standard time at Christmas Eve, December
24th. At Greenwich mean time, 4 hours and 14 minutes, this
is Skylab Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-1276/I
Time: 05:59 CST 24:11:59 GMT
12/24/73
PAO Good morning. This is Skylab Control at

ii hours 59 minutes Greenwich mean time. Skylab coming up
on acquisition through the Hawaii tracking station. The
wakeup call with go up there. The plan is to play up some
more music of the season for the initial wakeup call. We'll
stand by for that.
CC (Music: "The Twelve Days of Christmas")
CC Good morning, Skylab. Merry Christmas
Eve to you all from us down here in Mission Control. Over.
PLT Good morning_ Bruce.
CDR Good morning, Bruce.
CC And we're coming to you through Hawaii
here with about 2_i/2 minutes left here in the pass. Next
station contact is 24 minutes away at the Vanguard at 12:31
with a data/voice tape recorder dump.
CC 1 minute to LOS. We'll talk to you over
the Vanguard. And just for our own information, did the music
get up to you all right this morning?
CDR Yeah, it sure did, Bruce. It picked up
right about in the middle of the song.
CC All right, we noticed that down here.
of signal. The next station is the Vanguard tracking ship
in 20rI/2 minutes. At 12 hours 9 minutes Greenwich mean time_
this is S_ylab Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-1277/I
Time: 06:29 CST 39:12:29 GMT
12/24/73

minutes Greenwich mean time. Vanguard is about to acquire
Skylab.
CC Skylab, this is Houston through the Van,
guard for 9 minutes. We've cancelled our data/voice tape
recorder dump here. We would, however, like to to get one of
you to command the experiment 1 tape recorder to stop
please from either the two control panels down in the work-
shop area itself. I think that's 542 and 617. Over.
PLT (Garble), Bruce.
CC Okay. If you would, do you recall notic-
ing last night when you shut off experiment 2 whether the
the experiment i recorder light was on or not? I think
that that's the recorder that has the intermittent tape motion
light on.
SPT Bruce, the experiment i was recorder light
that, doesn't even come on up here so we never know for sure
whether it's on or off.
CC Okay. That's what we figured the situa-
tion must have been.
CC Skylab, this is Houston. i minute to
LOS. Next station contact in 16 minutes through Tananarive
at 12:55. Out.
PAO This is Skylab Control. The Vanguard has
loss of signal. Tananarive will be the next station in 14
minutes. Very shortly the crew will be using the Apollo tele-
scope mount instruments to photograph an eclipse of the Sun.
This'_ll be an annular eclipse, not a full eclipse. Rim light
portion of the Sun will still be visible. Crew plans to
video tape record their Christmas program this morning. That
tape will be dumped later this afternoon while Skylab is over
the United States. Solar studies, medical experiment, comet
studies, planned today. Good deal of this afternoon will be
devoted to preparations for tomorrow's extra vehicular acti-
vity_ which is planned for comet study and to change out the
film in the solar cameras. At 12 hours 43 minutes Greenwich
mean time_ this is Skylab Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-1278/I
Time: 06:54 CST 39:12:54 GMT
12/24/73

minutes Greenwich mean time. Skylab coming up on acquisi-
tion through Tananarive now.
CC Skylab, this is Houston. 20 seconds to
LOS at Tananarive. Next station contact in 38 minutes through
Hawaii at 13:37, that's next station in 38 minutes, Hawaii
at 13:37. This is Houston. Out.
PAO This is Skylab Control. Tananarive has
loss of signal. Next station is Hawaii in 36 minutes. A
huge swam]) that might some day become a rich farming area
will pass beneath the Skylab space station while the crew
finishes breakfast today. The swamp, which covers much of
the northern Botswana in South Africa, will be the first of
a half dozen subjects the Skylah crew may photograph on this
day before Christmas. Handheld photographs are a significant
bonus of this third Skylab mission. Although less than 4
hours haw_ been allotted for visual observations and photo-
graphy from the space station's windows, the Skylab astro-
nauts haw_ already snapped more then 200 photos that focus
on subjects of special interest to scientists in many fields.
When the crew returns in February it will bring back photo,
graphs of huge islands of ice floating in the cold waters of
the South Atlantic, tremendous oil spills that scar the
ocean's surface near the coast of South America, smoke plumes
that rise from burning fields, clouds molded by mountains
and islands or erased by cold spots in the warm current of
the Gulf otream." Altough the rolls of 35-millimeter and
70_millimeter won't be in the photo lab for many weeks the
crew comments already fill a book in the Mission Control
Center. As they take pictures of more than a hundred sub_
jects of special interest, the astronauts record their re-
marks on i:ape which is automatically transmitted to the
Mission Control Center in Houston. These comments, relayed to
the many scientists who spent weeks preparing the crew for
their visual observations, help earthbound researchers to
guide the astronauts into new areas for exploration. Today's
optional photo assignments begin with the Okavango Swamp that
may some day provide southern Africa with a rich agricultural
harvest. Few minutes later the astronauts may focus on a geo-
logical wonderland in Ethiopia, where the Asian and African
continents seem to be pulling apart, tearing the Earth asunder
and leaving volcanoes and great valleys that stretch along
Africa_s east coast. A few hours and some 50,000 miles later
the space station will once again be over Africa. This time
the astronauts may lend their eyes and cameras to record the
soil erosion problem along the Niger River. Erosion patterns
should reveal the nature of changes that effect the food
SL-IV MC-1278/2
Time: 06:54 CST 39:12:54 GMT
12/24/73
production in the drought stricken region of northern Africa.

The hilly plains along the river may be mapped to distinguish
the eroded hill tops from the rich bottom lands, a potential
agricultural resource that may be defined through photographs
taken from Skylab. Less then a minute later, as the space
station crosses the Sahara Desert, the crew may photograph and
comment on great circular rock formations, some as large as
20 miles across, that break through the desert sand dunes.
Little is known about the distribution of the rock which
underlies the Sahara Desert. Like many of the Skylab crew's
photograph assignments, the Saharan bedrock is an area so
remote that it is virtually unexplored. For astronauts a-
board an orbiting space station_ the Sahara and Okavango
Swamp, the uncharted valleys of the Ethiopian plateau, are
all as accessible as their home towns. For much of the
world, still an uncharted source of abundant knowledge in
natural resources, the Skylab crew and the scientists who will
fly aboard the Space Shuttle in the 1980's are the ultimate
human explorers. The crew will receive a lengthy message
reviewing some of their handheld photographic performances
in pointing out areas for special emphasis in the coming weeks.
During the night, television pictures returned from Skylab's
activity brought amazement to the on-duty flight control team.
The giant telescopes used for observing the Sun and_ in recent
days, for gathering data on comet Kohoutek focused on a new
and unplanned celestial feature, While the videotape recorder
was running and the 100-ton space station was moving back
into the ]proper orientation to view the Sun, a huge object
with towering black clouds crossed in front of the telescope
used to wiew the Sun's outer atmosphere. The Earth itself,
in an unexpected closeup view, appeared on the television
screens in the Mission Control center. The surprised photo-
graphy was duly noted by the solar scientists and even the
Earth Resources Officer, who refused to count the coincidental
photography as a legitimate resources survey. Today,
when Skylab_s veteran astronauts are watching a partial
eclipse of the Sun and focusing instruments on the comet
Kohoutek, they are remembering the Earth with work that takes
only minutes; work that lays the groundwork for a world
free from crisis. Skylab now 30 minutes away from Hawaii
station. At 13 hours 7 minutes Greenwich mean time, this is
Skylab Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-1279/I
Time: 07:36 CST 39:13:36 GMT
12/24/73

Greenwich mean time. Skylab is approaching acquisition through
Hawaii. Here in Mission Control Center the purple flight
control team is preparing to go on duty. Flight Director will
be Phil Shaffer. The CAP COMM astronaut Dick Truly.
CC Skylab, this is Houston, through Hawaii
for 9-1/2 minutes. Over.
CDR Roger; Bruce. Got a couple of questions
for you.
CC Okay. Fire away, Jer.
CDR Okay. The first one, Bruce, is we're
thinking on this TV-81 of using two television sets. That is,
one hooked up at TVIS number 555 and the other one at 642, and
we have a question. We don't think it hurts anything to run
them both at the same time, but our question is, as we shift
from one to the other, is there any possibility that weVll
drop the TRV off the line? Our idea is to use one - one
television camera for a little while, and then turn on the upstream
input station and that should essentially cut the input from the
downstream station and put the upstream station on the recorder, and
the question is, will that cause the recorder to cut off?
CC That's negative, Jerry. The recorder will
run unpreturbed. All you're doing is cutting into the video
llne upstream. Over.
CDR Okay. Good enough on that one. And, the
other one is on, this morning, on JOP 12 Delta. Yesterday,
there was on several occasions_ mention made about starting
$052 early and all that sort of thing and not a word is on
the pad, this morning_ about it. I_d like to confirm that
you want me to start $052 early on JOP 12 Delta. And, I'd
like to know how early, you want me to do it at say 2 minutes
early?
CC Okay, Jerry. On the solar activity pad
the SAP we've got the note for you that says_ "Please note
early start of ops at 13:52, for eclipse coverage." And that's
the time we'd like you to start $052. Over.
CDK Okay. Understand. That was a little -
to me a little bit vague, I think I'd rather seen some note
in the body of the schedule, right there at 13:52, noting that
this is an early start.
CC Okay. We concur. Go ahead.
CC While we're talking to you, Jerry. We've
got the time for your phone call set up, if you can copy.
CDR Okay, Go ahead.
CC Okay. 03_34 Zulu on day 359 through
SL-IV MC-1279/2
Time: 07:36 CST 39:13:36 GMT
12/24/73
Canary, left antenna, shifting to right. Over.

