Apollo 15 Post Orbital Insertion Procedures Question

rcflyinghokie

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As I press on with the Apollo 15 flight, I'm going to come up with a lot of questions, such as...

Where is the O2 ISOL/AUX BAT cb located? I can't find it listed anywhere.

And my O2 TANK 3 ISOL vlv tb is barberpoled, it should be gray, and I can't figure out how to control it.

I'm thinking these cb's/switches are unique to the J missions/Apollo 15, and may not yet be fully integrated into NASSP?
While we do have a few of the extra panels added, the specific ones for J missions are not functional at the moment such as anything for O2 tank 3. So don't be alarmed that you cant find/use many of these things yet.

I did the first P52 REFSMATT using the launch orientation (went well). Then to change the REFSMATT I navigated from the RTCC main page to UTI>REFSMMAT and selected OPT>PTC and CLC to calculate. Then to uplink it I used G00 to input G00,CSM,LCV,CSM,CUR;*.

Then when I performed the P52 Preferred realign I get a PROG alarm 1301.

So where am I going wrong, and how can I correct it? Do I just need to maneuver to get a better angle?

Thanks
You need to use the uplinks page to uplink a new REFSMMAT. You CLC the REFSMMAT on the UTILITIES->REFSMMAT page then go back to UPLINKS and select the CMC REFSMMAT Update option (12) and then since this will be a desired REFSMMAT, type 2 when you hit CLC and it asked for actual or desired.

The G00 is used in conjunction with the MPT to move the REFSMMAT and for your purposes is not what you need to use to uplink a REFSMMAT, that is exclusive to the uplinks page which probably explains your 1301 as you tried a desired REFSMMAT without anything stored.
 

rcflyinghokie

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I'm no real expert on RTCC MFD, but 1301 is indeed strange. How high is the resulting MGA (R3 of N22)? If that's high I'd yaw some 20 or 30° and try again (recycle with V32E on N22). It's quite possible that this happens, as the PTC REFSMMAT is about 90° perpendicular to the launch REFSMMAT, so if you are in a bad attitude, you might be in the region where torquing the IMU to it would yield gimbal lock.
This would have yielded a 401 error.
 

indy91

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Yeah, the G00 just moves the REFSMMAT internally in the RTCC from one slot to another in the REFSMMAT table. In the future that will be more important. Right now a REFSMMAT calculation almost always saves the REFSMMAT in the current (CUR) slot, which is supposed to be the same as the AGC currently has. Normally in the RTCC a REFSMMAT calculation stores the REFSMMAT somewhere else, like in the LCV (local vertical) slot, for a LVLH matrix (equivalent to P52 option 2). That would then get uplinked and once the crew has done the P52 option 1 and the REFSMMAT in the AGC has actually changed, then they move it from the LCV to the CUR slot in the RTCC.

So I think rcflyinghokie13 is right, you didn't have any desired REFSMMAT uplinked to the computer yet, so P52 option 1 will be unhappy.
 

Wedge313

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Well, it's official. I'm flunking RTCC.

I tried re-doing the REFSMATT change from launch to PTC. If I'm following the flight plan correctly the sequence looks like the REFSMATT was uplinked at T+ 5h10m (which I'm attempting using the RTCC MFD), then they did a P52 option 3 REFSMATT (that goes well when I do it), but when I attempt the P52 option 1 Preferred I get a 1301 alarm with gimbal angles +05868, +18000, +00000. I can reduce that middle gimbal angle by maneuvering, but then continuing the P52 it selects star #4, which is nowhere near where the optics are pointing (looking in the direction of star #30). Trying to manually select the stars gives me huge errors (ie +00837). So I'm obviously off the rails here.

To review what I'm doing with the RTCC MFD, starting with the main (first) page I select UTI, then REFSMATT. Using OPT I select PTC. I'm inputting a GET time of 005:10:00. Then I click CLC.