CDR Okay. 03:34, left shifting to right.
CC And, additionally, we show that the
experiment 1 tape recorder is still operating. If you turned
it off, or tried turning it off from down below, as I think Bill did
over Vanguard last time, is there any possibility you could
have started it from up on panel 204 and in that case you_ll
have to turn it off from up there. Over.
CDR Okay. We_ll turn it off from up here.
Last time he tried at 6:17.
CC Rog; we copy.
CC Thank you Jerry. We see your recorder is
stopped now.
CC Skylab, this is Houston. i minute til
LOS. Next station contact in 23 minutes through the Vanguard_
in port, at 14:09. Out.
of signal. Vanguard will be the next station to acquire
Skylab in 121-1/2 minutes. At 13 hours 47 minutes Greenwich
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-1280/I
Time: 08:08 CST 39:14:08 GMT
12/24/73

minutes Greenwich mean time. Skylab nearing acquisition at
the Vanguard.
CC Skylab, Houston. A merry Christmas Eve
to you. We're at Vanguard for 8 minutes.
CDR Hello, Richard. Merry Christmas to you.
CC Thank you, sir. How y'all doing this
morning?
CDR We're all bright eyed and bushy tailed.
CC Hey, Jerry; I've got a helpful hint from
the INCO about TV 81 and the management of the of the change
in camera input stations. What he suggests is, is that immedi-
ately after you switch camera inputs to the recorder, he
suggests tlhat you pause about 20 seconds prior to commencing
talking again and this'll allow time to get the video and
the voice all synced up and in good shape so we won't lose
any of it. Over.
CDR Okay. Thank them.
CC Roger.
CDR I think what we'll do is we'll waste a
little video tape, too, just to check it out to make sure it
does work that way. Seems to me back weeks ago we did have
the VTR quit on us when we did something with the switches
down below.
CC Okay. Probably good thinking. And Sky-
lab, I forgot to warn you, but we're dumping the data/voice
recorder here at the Vanguard.
CDR Roger.
SPT Morning, Dick, and merry Christmas to
you and the Purple Team. Got a question for you.
CC Roger. Merry Christmas to you, Ed, and
go ahead.
SPT Okay. On the JOP 18B pad, all the
way through we talked about Lyman-alpha as being 574 or 676, and
yet the difference between mechanical and optical is 104.
Shouldn"t that really be 678 for mechanical reference?
CC Stand by just a second on that, Ed. I'Ii
get right back to you.
SPT Thank you.
CC SPT, Houston. I think I'd like to beg
off. We did recognize the question from yesterday. We do
think the numbers are correct, and Bill Lenoir is getting
prepared to discuss this particular point with you at the ATM
conference this morning, and l_m afraid I'm not very prepared
to discuss it so if I can put off an answer till then IVd
appreciate it.
SPT Okay; very good. I'ii wait for Bill.
Thank you, Dick.
SL-IV MC-1280/2
Time: 08:08 CST 39:14:08 GMT
12/24/73
CC Okay.
CC Skylab, Houston. We're about a minuute
and a half from LOS. You're getting ready to go the long
way around, Vanguard to Vanguard. I'ii call you back here
at a time of 15:47, and Jerry, one more note on the checkout
of the TV. Whatever - remember, whatever checkout that you
do prior to the initial starting of your TV 81, you can re-
wind the recorder so that you don't lose any tape. Natural-
ly, if you do some checkout in the middle we'll chop that
out as appropriate. So I'ii give you a call at the Vanguard
at 15:47.
CDR Okay. Thank you, Dick. We - let's see,
rewind it at a 1/4 time interval, right? The factor,
114?
CC That's affirm, Jerry.
CDR Okay. And by the way, looking at the
white light coronagraph we got ourselves an extra - extra
disk in there.
CC Rog. Can you describe it any more as we
go over the Hill? We still have about 30 seconds.
CDR Yes. It looks like it's about an inch
in diameter and I'ii bet it's the Moon.
CC How about that½ I bet it is. We cer_
tainly hope it is.
CDR Me too.
PAO This is Skylab Control. Vanguard has
loss of signal. We'll go a full revolution now without
acquisition of Skylab. Next station will he Vanguard again
in i hour and 27 minutes. During this pass Jerry Carr was
discussin_ the solar eclipse that's now taking place. At
14 hours 20 minutes Greenwich mean time, this is Skylab Con_
trol.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1281/I
Time: 09:32 CST, 39:15:32 GMT
12/24/73

minutes Greenwich mean time. Three briefings are scheduled
this morning in the briefing room at the Johnson Space Center
News Center. The first, at i0 a.m. central standard time,
about 30 minutes from now, will be on the Falkland Currents.
The briefer will be Dr. Dick Wilmarth of the Earth Resources
Program and then at 10:30, a briefing on tomorrow's extra_
vehicular activity. Briefers there are Astronaut Rusty
Schweickart and Bob Kain of the EVA procedure section. The
Christmas Day EVA briefing will he followed by a briefing on
the comet Kohoutek. The briefer there, Dr. William Snoddy,
a Kohoutek project scientist. That's three briefings begin-
ning at i0 a.m. central standard time. All three of these
briefings will be televised. Skylab now is 12-1/2 minutes
away from acquisition through Vanguard. At 15 hours 33
minutes Greenwich mean time, this is Skylab Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-1282/I
Time: 09:45 CST 39:15:45 GMT
12/24/73

minutes Greenwich mean time. Skylab is about to be acquired
through the Vanguard tracking ship.
CC Skylab, Houston. Merry Christmas at the
Vanguard for ii minutes, and we'd like you to stay off the
DAS here a little bit. We'd like to uplink momentum bias
commands and command the heaters, and we'll let you know
when we're through with it.
CDR Okay; we will.
CC And Jerry, if Ed's available, we're
going to have another long LOS here between Vanguard and
Guam, and I needed to talk to him about this upcoming ATM pass
and then one, couple of short things on the JOP 18 Delta.
CDR Okay. Go ahead. He's right here at the
panel.
CC Okay. Ed, first of all on the ATM sche-
dule pad that's this one coming up at 15:52, and also the
following one, there's a - that note in the right hand col-
umn about JOP 14 set-up times is pretty much con - succeeded
in confusing us. Just make sure there's no confusion on your
part. The times we would like you to operate by are the
times listed on the pad. For instance, the 24 minutes re-
maining does include a couple minutes early operation. So
just go by the pad and you'll be okay.
SPT You said go by the pad but that does in-
clude the early operations. Is that affirm?
CC That's affirm. If you'll use the times
in the pad that does include the early operation so you'll -
you'll get what we want.
SPT Okay. Very good. I just finished up
step 2, and maybe you want to take and look it over.
CC Okay. Also, Ed, I have a couple of com-
ments on the JOP 18D pad. I've succeeded in filling in my
blanks like I'm sure you already have this morning. There's
a couple of things that are not on there I thought I'd mention
to you. First of all, the orientation of the comet this morning
in you field of view will be such that the tail again goes to
the right as you view and it'll be oriented about 19 degrees
above the horizon. The second thing that we wanted to let
you know is, is that we compensated in today's pad for the point-
ing error, the error that we've seen in the last two pads has been
consistent in generally the same direction and magnitude. We have
compensated for that this morning, so we have more hopes that it'll
appear right at the pointing that we have on the pad and so if
you'll let us know how it turns out we'd appreciate it.
SL-IV MC-1282/2
Time: 09:45 CST 39:15:45 GMT
12/24/73
SPT Sure will.

CC Okay, great. That's all I had. I'm
standing by for 8-1/2 minutes. We'll let you know when we're
through with the DAS. Skylab, Houston. The DAS is yours.
SPT Roger.
CDR Hey, Dick. We're all thorough with the
VTR now if you want it.
CC Roger, Jerry. Thank you very much.
CDR It'll probably need a little bit of editing
to take some of the rough spots out but in general it flows
pretty much the way we held in mind.
CC Okay, Jer. We're looking forward to
looking at it and we'll - we will edit it if if required
and we sure appreciate it. Hey, incidentally, Jer, just for
your information, due to the way the orbits are running to-
day we're not going to start dumping that for - till about
22:00 till we start getting our stateside passes, but we
haven't forgotten it.
CDR Okay. If you leave it up here we may
just add something to it if we think of it.
CC Okay. Good show. INCO tells us that
you still have 14 minutes left on the tape, Jerry, so if
anything else comes up between now and 22:00 feel free.
CDR Okay.
CC Hey incidentally, Jerry, ATM has requested
a Christmas present on some of those 14 minutes that you put a
little comment TV on there.
CDR We'll give him a short burst of it, Dick.
CC Okay.
CDR ATM just got a little short burst of a WLC
with another occulting disk added.
CC Okay, good. Thank you.
CDR Hey, Dick. Did you get any TV downlink
on that last ATM pass?
CC That's affirm, Jerry. We did.
CDR Okay.
CC Skylab, Houston. We're about 1 minute
from LOS. Your next station contact at Guam at 16:44, and
Bill Lenoir has returned to the land of the living and he'll
be talking ATM conference with Ed there at Guam. We're also
going to dump the data tape recorder and be advised, here in
Houston today we really are dreaming for a white Christmas
because it's raining outside.
CDR Is is co_d enough to snow tonight?
CC Weli_, we wish, but it's not. It maybe
cold enough to snow somewhere but not in Houston.
SL-IV MC-1282/3
Time: 09:45 CST 39:15:45 GMT
12/24/73
PA0 This is Skylab Control. The Vanguard

has loss of signal. Next acquisition will be through Guam in
46-1/2 minutes. We'll turn this release line over to the
News Center now for use during the series of three briefings.
The first one on the Falkland currents will begin momentarily.
Any passes over tracking stations during the course of the
briefings will be taped for playback. At 15 hours 58 minutes
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-1283/I
Time: 10:08 CST 39:16:08 GMT
12/24/73

8 minutes. The briefing on the Falkland Current, with Dr.
Dick Wilmarth, has been cancelled. The first briefing of
the morning will begin at 10:30 a.m. That will be the
briefing on tomorrow's extravehicular activity with
Astronaut Rusty Schweickart, and Bob Kain of the EVA Procedures
Section. That briefing will begin at 10:30 a.m. central
standard time and will be followed by a briefing on comet
Kohoutek by Dr. William Shoddy, the Kohoutek project scientist.
Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-1284/3
Time: 11::31 CST 39:17:31 GMT
12/24/73
MCC That's right. It's mainly on the comet

when we're off, and, that one day when we did so much operations
off the limb and we had it mechanical for quite a few cycles.
This is, ]i believe, where we started seeing the problem.
SPT Okay.
MCC Okay. One comment here from 52 on the
mirror control for the comet. Prior to taking your fast -
your three l_second exposures in FAST SCAN just after having
looked at it, try to remember to flip to the camera position.
Yesterday apparently you did not, and as you know the mirror
will auto_atically flick the camera at the completion of the
first regular exposure. So unfortunately all three 1-second
exposures were at the back of the mirror. No big problem.
We did get the full FAST SCAN sequence after that, but if
possible Just try to remember to go back to camera.
SPT Oh, all right. I thought that after you com-
pleted one it would go, and I thought - I realized that
at the time I probably should have given it one more realizing
that, but Okay.
MCC Yes. What it is is not really the com-
pletion or rather your OFF, it's the normal timing out of
the first exposure. The same thing that turns the OPERATE
light on.
SPT Okay. Thank you.
MCC Okay. And one other word here from 52.
They"ve been seeinK some PES changes here during comet ob-
servations, They believe it's because they're a little bit
close to tke Sun and we're getting scattered sunlight in on the
PES, I mention this to you only in the event that the
PES skould interpret that as the 5-arc-minute signal, or 20-
arc_second signal, I should say, and shut down the operation.
you would not see an OPERATE light come on at the completion
of the filrst sequence_ and there will be no data taking. We
really expect you to do nothing about that, and we - -
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-1284/2
Time: 11:31 CST 39:17:31 GMT
12/24/73
SPT What location, Bill?

MCC Oh, it's the long streamer that begins
at the northern edge of filament 60, sort of wanders, oh,
looks like northeast up through some of the filament disks
that are left and then arcs back through north to east ending
on one Bit of filament material up around, oh, it looks like
about 015 on the bearing at about 0.7. You can see the
channel in there on H-alpha, or at least we can on the ground.
SPT Okay, I will. Thank you.
MCC Okay. And 55 wants to thank you for the
spectrum of the very hot spot in 05. They wanted you to know
that all of the coronal lines that they see are very hot
there, con:_irming what you had reported, and want to thank
you for the good work. While we're talking 55, let me try
to explain the grating and the references here. As I under-
stand it, and this is another thing that if you talk to six
different people you'll get seven different answers, the main
problem is only in mechanical reference and really, then, it's
only an extended mechanical reference. In optical reference
there's no problems. You keep getting a definite reset every
t_me around. There's an elliptical cam that rotates in there
and this introduces certain uncertainties, I should say, - -
SPT Could you give me that first part again
about the uncertainties? One and not the other (?).
MCC Yes. Optical reference, there's no
problem. It's extended mechanical reference. There's an
elliptical cam that rotates during the grating drive that in-
troduces uncertainties in exactly where it is. And these
apparently are cyclical over an 8-scan period, so when you've
been off tie optical and scanned around eight times you've
gotten about back to where you started. However, you're not
IOQ percent sure. What the 104 number is, is that when you
would have Been at optical 0000 for the polycrometer, in
order to make sure that this essentially plus or minus 2
grating position uncertainty introduced by the elliptical cam, in order
to make sure this uncertainty doesn't take the lines on
detectors 4 and 7, which are near the edge, and push them
off, which has happened, we bias it by an extra 2 to move them
more toward the center so that we're better able to handle
the plus or minus 2. However, in general, you would add
102 to the optical number to get the corresponding mechanical.
The 104 number is just a bias applied by us to the all balls
opt±cal setting in order to make sure we don't lose two lines.
Did that help any?
SPT Yes, I think I understand the situation
and the status of the problem, and it also tells me we ought to
use optical wherever we can.
SL-IV MC-1284/I
Time: 11:31 CST 39:17:31 GMT
12/24/73

minutes Greenwich mean time. During the briefings Skylab
has been in acquisition at the Guam tracking station and is
presently completing a pass at the Vanguard tracking ship.
During the Guam pass the Apollo telescope mount conference
between the crew and astronaut Bill Lenoir took place, and
early in the Vanguard acquisition a Christmas message from
Dr. James Fletcher, the NASA Administrator, and Dr. George
Low, the Deputy Administrator, was read up to the crew.
We'll start the tape with the Guam pass and take that up
through Vanguard.
CC Skylab, Houston, with the ATM conference,
and we'll be turning off the CMG heaters here so we need the
DAS for a while. Over.
CDR You've got the DAS, Bill, and hello. Go
ahead.
MCC Good morning. Let me just give you a
couple of quick insights to the near future here. Coming
up on mission days 42 through 46, and today's mission day 39,
the ATM planning is fairly comet heavy. Mission days 40
through 46, that's tomorrow through 46, ATM operations on
the Sun itself are fairly light, mainly synoptic. There will
not be much other than that. Tomorrow we will not have an
ATM conference. You have one synoptic pass late in the day.
The following day, Wednesday, Wednesday for us, I guess that's
mission day 41 for you, AI Cregor will talk to about the
status of S054 and where they want to be going on from here
based on the results from tomorrow's EVA. One thought for
your next JOP 14 pass coming up here, need to pass on to you
that the fact that the 2 minutes that you're asked to allow
for uncertainties in there, have already been figured into the
start times. So if you add in another two then we'll just - everybody'_
putting his 2 minutes in. If you operate on the times, then that
will be taken care of. Over.
SPT Okay. Understand.
MCC Okay. And the DAS is back to being used
again. On the Sun you're looking at we wonder if you see any
coronal connections between active regions 00 and 05.
SPT I have not this morning, Bill, but I've
not had much time to really look at it, however. I will in the
second dormant (?) I'ii get a shot at it.
MCC Okay; good. If you see any we'd sure
be anxious to know about it. Also, one other thing is one our
H_alpha photos here. We can see the old path that P-59, which
would now be F-59, used to take. You might just look at that
if you're interested in seeing if it's going to re-form or
trying to follow it. One word from - -
SL-IV MC1285/I
Time: 11:39 CST, 39:17:39 GMT
12/24/73
MCC - - again on the PES. I mention this to

you only in the event that the PES should interpret that as
the high arc minute signal 20-arc second signal, I should
say and shut down the operations. You would not see an
operate light come on at the completion of the first sequence
and there would be no data taking. We really expect you to
do nothing about that and we don_t expect it to happen but I
want to tell you just in the event that it does so that it
doesn't suprise you.
SPT Okay. Thank you, Bill.
MCC Okay, and next time you're looking at the
comet, we'd appreciate as complete a description as to what it
looks like to you so that 52 may begin to start homing in
on whether they want you to optimize it or to place it for a
better viewing of the tail. In particular, we're interested
in how much tail you see.
SPT Okay. We'll try to do that, Bill. The
unfortunalte part is you can't see it very well in the WLC
when we're doing the JOP 18 since the only other time you
really get a chance to get up there to the window is when
we're taking 233 pictures and we have the camera in our way.
Times been pretty tight and we just haven't had the time to
get up there. We'll try to do it whenever possible though.
MCC Okay, fine. We understand all the problems
and one last word here from all the folks in the backroom
since we won't have a conference tomorrow. Everyone wants
to wish all three of you a Merry Christmas and remind you to
leave the trash airlock unlocked so Santa Claus has a way to
get in.
SPT Tell them thanks very much. I think Santa might
have another idea in mind. We'll see.
MCC Okay. And we're i minute from LOS here. The
next call is Vanguard at 17:23 and we can either stop talking
or if you've got anything to say, we can press on.
SPT Yeah, just a couple. Merry Christmas to all
the folks in the back room that's been working so hard on this
and I hope we can come back and give them a few presents in
another 40 or 45 days. And also, I did have a question on the
JOP 18D and that's between the two periods at which the comet
is available. On that nightside, if you will, or after it's set
the first time, would they like us to move so that the comet
will be in our field of view again on the WLC and then try to
move in and repoint a second time or do you want to just sit
we initia%ly pointed and hope that the drifts are not too
large?
MCC Okay. The original plan was to just sit
and keep your drift compensation going. We'll reevaluate that
SL-IV MC1285/2
Time: 11:39 CST, 39:17:39 GMT
12/24/73
and get back with you if we want to change that. But originally,
we had thought we'd do the one pointing and then keep our
drift compensation going.
SPT Well, we will keep the drift compensation
going but then there's other errors which come in on top of
that because the pointing system, of course, has its own internal
drift.
MCC Roger. Probably is a better idea to re-
point and if you've got the time for that, I'd certainly
advise doing that.
SPT Okay. We can always make that small
maneuver out during the - after the thing is set and then
as soon as it comes up again, we've got quite a few minutes
there before we can start taking data anyway.
MCC Sounds like a good idea here.
SPT Okay.
MCC Okay and AI Krieger will see you Wednesday.
I'ii talk to you again Thursday.
SPT Okay. Thanks very much, Bill. Merry
Christmas I=o you.
MCC Skylab, Houston. Merry Christmas at the
Vanguard for ii minutes and we'd like the DAS. We're going
to do a dump inhibit and maybe even command the heaters if
they look like they need it.
SPT Okay, Dick. You have it.
CC Okay, Ed and if you guys are near one of
the speaker box _, I'd like to read to you a Christmas message.
CDR Go ahead. We're all present.
CC All present and accounted for, huh? Okay.
To Jerry, Ed, and Bill. We have been watching and listening
with admiration and with awe as you have settled down to a
routine of life in space. Mankind is gaining fundamental know-
ledge each day as a result of your activities, your observations
of the Sun, the Earth, and the comet Kohoutek, and from your
reports of your own adaptation to the space environment. As
we approac]1 the holiday season, we want to wish you a very
Merry Christmas and all the best for a happy new year. Signed,
James C. Fletcher and George M. Lowe. And we're uplinking a
copy of this so you can hang it on your Christmas tree.
CDR Thank you, kindly. That'll be Christmas
card number 2.
CC Roger and Christmas ain't even over yet.
CDR Right.
SPT Sure appreciate the good words, Dick. Send
our merry Christmas to them.
CC Roger, Ed. Will do.
PLT Thank you, Dick. George is a good man and
so is Dr. Fletcher and Merry Christmas to them both and to
everyone.
SL-IV MC-1285/3
Time: 11::39 CST, 39:17:39 GMT
12/24/73
CC Roger. Thank you very much. We'll pass