Now to uplink I go back to the main page and select UPL, for DIS enter 12, select CLC and enter 2 for desired REFSMATT, and press UPL.

What am I leaving out or doing incorrectly? I feel like a need a Rosetta stone to decode the RTCC MFD Input Reference Guide.

I thought I struggled with the Apollo 11 CSI, CDH and TPI. The RTCC is a whole new level of frustration. If I can't figure this out I'll have to resign myself to doing only those missions that include the MCC option.

Thanks.
 

rcflyinghokie

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Are you redoing it after your first attempt where you got the first 1301? Or is this before you attempted that?

Also, could you post a scn so we can investigate?
 

Wedge313

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Are you redoing it after your first attempt where you got the first 1301? Or is this before you attempted that?
I've gone back to a save I created at about T+ 4h50m, just before the attempted REFSMATT change using the RTCC MFD. I'm trying to avoid snowballing my errors, so I try to start from a point where things seem OK (in this case after CSM/LM extraction, with the ship oriented to observe the SIVB maneuver (which never happens....something else I need to worry about here?)).

I'll run through what I'm doing again up to the point where I get the 1301 alarm and then post a .scn file. (It may take a while- yard work day, oh joy)

Thanks for the help.
 

Wedge313

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Maybe the fresh air helped, but I had an epiphany while raking leaves.

On Apollos 8 and 11, every time MCC sent an uplink I had to place the UPTLM CM to ACCEPT. It dawned on me that even using the RTCC MFD that this is still an uplink from MCC. And with the switch in ACCEPT, when I hit UPL I see the uplink activity. For some reason I was working under the assumption that the RTCC MFD sent the info straight into the AGC. But it's just acting as the MCC would, just without the "Ready for uplink?" prompt.

And this time the P52 Preferred went well, 5 balls.

OK, so I think my self-induced emergency is over for a while. And as much as they'd like to, it's too late for them to replace me on the crew. So on to the moon!
 

rcflyinghokie

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On Apollos 8 and 11, every time MCC sent an uplink I had to place the UPTLM CM to ACCEPT. It dawned on me that even using the RTCC MFD that this is still an uplink from MCC. And with the switch in ACCEPT, when I hit UPL I see the uplink activity. For some reason I was working under the assumption that the RTCC MFD sent the info straight into the AGC. But it's just acting as the MCC would, just without the "Ready for uplink?" prompt.
Yep that will do it! An uplink is an uplink and you need the switch in ACCEPT in order to receive it. This goes for any uplink in the CM or LM (via the updata switch, of course)
 

indy91

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The Project Apollo MFD and the RTCC MFD (also the telemetry client) use the same TCP/IP based uplink solution. If anything is doing it in a cheaty way it is the MCC, it has a separate interface. Not sure why dseagrav set it up that way. Maybe because it's possible that the TCP/IP ports are disabled and then the MCC uplinks wouldn't work at all? But once the signals have arrived in the AGC they are processed the same way, just like the real uplink worked.
 

Wedge313

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OK next issue. Starting the P23 process (which looks different than the procedure on A8 and A11, it includes a star calibration step?)

Flight plan calls for a V49 to optics calibration attitude of RPY 201, 339, 330. Using star #01. This maneuver leaves me with my zeroed optics pointing near star #35 (?). Then when I begin P23 and enter star 01 ENH it maneuvers me to RPY 050, 218, 319. Something seems off already, but let's press on...

The maneuver aims me nicely at star #01. The calibration seems to go ok, I get it to agree to .000. Continuing on to the auto maneuver to aim at the substellar point looks ok, I'm lined up on the horizon. But in the SXT there's no star #01 in sight, nothing for me to superimpose, it's looks like I'm trying to superimpose the earth over the earth. (yes I have the "V" key selected.)

So I'm wondering where I'm going wrong here. P23 is not that hard, no big deal on 8 and 11. But I can't get out of the starting gate here.
 