it on.
CC Skylab, Houston. The DAS is yours.
SPT Thank you.
SPT Dick, we had a hangup in active mode i
in filter number 3 on 56. Apparently it's the first one we've
experienced with this camera.
CC Okay. Copy.
PLT And Dick, we just passed over that area
that's on fire down here in Argentina. Looks like it's still
burning.
CC Roger, Bill.
PLT Next pass, if we have a chance, we ought
to be able to get a real good picture of that.
CC Okay. I'm looking at the map and I guess
you caught me kind of short. I'm wasn't familiar with it and
maybe the weather will be good and you can get a picture, we'll
take a look.
CC Skylab, Houston. We're 30 seconds from LOS.
Canary comes up at 17:44.
CC - Merry Christmas at Canary Islands and
Madrid for 12-1/2 mintues.
PAO This is Skylab Control. We're up live now
through the Canary Islands.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-1286/I
Time: 11:45 CST 39:17:45 GMT
12/24/73
CC SPT, Houston. We show S082 Bravo in

limb pointing. We think it shomld go to white light.
CC Roger.
CC SPT, Houston. I guess we're going to have
to ask you to say goodby forever to JOP 14 and go ahead and
start your termination here for the pad a little bit early.
We want to get started with getting our acquisition Sun sensor
updates in preparation for the 18 Delta.
CC SPT, houston. I'm not real sure I got
up last time. We're going to ask you to start reconfiguring
JOP 14 so we can start doin - getting our acquisition Sun sensor
updates in preparation for 18 Delta coming up.
SPT I got you, Dick. but I was wondering what
the ACQ Sun sensor's going to do when I I'm looking at an occulted
Sun.
CC SPT, Houston. You get a Christmas gotcha
for that, I think.
SPT Okay. You want to press on with the 18 or
not. Our strapdown may not be in good shape.
CC Stand by i.
CC SPT, Houston. One thing we do need from you
is find Sun sensor DOOR to CLOSE. We do think you're doing the
right thing in going ahead in preparation for this 18 Delta
maneuver coming up. We're not sure what the effect of the
acquisition Sun sensor's going to be on attitude pointing to the
Comet. So you might expect some minor errors there.
PLT Reg. We I copy that, Dick.
CC Thank you, Bill.
CC And Skylab, Houston.
We're about: to go in a keyhole here in Madrid. I'll give
you a call coming out of it, and we'll have about another
minute of AOS following the keyhole.
CC Skylab, Houston. We're 30 seconds from
LOS. Guam comes up at 18:23. I'll give you a call there.
CDR Thank you, Dick.
CC Roger. And all your entries in preparation
for 18 Delta look real good to us as you go over the hill.
So we'll see you at Guam. Have fun.
CDR Will do. Thanks, Dick. See you then.
CC Than -
of signal. The next station will be Guam in 24 minutes.
18 Delta to which the CAP COMM, Dick Truly, referred, is the
comet observations through the ATM cameras. Preparations
are in good shape for that observation. During three revo-
lutions of the Earth this morning cameras and instruments
on Skylab monitored the annular eclipse of the Sun by the
Moon. A - And a portion of the eclipse was recorded on the
SL-IV MC-12B6/2
Time: 11:45 CST 39:17:45 GMT
12/24/73
videotape recorder by the crew. This - this tape will be

dumped this afternoon along with the crew's Christmas pro-
gram. Jerry Carr and Bill Pogue have performed an M092
lower body negative pressure medical experiment this morning
in conjunction with the limb blood flow exercise, with Carr
as the subject. The comet Kohoutek documentation today will
be performed on two successive revolutions beginning at 12:23
pm central standard time. Ed Gibson will be on the ATM
console operating the instruments that will be taking the
data. A film calibration of the S052 and S054 instruments
has been performed by the crew. Several exposures were made
on the film, which will be developed by ground laboratory
technicians postflight before processing the comet photo-
graphy which will be taken today. This is a safety precaution
to allow technicians to make adjustments in the film pro-
cessJng if necessary. The film has been in space for some
time and there's a tendency for it to become slightly fogged
due to radiation the film receives in space, even though it
is shielded in the film storage bins most of the time. During
the first revolution of comet viewing the S082B chromospheric
X-ray ultraviolet spectrograph will be operating to check the
possibility of the comet being surrounded by a hydrogen
Lyman-alpha cloud. This type of cloud has been detected
on previous comets by instruments in rockets launched above
the Earth's atmosphere. The S082B will be taking data for
25 minutes. Also taking data during the 25 minute period
on this first comet observation today will be the S052 white
light coronagraph, which will be observing the coma and tail
of the comet. The S055 ultraviolet scanning polycrometer
spectroheliometer and the S056 dual X-ray telescope will also
be taking comet data.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-1287/I
Time: 12:01 CST 39:18:01 GMT
12/24/73
PAO scanning polychromater spectroheliometer and

the S056, dual X-ray telescope, will also be taking comet
data. Remaining 21 minutes of data take on this revolution
will have all 4 of the instruments pointed directly at the
comet nucleus. On the second revolution for comet viewing
the 4 instruments will again be pointed at the nucleus of
the comet for some 45 minutes of data take. Skylab now
20 minutes away from acquisition at Guam. At 18 hours
PAO This is Skylab Control. Extensive X-ray
and ultraviolet photography and sensing of comet Kohoutek is
being accemplished by the Skylab astronauts early this after-
noon. Data is being recorded from both the nucleus and tail
of the comet, which is believed to have started its journey
toward the Sun some 2,000,000 years ago. Later this afternoon
Jerry Carr, Ed Gibson, and Bill Pogue will spend several hours
preparing for tomorrow's extravehicular activity. Cart and
Pogue will go outside the space station on Christmas Day for
about 5 and one half hours, to change film in the solar cameras
and to operate special instruments that will study the comet,
a few days before it loops by the Sun.
minutes Greenwich mean time. Skylab coming up now on
acquisition through Guam.
CC Merry Christmas, Skylab. We're at Guam
for 7 minutes and Ed, when you get to a convenient point we'd
like to have the DAS just for a minute to command the heaters.
And, we'll give it right back to you. No hurry.
PLT Stand by on that, just about 30 seconds,
if you would Dick. We're - -
CC Test
CDR (garble)
CC That's fine, Bill. You let us know when
it' s convenient.
PLT Okay.
PLT Okay, Dick, you have it.
CC Okay, thank you much, we'll let you know
when we're through.
PLT Roger.
SPT Say, Dick, if the star is not visible
at all when - at bright time. There's two options, one is
the (garble) building block, even though we can't see it, and
the other is to try to make a correction using the star tracker
and then move out about i00 or so so that we could see it at
52 to get the data on it.
CC Let me make sure I understand you, Ed.
You - understand you can not see the comet, is that correct?
SL-IV MC-1287/2
Time: 12:01 CST 39:18:01 GMT
12/24/73
SPT Well, it's not rise time yet, not till 30.
But if 30 comes around and we can not see it, then we've got
two options. Either to try to take data even though we can't
see it, be assured that we're getting any data. Or we can
try to maneuver so that we can have little better assurance
using the star tracker. If we use the star tracker, then
we'd have to - (garble) to center of the WLC field of view,
theoretically. What we'd do then is to back out another hundred.
CC Yes. Okay. Stand by just a second.
CC Ed, I guess we think the best approach
would be to use the star tracker method that's already - you
know that's listed in there - in the checklist if you don't
see it, we certainly would recommend doing that in an attempt
to get it.
SPT Okay, Dick. That first building block 30,
whicb we'd do, is to try to get the star in the 52 or the
comet in the 52 field of view and that would be underneath
the occulting disk if we did it correctly with the star tracker.
So I recommend going out on the star tracker and then just
backing off a hundred say up or down.
CC Ed, we concur with that. That's a good
approach.
SPT Thank you.
CC And, Skylab, Houston, the DAS is yours.
LOS. Honeysuckle comes up about 5 minutes from now. I'll
call you there.
SPT Dick, should we be seeing a star about
half of our field of view in the WLC, to 45 degrees up and to
the right?
CC Stand by. It's
SPT Is that Mercury again?
CC We'll check it Ed, if I can't get an
answer here before LOS, I'll have one at Honeysuckle AOS.
SPT If it is, I think we got outselves a
comet and we can also just begin to see the tail.
CC Okay, stand by.
PAO This is Skylab Control. Guam has loss of
signal. Honeysuckle will pick up Skylab in about 3-1/2 minutes.
We'll keep the line open. Monitor through Honeysuckle. That'll
be a 4 minutes pass.
CC Skylab, Houston. Honeysuckle for 4 minutes.
SPT Okay, Dick. We maneuver what we believed
to be the comet. It had a slight indication of a tail sloping
to the right and slightly upward. And, we also had, I believe
Mercury, in the upper right hand quadrant of the field of view.
SL-IV MC-1287/3
Time: 12:01 CST 39:18:01 GMT
12/24/73
CC Okay, we concur with that Ed, and we

feel sure that you were looking at the comet.
SPT Very good, thank you, Dick.
SPT We made one maneuver and that was to put
it down there on the X-axis at about 130 out and we're now
on the first building block 30.
CC Okay.
SPT Started right at 33.
CC Okay.
SPT Dick, I have a question for 56. They are only
down for a 13 minute exposure. Would they really like a 25
minute one?
CC Hang on.
CC SPT, affirmative. They would.
SPT Okay.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1288/I
Time: 12::36 CST, 39:18:36 GMT
12/24/73
CDR Say Dick, we had one Flight Plan come up

here and just at the very tail end, our teleprinter failed
completely.
CREW (Garble)
CC Roger. And Phil says to tell you that you've
got a 3000-word malfunction procedure. You need to get a piece
of paper and start copying.
CDR We feel a comm problem coming on.
CC (Laughter) Roger.
LOS. Canary comes up at 19:22 and we're going to dump the
data/voice recorder there.
CDR Talk to you then, Dick.
CC Okay.
CC Skylab, Houston. In case you didn't like
that first Flight Plan in the teleprinter, we just put another
one in there.
CDR You're all heart, Houston.
CC Roger.
CDR Humbug.
CC Bah.
PAO This is Skylab Control. Skylab has moved
out of range of the Honeysuckle station. Next acquisition
at Canary Islands in 42-1/2 minutes. At 18 hours 39 minutes
minutes Greenwich mean time. Skylab is about to begin a pass
startinK at Canaries, going through the Madrid station.
CC Merry Christmas, Skylab at Canary Islands
and Madrid for the next 13_i/2 minutes. And Ed, when it's
convenient:, with you, we'd like the DAS for a little bit to
do some commanding.
CC Skylab, Houston. Not sure you copied my
last. Merry Christmas at Canary Islands and Madrid for the
next 12 minutes and we'd like to do some commanding. So if
when it's convenient, Ed, we'd like the DAS.
SPT Hello, Dick. You've got it.
CC Okay. Thank you very much. Incidentally,
if Jerry is close by, I'd like to - I have a mission note here
that I'd like to read up to him concerning the upcoming T025
prep.
CDR Go ahead.
CC Hey Jerry, when you do the T025 prep, we'd
like you to install a fresh battery in Nikon 02. We think
there should be two new batteries stowed in F510-J in the
film vault. What we'd like you to do is swap one out so we'll
be sure and have a good one tomorrow and mark the used one with
tape and put it back in F510_J,
SL-IV MC1288/2
Time: 12:36 CST, 39:18:36 GMT
12/24/73
CC Skylab, Houston. The DAS is yours and

Jerry, one more note. There was a question the other day on
batteries for the gyro stabilize binoculars. We believe there
are six batteries in S-908 and three more batteries in W-719.
Over.
CDR Okay, thanks. We'll take a look.
CC Okay and I'm assuming Jerry copied the
business about changing out in Nikon 02.
PLT He got it.
CC Okay. As long as I'm talking, I can't
stand to stop. One question for Ed. When it's convenient
for you, we'd appreciate an estimate of the comet brightness
as compared to Mercury which is still of magnitude of minus 0.5.
Also would appreciate any estimate of the coma size and tail
length. You're about the only observer with a good viewing
these days since the comet is in such close proximity to the
Sun.
SPT Okay, Ed. In terms of Mercury, it's still
not quite as bright as Mercury. Yesterday, I thought it was
approximately the same. I'm not sure why, but today it Just
appears a little bit fainter than that. Although I'm sure
it has not; decreased in brightness. A lot has to do with where
it is in the display. You know, I did have it fairly far
out from the radius. The Mercury was (garble) in a little
bit. I can give you a better estimate of that when I can
look at it out the window with some binoculars whenever I can
get a (garble) side free. Hold on and I'll see if I can
estimate what sort of a tail that I can see in the WLC.
CC Okay, Ed. Thank you.
CC And incidentally, Ed, one another thing
we are interested in how it appears in S052 as well as
visually. So that information does help us.
CDR Houston, CDR.
CC Go ahead, Jer.
CDR Hey Dick, I don't think we were really
overwhelmed with response on the problem that came up on the
last EVA with the shutter speed knob on the long eye relief
for T025. We haven't heard whether anybody agrees or disagrees
with us that our problem is thermal and there really hasn't
been a whole heck of a lot done to change the situation and
so we're not really too feeling too terribly confident that
that thing is going to work tomorrow for very long.
CC Well, I tell you what Jerry. That's a
good point. That'll jog us to talk about it down here some more
and we'll get back up to you this afternoon later, I imagine.
CDR Okay.
SPT Say Dick, I have to say that looking at it
SL-IV MC1288/3
Time: 12:36 CST, 39:18:36 GMT
12124/73
with the 52, might be pretty hard for us to see it go beyond

anything say past 0.5 to 0.8. That's about the maximum I can
see the tail. I think we've just got a lot of background noise
in the tube relative to that type of faint feature that we're
looking at. We can turn the brightness and the contrast up,
you get a lot of light noise which shows up and you can't see
the comet unless you have things up and at that level. So I
think we've got a good tool, perhaps_ for pointing knowing where
the nucleus is. But for actually something that's real de-
tailed for the comet, I'm afraid we're going to have to do that
with binoculars out the window.
CC Okay, Ed. Thank you much.
SPT One other point Just to - which made me
feel (garble) that we were really looking at the right object,
that is I looked at the drift rate or the motion before we
had made any compensation maneuvers while we're still doing
that first building block 30. That at 18:32, I had a Y of
minus 3 - -
MCC With negative 3 decimal 6, frequency 2534.
That label seems a bit high.
SPT - - my estimate and that's just about the
drift rate that we're putting in the Y-axis. And the X-axis,
it was too far offscale to make any kind of estimate.
CC Roger, Ed. Copy.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-1289/I
Time: 13:30 CST 39:19:30 GMT
12/24/73
CC Skylab, Houston, we're 1 minute to LOS.

I'll give you a call at Carnarvon at 20:02.
CC And all the Flight Plans for tomorrow
are on board.
CDR Can we take our choice?
CDR Tell Phil we're going to draw straws.
CC Phil says you can take your choice on
St. Patrick's Day.
CDR Thanks a lot.
of signal. Next acquisition at Carnar_on in 26 minutes. At
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-1290/I
Time: 14::01 CST 39:20:01 GMT
12/24/73

20 hours 1 minute. Acquisition coming through the Carnarvon
CAP COMM Dick Truly on this the 3237th revolution of the
Skylab space station.
CC Skylab, Houston. Merry Christmas at
Carnarvon and Honeysuckle for 14-1/2 minutes.
CDR Roger. Happy Hanukkah.
CC Roger. Incidentally we have been getting
a lot of Merry Christmas wishes for you guys and there's a
couple more Christmas cards coming up on the teleprinter
this site.
CDR Beautiful. Thank you.
CC Roger.
CDR We really do appreciate getting them,
Dick.
CC Roger, Jrr. Fun to let you have them.
And CDR, Houston. I think I have a few words in explanation
on this T025 problem y'all had on the first EVA.
CDR Okay. Go ahead.
CC Okay. First of all we have done some
thermal tests over at Marshall and they had convinced us that
the problem was not a thermal problem with the camera. We
did send up a general message to Bill which he accomplished for
us on day 34 which was like 5 days ago. And based on his
report of - that was general message 34 or 35, which was a
camera MAL. Based on his report from that we concluded that
there wasn't anything wrong with the hardware. We did change
Nikons today. You're going to use Nikon 02 tomorrow whereas
you've used 01 the other time, so as far as we're concerned
we don't expect any problems tomorrow as long as you assemble
the thing per the prep procedures and the (garble) - I mean
the long eye relief viewfinder is on there firmly so we're -
we're happy about it.
CDR Okay. Let's hope it works.
CC Roger. That.
CC CDR, Houston. Just an update for you.
For your planning on the VTR. You still have about 8 minutes
remaining so you can make your plans accordingly, and the
Christmas cards I mentioned a minute ago are on board.
CDR Roger.
CC SPT, Houston. When it's convenient to
you we_d like to command the heaters OFF. We'd like the DAS.
SPT It's yours, Dick.
CC Thank you.
CC Skylab, Houston. The DAS is yours.
SPT Thank you.
SPT Hello, Dick. Let me tell you how the
pointing went on this last building block 30.
SL-IV MC1290/2
Time: 14::01 CST 39:20:01 GMT
12/24/73
CC Go ahead.
SPT Okay. We maneuvered out in order to get
the comet down at the bottom on the display that's at about X
(garble) (garble). I have been making all of the compensation
maneuvers including the one at 2000, which is the third one which
I had to make. Moved out to put it at 130 and I got the same
(garble) that I used to move it up to zero. I came out with it
exactly at: 130. However, it was at a Y of about plus 4 or plus 5.
I t_ sorry minus 4, minus 5. So I put a factor in there of 5
in order to move it in (garble) nucleus again right in the center.
I_m not sure tkat should have come right out even. That is, it
should have come right out on the X axis because I just got done
doing a compensation. Correction. You have some of it on the
VTR that is where it went out at 1:30 and then also to (garble)
_garble) , You can see Mercury and the comet both move up in your
display. (Garble).
CC Break, break, Skylab, Houston. Thank you
much, Ed. We'_re going over the hill here at Honeysuckle. We're
looking forward to that VTR. Bermuda comes up at 20:52.
SPT Okay. So long.
CC See you, Ed.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-1291/I
Time: 14:17 CST 39:20:17 GMT
12/24/73

20 hours 17 minutes. Loss of signal through Honeysuckle.
Next acquisition in 33 minutes and 35 seconds will be through
the MILA tracking station. Goldstone tracking station.
CAP COMM, Dick Truly, advising the crew that two Christmas
messages went up on the teleprinter during this pass over
Carnarvon and Honeysuckle. One message from the group here
at Mission Control Center shows a caricature of a church,
on the bottom of which is large letters NOL NOEL spelled
out with asterisks, NOEL, with the following message. "A
lot of folks you never hear who work in the Control Center
year after year. Those who chase a Telemetry bit, or color
you up for TV sets, or load your commands without a glitch,
and every night we watch the clock to set your call with the
family in dock, wish you a Merry Christmas from all of us in
Mission Control, network, MCC Superviseries, Tracking Network,
telemetry, COMM Control, Comm Technicians, Scheduling, Super-
visor, Support Director, Houston TV, Tech Operations, RTCC,
MOPS, Data Coordination, Load Control, and all the rest at
the Mission Control Center. Happy Christmas, Merry Christmas
to the crew." In one teleprinter message, the second one,
from the Marshall Space Flight Center, reads as follows.
"Wishing the crew a Merry Dixie Christmas from Alabama. May
your stockings be full of good Christmas cheer. Huntsville
wishes our orbiting spacemen a Merry Christmas and a happy
New Year. _' From the people at the Marshall Space Flight
Center, Next acquisition in 31 minutes and 30 seconds through
Goldstone. At Greenwich mean time 20 hours 20 minutes, this
£S Skylab Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-1292/I
Time: 14_:50 CST 39:20:50 GMT
12/24/73
PAO Skylsb Control, Greenwich mean time

20 hours 50 minutes. Acquisition coming in 50 seconds through
Bermuda for 9-minute pass. We'll hold the line up for CAP
COMM Dick Truly.
CC Skylah, Houston. Merry Christmas at
Bermuda for the next 10 minutes.
CDR Roger, Dick.
CC Hello again.
CC SPT, Houston. We're still about 5 or 6
minutes away from the upcoming maneuver time. We sure would
like to cycle the bearing heaters so, if you'll stay off the
DAS real quickly, we_ll do that and give it right hack to you.
SPT Okay, Dick. Give me a call when you're
through.
CC Okay.
CC SPT, the DAS is yours. Thank you much.
SPT Dickp just at the close of this last night
cycle before I got started on the ATM. Took another look out at
the comet and I'd say that the tail that I was able to see was
about 6 or 7 degrees long, but I think the reason there is
that it comes up and rises tail first and it's tough to spot,
so you've got a fair amount of scattered sunlight already in
your field of view, so that you really don't see it against a
dark background. However, knowing where to look, I think, might
be able to do a little better job next time. Once the head
is up, items so darn close to the Sun, you've already got a
lot of scattered light. You're not getting a real true estimate
of the length of the tail. However, the coma certainly is
a heck of a lot brighter. Itts very, intensely bright at
the center and the shape is not completely spherical, it's
more of a hemisphere with a slight cone on the back end, which
gradually tapers into the tail itself. And I see only evidence
of one tail so far_ that's the dust tail.
CC Okay, Ed. Thank you very much. Where
were you looking out? Out the CM-I?
SPT That's correct_ Dick. Out CM-I, that's a
real good view there.
CC Koger. I wish I could see it from there.
SPT I wish you all could.
CDR Hey, Dick, how does the 02 makeup look for
now?
CC Hang on.
CC CDR, Houston. We're satisfied with 02
makeup now and we can secure - secure it.
CDR Okay.
CC Skylab_ Houston. We're about 1 minute from
LOS. I'ii give you a holler at Madrid at 21:05 and incidentally
SL-IV MC-1292/2
Time: 14::50 CST 39:20:50 GMT
12/24/73
on transporter 07, which has Charlie India film in it, it's

about 12 percent remaining. Tomorrow morning we're going to
have to reload that so we'll have a full mag for the EVA, so
you're welcome to use that 12 percent on transporter 07. if
you like.
CDR Okay, thanks, Dick.
CC Roger.
21 hours 2 minutes. We've had loss of signal through Bermuda.
Next acquisition will be Madrid in 1 minute and 29 seconds.
Again, a Merry Christmas from CAP COMM Dick Truly_ to the
crew as the spacecraft went within range of the Bermuda tracking
station. Other Christmas messages scheduled to go up this
evening, to the crew, is one from the young ladies that run
the teleprinters in the backroom here. It's an illustration
showing three Christmas stockings with the names Jerry, Ed,
and Bill illustrated on the message. And, the message read
"Holiday cheers from your ground support teleprinters," by
name Connie, Sandra, Lucille, Shirley, Dorothy, Virginia,
Dottle, Elsie, Janet, and Donna. This is one more of several
messages -Christmas messages going to the crew today via the
teleprinter on board the spacecraft. On the next stateside
pass, it is scheduled, the crew will dump i0 minutes of onboard
television recorded earlier today. This will be done at the
beginning at 4:23 central standard time, as Skylab is within
range of the Texas tracking station. Another 5-minute segment
will be dumped at 5:58 central standard time, on the following
revolution of the spacecraft through the States. We expect
acquisition through Madrid_ we'll hold the line up for
CC Skylab, Houston Merry Christmas at Madrid
for 8 minutes.
CC Ho-ho-ho.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-1293/I
Time: 15:05 CST 39:21:05 GMT
12/24/73
CC Ho, ho, ho.

SPT Got some pretty good presents today, Dick.
It looks like we got ourselves some good data on the eclipse and
also some good comet data. Things are coming along pretty
well. I hope tomorrow is (garble).
CC Roger, that. It sure sounds like it's
been going good on all that, sure glad.
SPT Again ASC0 and all those groups down
there have been working hard because these 18 Deltas are getting
better and better.
CC Roger. Well they're listening and they
appreciate your words. Incidentally, a Christmas card from
the purple gang is coming up on the teleprinter now.
SPT Very good. I could tell by the sound
of the teleprinter they had to be good.
CC The purple woodpecker working again•
PLT Dick, I got a quick question on the
S020 prep.
CC Roger. Go ahead.
PLT Rog. Under S020 prep it says obtain the
following and one of the items is the S020 EVA exposure
protocol decal M as in Metro. Now there was an exposure
decal on the cue card which I thought was the one we were
going to install. Would you check and see if the one that
was taped, scotch taped to the S020 cue card is in fact the
correct one to use.
CC Okay Bill, hang on.
CC PLT, Houston. One thing that will help
us give you a straight answer, would you look on that, that
decal that was taped to the cue card and tell us if frame
1 is 60 minutes?
PLT That's affirmative.
CC Okay Bill, that is the one we want to use.
PLT Thank you sir.
CC Roger.
CC SPT, Houston. We'd like to have the DAS
to issue a command.
SPT Go ahead.
CC Okay. And I'll let you know when we're
through. Incidentally, I realize you're monitoring the
maneuver but be sure not to forget the power down for unattended
ops.
SPT Roger, Dick. Will do. Thanks for the
reminder.
CC Okay.
CC SPT, Houston. DAS is yours, thank you.
SPT Right, Dick.
CC Skylab_ Houston, we're 1 minute to LOS.
SL-IV MC1293/2
Time: 15:05 CST 39:21:05 GMT
12/24/73
Carnarvon comes up at 21:38 and we're going to dump the

data/voice recorder at Carnarvon.
hours 14 minutes. Loss of signal through Madrid. Next ac-
quish - acquisition in 23 minutes and 35 seconds will be the
Carnarvon tracking station in Australia. CAP COMM Dick Truly
advising the crew another Christmas message up on the tele-
printer. This time the purple gang, the team that's on duty
now, headed by Phil Shaffer. The message illustrating a
Christmas tree, the words formed on a message to form the
Christmas tree. It reads as such, "It's been fun the last
few days to watch all the guys in Mission Control. Be they
crimson, maroon, silver, bronze, or purple people as they
have tried to create different ways of expressing to you
some happy Christmas wish. It's nice to share Christmas with
you in our big funny-colored family. Merry Christmas from
Phil, Dick, Kim, Harry B. , Pleddie, Bob W., Charlie, Bob H.,
Harry C. , Briz, Merlin, Chuck, Bill, Ken, George, and all
of the rest of the purple gang." Along with his message is
an illustration again spelled out with letters and symbols
of the teleprinter depicting a Santa Claus on a sleigh with
a whip in his hand and a reindeer in front of the sleigh and
the message says, "Merry Christmas from the purple gang."
Science Pilot Gibson advising the ground that they have plenty of
good presents on board, good data on the eclipse earlier to-
day, and ether good data from the comet. The spacecraft
currently maneuvering into another add - change in attitude
to aim the ATM cameras at the approaching Comet Kohoutek,
and as pact of JOP 18D, joint observation program D. Science
Pilot Gibson complimenting the ground saying the 18D maneu-
vers are getting better and better, and when that ended,
CAP COMM Truly advised the crew that there was another mes-
sage coming up on the teleprinter. And he says, "The purple
woodpecker's working again." "Woodpecker," the CAP COMMs
reference to the teleprinter. Next acquisition in 21 minutes
and 5 seconds through Carnarvon. At Greenwich mean time
21 hours ]6 minutes, this is Skylab Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-1294/I
Time: 15::36 CST 39:21:36 GMT
12/24/73

hours 36 minutes. Acquisition coming through the Carnarvon
CC Skylab, Houston, Merry Christmas at
Carnarvon and Honeysuckle for 15 minutes.
CC And also Skylab, here - down here we're
going to take the VTR and rewind it so in preparation for
dumping it: so from here on out we got it.
SPT Okay Dick, it's yours.
CC And one more thing I forgot we are dumping
the data/voice recorder here at Carnarvon.
SPT Okay.
CC Skylab, Houston, request SO52 TV off.
SPT You got it.
CC Thank you much.
SPT Say Dick, maybe I really didn't make it
clear when we started out there but we ended up just about
where you folks told us we were going to be. I think we're
about a hundred and you predicted for a hundred and ten and
50 and we got 54.
CC Roger, sounded real good.
SPT Yeah, I'm really impressed with the way
the ground has been able to come up with solutions for this.
I think we've been doing maneuvers with extreme accuracy much
better than I expect we'd be doing, and also we're doing on
two CMGs. We're doing it with a - probably a frequency much
greater than I thought we'd ever be able to be doing on two
CMGs and actually a little higher frequency than we ever had
anticipated using three CMGs. So people down there are really
gettin_ s_art and my appreciation to them.
CC Thank you much for the kind words Ed, we
have been a whole lot of people of working down here to make
the maneuvers good. Today's maneuver we were a little
worried about because of your goteha on the occulted Sun
and what effect that would have, but we in the end I don't
think I ever got back to you but we eventually decided that
that would have very little effect. So we do think that
the better pointing today was due to the corrections they
made overnight.
SPT Roger. I want to be sure how fast that
would be updated there. And I think we called it a little
bit close there, but there's - you don't get many times when
you get a partial eclipse and also a good opportunity to look at
the comet. So we had to take what it was, I think it all
worked out pretty well.
CC Yeah, I think you got the one chance of the
SL-IV MC-1294/2
Time: 15:36 CST 39:21:36 GMT
12/24/73
century.
SPT Now if you can get that FAO to schedule
that again next week.
SPT While I'm standing here, would 52 like a
little tweak to get themselves really Sun centered?
CC Stand by.
CC SPT, Houston, negative, they're already
operating in unattended ops and they're satisfied way they are,
thank you anyway.
SPT Okay.
SPT It takes almost as long to erase a JOP
18 Summary Sheets, that's six of them as it does to fill them
in.
CC Well I guess that's something I didn't
think of, I've been making copies of mine each morning and
filling in my pads and then just throwing them away. I forgot you
had to erase. We -
CC Skylab, Houston, we're 1 minute from
LOS, Texas comes up at 22:3 - correction 22:24. And in
between these two sites the purple gang is going to hand over
to the bronze team so we'd sure like to wish you guys a very, very
Merry Christmas, have a nice EVA tomorrow and we'll see you
the next day.
CDR Thanks a lot Dick, and all you guys on the
purple gang have a nice holiday.
CC Roger, thanks much, we sure will.
SPT Appreciate your good Christmas cards and
all the greetings, enjoy the holidays, good working with you,
and we_ll see you again.
CC Okay.
hours 54 minutes. Loss of signal through Honeysuckle, next
acquisition in 28 minutes 35 seconds will be the Texas tracking
station, 10-minute pass during which the onboard television
will be relayed to the ground. Television of the crew today,
Christmas Eve Day which will be - come down during the Texas
pass. The crew thanked the ground for the numerous Christmas
messages passed up on the teleprinter. The message yet to
be received by the crew is the 2 foot long illustration
Christmas Card from the bronze team which will go up later
this evening. Next acquistion in 27 minutes through Texas,
at Greenwich mean time 21 hours 55 minutes this is Skylab
Control.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1295/I
TIME: 16:22 CST, 39:22:22 CST
12/24/73

22 hours, 22 minutes. Acquisition coming through the
Texas tracking station in 1 minute and i0 seconds. On this
pass we'll have the TV from the spacecraft put on the recorder
earlier today. The wives and families of Commander Gerald Carr
and Pilot Bill Pogue in building 1 news room to watch this
television on this Christmas Eve. We'll hold the line
up for this stateside pass, wetll play the TV and the voice
accompanying the TV we'll record air-to-ground and play the
air,to-ground at the conclusion on the television. We'll
hold the line up for this TV pass.
CC Skylab, Houston the bronze team is with you
through Texas for 15 minutes.
PLT Hi, Hank.
CDR Merry Christmas bronze team.
CC Merry Christmas to you, how's it going
today?
SPT Been a real good day, Hank, we got a
good look at our personal eclipse and we got a good JOP 18D
done, did all with 2 CMGs. I think it's been working out
real well.
CC Sounds good. PLT, Houston.
SPT Go ahead.
CC Okay, this is really for everybody but
especially for you since you do the preps, we don't want
MI51 on the suit donning for EVA 2 so when you get down to
that place in the checklist which is on page 1.2-4 the DAC
prep, omit that.
SPT Okay, understand, we'll omit the DAC for
the prep for EVA.
CC Roger, no no - no MI51 on the suit donning.
That's the part we want to omit.
PLT Okay, I got that, Hank. No MI51
on the suit donning.
CC That's right Bill, thank you.
CDR (garble) used up all his film and allocation -
what is deep within us and at the same time words from the outside
crowd in on us. Words come and go and return again and
others never leave us. Words that come from the future
like death, love, hope and peace shove us into tomorrow.
Words of the past from ancient poets conjure up images like
wonderful councilor, mighty God, prince of peace, spirit
of wisdom and understanding. Now we would like to add a few of
our words from the outside, from Skylab III. (Garble).
You know our Earth seems large to us as we look down on it, yet
those men who have flown Apollo to the Moon say it's small. And as
we see it there are vast areas of desolation and great masses of water
with man crowded only into the more (garble) hospitable zones of
man
SL-IV MC1295/2
TIME: 16:22 CST, 39:22:22 GMT
12/24/73
the Earth. Yet the men from Apollo perceive the Earth as a
tiny blue island in the vast sea of space. Well either way
you look at it, the observation is humbling because the
tenuousness of our existence is emphasised by the need for man
to get into harmony with his environment and with his fellow
man. Among Christmas - among Christians the Christmas season
serves to heighten our awareness of others and the brotherhood
of man. And whether we're Christians or Jews or Mohammedans
or Bnddists or Confucianists or atheists and no matter what the
season is or isn't_ I think we all agree that one of man's
pr±ncipal goals for the future should be to learn to live in
peace and harmony with one another. So to that end I wish
for all the world a most fruitful and peaceful day. And
for all our friends and my wife JoAnn and our family Jennifer,
Jamie, Jeffrey, John, and Jessica and Joshua, I send my love and
my wish for a joyous Christmas.
SPT I too_ would like to give you some of
my impressions which I acquired (sic) over the last 40 days.
In a sense they're similar to what Jerry said but in another
sense I think quite a bit different. I think they're relatively
simple but for me fairly strong. I think they involve two
Christmas gifts which are very important ones. Those of under-
standing and of co-operation. As we look down at the Earth below,
as we have over the past 40 days we look at the countries, and
the homelands of all the people around the world -
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1296/I
Time: 16::29 CST 39:22:29 GMT
12/24/73
SPT - which are very important ones. Those

of understanding and of co-operation. As we look down at the
Earth below, as we have over the past 40 days, we look at the
countries and the homelands of all the people around the
world. One thing you don't see are any dividing lines. In
some countries, you see a lot of water between them, but
just simply water. Sometimes, you see lines, but they're
only lines on a map. So the countries and the people really
have no natural barriers. Now also to me, the world's become
quite a bit smaller. We circle it 15 times a day. And at
the same time, we look out at the world of comets, stars,
planets, the Sun, the whole world which we've just started to
explore, and our own Earth seems quite small. So in no way
could we (static) for any group of people or any country (static).
Let's face it, we're really all in this together. We have lots
of problems (static) now, but they're common problems, problems
of pollution, energy, just to name a few. But we also have
others, we have challenges, common challenges, the world
of space exploration, of medical research, scientific research,
again just to name a few. I hink if we all the people in
the world could take a step back and look at the world as we've
been privileged to do over the past 40 days, we'll find that
it looks smaller, and that what we must do is understand one
another and co-operate. I think those would probably be the
best Christmas gifts we could ever give to one another. And I'd
like to wish Merry Christmas to all the people out there and
especially' my family, my wife, Julie, John, Janet, Julie, and
Jo. Merry Chirstmas, and we'll see you next Christmas, for sure.
PLT And Merry Christmas from the pilot of
Skylab III. I was interested in Jerry's opening comments re-
garding words and the way words influence our lives. Word is
a v a word, a spoken word is essentially a concept that
supposedly exists in the mind of an individual. Sometimes
we may suspect it's a meaningless recitation of something the
individual has heard before. Take for instance, the phrase,
"Christmas is for children." I've often wanted to question
people when they say that, because I don't know what they mean
by children because a child supposedly ceases to exist once
the person becomes an adult. I think really what they mean
is there are children of all ages and people who share certain
common _ basic - sort of fundamental attitudes toward life.
A simple joy and wonder in living and the basic appreciation
of the relationships that exist between individuals is some-
thing that's very valuable. And that it is certainly important
to pause and reflect upon the relationships that exist. Now
the attitudes that we have - the kindnesses that we express
SL-IV MC1296/2
Time: 16:29 CST 39:22:29 GMT
12/24/73
toward others need to be exercised. I know that we spend

a considerable portion of each day exercising our bodies,
we're quite concerned about physical atrophy. Any educator
can tell you that, of course, there one should be concerned
about mental stagnation as well. We should not only exercise
our bodies, but we should exercise our minds. And I think
that in addition to that, we need to exercise certain other
noble virtues that the individual, the human is capable of
expressing and extending toward others. And that is exercising
the virtues of the spirit, benevolence, kindness, brother-
hood, sisterhood, at -
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC1297/I
Time: 16::34 CST, 39:22:34 GMT
12/24/73
PLT capible of expressing and extending

toward others, and that is exercising the virtues of the
spirit, benevolence, kindness, brotherhood, sisterhood.
That is basic kindnesses between people, and that we
need to exercise these too, for we will experience some
sort of spirital oblivion too. And it's with this idea in
mind I I would like to focus on because I think it's
this season of the year, that we sort of pause, reflect and
think that yes we to can extend to other people kindnesses,
and we carl extend to them brotherhood, consideration, yes
and even love, because I think it was during this period of
time approximately 2000 years ago, that the theme was peace on
Earth and good will toward men, and this expressed the
attitude of the hymn singers, but they were reflecting upon
these (garble) kingdom (garble).
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC-i298/I
Time: 16::52 CST 39:22:52 GMT
12/24/73

hours 52 minutes. Loss of signal through Madrid, next
acquisition will be Carnarvon in 25 minutes and 20 seconds,
at that time we'll play the approximately 3 minutes of
recorded conversation through the stateside. Stateside
pass consisting mostly of the TV recorded earlier showing
a Christmas tree made by the crew on board placed in front
of the food lockers in the workshop in the - in the dome
area. The tree apparently made of the food cans used by the
crew. The the food cans are stowed in lockers inside the
lockers - the cans are stowed inside a whalebone-like
device made of aluminum and the aluminum branches on the
tree are the used food can stowage racks. Next acquisition
will be Carnarvon in 24 minutes, we'll take the line down for
a change-of_shift briefing with Phil Shaffer, we'll come back
up at Carnarvon in 24 minutes. Greenwich mean time 22 hours
and 53 minutes.
END OF TAPE
SL-IV MC 1299/1
TIME: 17:16 CST, 39:23:16 GMT
12/24/73

23 hours, 16 minutes. Acquisition coming through Carnarvon
in 45 seconds. We'll hold the line up for this pass and
play the recorded stateside pass after this Carnarvon pass.
We'll play the stateside pass first and then pick up the
Carnarvon pass in progress.
CC Skylab, Houston bronze team with you
through Texas for 15 minutes.
PLT Hi, Hank.
SPT Merry Christmas bronze team.
CC Merry Christmas to you, how's it going
today.
SPT Been a real good day, Hank we got a good
look at a partial eclipse and we got a good JOP 18D done; did
it all with two CMGs. I think it's been working out real well.
CC Sounds good.
CC PLT, Houston.
PLT Go ahead.
CC Okay, this is really for everybody but
essentially for you since you do the preps. We don't want
MI51 on the suit donning for EVA 2 so when you get down to
that place in the checklist which is on page 1.2-4 that
DAC prep, omit that.
SPT Okay, understand, we'll omit the DAC for
the prep for EVA.
CC Roger, no - no MI51 on the suit donning
that's the part we want to omit.
PLT Okay, I got that Hank no MI51 on the
suit donning.
CC That's right Bill, thank you.
SPT (Garble) use up all his film and allo-
cation on ETC preps?
CC Skylab, Houston for info, you many get
a nominal H_cage here, we're watching the gimbals and it's
getting pretty close.
CC SPT, Houston; a few more words on the
MI51 in answer to your question the data that we had
preflight will better batch the next two EVAs so we want to
preserve the film that we have and concentrate on those two
EVAs for better correlation with the ground data.
SPT Okay, Hank_ thanks for the explanation.
CC Skylab, Houston we're i minute from LOS,
we'll see you at Madrid at 43.
PLT So longp Hank.
CC Skylab, Houston through Madrid for
7-i/2 minutes.
SL-IV MC1299/2
TIME: 17:16 CST, 39:23:16 GMT
12/24/73
SPT Hello, Hank. Hank I'd like to make a

request that we move the 133 ops tonight to tomorrow night
take the 133 cable out of the SIA and the preps which we did
today and that'll get us a out of configuration, also it'll save
us a little hit of time tomorrow morning on the PSA. Then we can
get going.
CC SPT, Houston we concur that.
SPT Okay, thank you Hank. I'ii write it in
then at the bottom of the Flight Plan. I I
CC Skylab, Houston we're i minute from LOS
and we'll see you at Carnarvon at 17 and that's about 27-1/2
minutes from now.
CDR Roger, Hank, see you then.
CC Skylab, Houston through Carnarvon for
5 minutes, the rest of your TV-81 as it was dumped over your
last stateside pass and we enjoyed it.
CDR Okay.
PLT Rog, Hank this is PLT, l'm on 1.2-5 in
process of doing the S054 tool prep.
CC Okay, we copy.
PLT And I have a question for the EVA troops.
CC Go ahead.
PLT On page 1.2-2 the comm the comm connector
for the EV-3 is never connected up here to 225, I thought that
I had missed it on the last EVA, I ended up with it not
connected so we got it at the end but I was very careful this
time and there isn't a step in there to connect up here comm
and power umbilical to 225 connector. That's the power and
comm umbilical that's pulled out the bag below the ATM.
CC Okay, let us look at that a minute, Bill,
we're discussing it now.
CDR Hank, this is CDR, Ed and I are just
finishing up page 1 of the cue cards.
CC Okay, we co -
CDR That's page i.i-i.
CC We copy. Skylab we're approaching LOS,
we'll see you again at Honeysuckle at 29.
23 hours, 23 minutes. Loss of signal through Carnarvon,
next acquisition in 5 minutes will be through Honeysuckle
tracking station. The previous stateside pass showin_ the
television from the crew, the - now estimated on the ground
that the Christmas tree was made in fact of the can retainers
more like a rib cage from the stowage of the food lockers.
There are i:hree separate sizes of can retainers looking much
llke a rib cage into which food cans are stowed. The three
SL-IV MC1299/3
TIME: 17:16 CST, 39:23:16 GMT
12/24/73
sizes - there's one size for 12 cans_ 12 large cans, one size
for 21 small cans and there's one size for freezer cans, that
holds i0 cans. The can retainers are in turn stowed inside an
overcan in the food lockers which are then retained inside the
canister restraint assembly. The colored objects on the tree
apparently from the food packaging, each crew member have
different colored food packaging on board, red, white and blue.
There is also a quantity of red tape on board the spacecraft_
so the Christmas tree made of items on board the spacecraft by
the crew in the last several days using excess of food can
retainers
END OF TAPE

Skylab 4 PAO Mission Commentary 13 of 32

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SL-IV MC-1200/I

Time: 20:48 CST to 37:02:48 GMT

PAO Skylab Control. Greenwich mean time,

now, would be very early. And also, the statistical i percent

PAO He will continue to look at this during

PAO Skylab Control; Greenwich mean time

PAO Skylab Control, Greenwich mean time 3

CC Skylab, Houston we're through Goldstone

CC Skylab, Houston. We're through Bermuda

no problems on board. Well, our state legislature here in

SPT Good night, bronze team.

PAO Skylab Control Greenwich mean time 4 hours

PAO Good morning, this is Skylab Control at

PAO This is Skylab Control at 12 hours 18

Evening Status Report, is changed to 03:01 at Goldstone.

CC This is 0408 medical conference to 0324

CC Hey, be sure you keep the gypsy moths

PAO this on solar observations. Active

CC And Skylab, for a reminder, we'll be

PAO This is Skylab Control at 15 hours 4 minutes

SPT will be finishing up his JOP 18 Delta along about that

PAO This is Skylab Control at 15 hours

And about i0 minutes or so Pilot Bill Pogue will maneuver

PAO This is Skylab Control at 16 hours 34

put on the onboard video tape recorder. The crew's Christmas

PAO This is Skylab Control at 17 hours 25

However, the neutral line is still pretty kinked and predomi-

that matter, I'll get to later on flare type activities. Do

MCC Let me get into that now. They don't

together. So I find myself keeping my eyes glued on the

MCC Okay. Skylab, Houston. On panel 203

PAO This is Skylab Control. Madrid has loss

CC Okay. You do have the magazine installed

CC And Ed, if that supply knob doesn't turn,

PAO This is Skylab Control at 19 hours 9

SPT You don't have to do that, Hank. I've

PAO This is Skylab Control at 19 hours

PAO Skylab Control. Greenwich mean time 20

CC It got pretty wild toward the end. It was

PAO Skylab Control, Greenwich mean time

PAO Skylab Control; Greenwich mean time

LOS, Madrid comes up at 00:32. We had a couple of problems

CC Skylab, Houston, we're AOS Madrid for

CDR Okay, Dick, thank you.

PAO Skylab Control, Greenwich mean time

if you've been reminded about the family comm this evening

PAO Skylab Control, Greenwich mean time

PAO Skylab Control, 6 minutes after the hour.

CC Skylab, Houston. Hello at Madrid for

PAO Skylab Control, 54 minutes after the

PAO Skylab Control, Greenwich mean time

SPT Okay, Dick thank you. I got a question

PAO Skylab Control, Greenwich mean time

arose. I guess we were off a tenth or so it now can be

PAO Skylab Control Greenwich mean time

PAO Skylab Control Greenwich mean time

PAO Skylab Control, Greenwich mean time

CDR - - coffee with sugar, plus 1.5 water; SPT,

you the rest of the news. The next pass is scheduled to -

PAO Skylab Control, Greenwich mean time

PAO Skylab Control, Greenwich mean time

pump in the coolant loop was very noisy and it disturbed

PAO Skylab Control, Greenwich mean time