Wedge313

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I'm in the PTC REFSMMAT. I'm at T 8h on the flight plan, which (if I'm following it correctly) has me V49 maneuver to 210, 339, 310. Then it looks like it wants me to run P23 to calibrate on star #01 (which forces me to maneuver again?)

Then the flight plan has me go to P00, at which point I would load V67 +80000, +00070, +00003 (which is the W matrix, right?)

And then we go back to P23, which starts the star alignment process over again.

I'm apparently not following the correct order, not reading the flight plan correctly, pressing PRO when I should be pressing ENTR, I don't know. But it's probably something glaringly obvious, just not to me. It seems to me that if I semi-ignore the flight plan, just load the V67 and start P23 it would lead me through without unnecessary maneuvers?

But I keep coming back to: why does the flight plan have me maneuver to an alignment attitude that doesn't correlate to the actual star #01 attitude?
 

rcflyinghokie

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I am inclined to think your alignment is off then. I just gave it a whirl and the attitudes point me to the correct location. Mind posting a scn?
 

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Wedge313

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I probably messed up the REFSMATT change? Anyway, here's a .scn just before I begin the process.
 

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rcflyinghokie

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I probably messed up the REFSMATT change? Anyway, here's a .scn just before I begin the process.
Yep you don't have the correct alignment. I uplinked a PTC REFSMMAT and did an option 1 and immediately was greeted with a request to torque the platform.

To demonstrate, your GDC (FDAI2) is your old alignment and FDAI1 is the PTC alignment.

EDIT: A few other tidbits/observations...you don't have the LM powered from the CSM (so your LM is running on batteries) and your pressure eq valve was open even though you have completed pressurization. Additionally, this scn doesn't have the edits I made fixing your consumables, so you still have non extended stay values.
 

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Wedge313

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Additionally, this scn doesn't have the edits I made fixing your consumables, so you still have non extended stay values.
I think this is the main problem. You corrected my consumables at the T 4h point. I checked my saved scenarios going forward and around T 5h my saved .scn shows the uncorrected values. Then in a T 5+55 save they're corrected, but then beyond that they're all uncorrected.

I think what happened was: this occurred during the period I was struggling with the RTCC REFSMATT problem. At some point I grabbed a quicksave that had the incorrect values, and I'll bet it also had the incorrect alignment. I created a fork in the road at T 4h, and should have just deleted the scenarios I had saved before the consumables correction. Somehow I picked up the simulation from a bad save point.

you don't have the LM powered from the CSM (so your LM is running on batteries)
Yep, I can't use the bad save excuse for this one, I just missed it.

and your pressure eq valve was open even though you have completed pressurization
This one must be me not understanding the procedure. Following the Systems CM/LM Pressure Equalization checklist on pages S 2-3 and 2-4 I don't see where it says to close it. (The only mention of closing it I see is if Cab Press is <4.0 psi)

EDIT: My bad again, it's the last step on the Hatch Installation checklist.

I'm going to go back and redo this from the T 4h point, make sure I'm working from a point with the corrected consumables. I'm sure it'll go better this time.

Thanks for catching this for me!
 
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rcflyinghokie

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A few other minor catches (some are really just me nitpicking :p) but you seem like a stickler for accuracy:

-Your SIVB/LM SEP and CSM/LV SEP guards are open (minor)
-Tunnel lights are on (minor)
-THC power is still on (major, this means if you accidently are in ORBITER translation mode those jets would fire)
-Rotational power direct is on (potentially major, this means you will energize the direct coils if you are in ORBITER rotation mode overriding any other attitude modes)

Hope this helps a bit!
 

Wedge313

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That helps me narrow down where I got off track with my scenarios. My first time through (between T 3h 30m and T 4h 16m, before you corrected the consumables) I was running behind on my timeline, and the CM/LM pressure equalization was taking forever. Worried that the SIVB was going to start maneuvering with the CSM/LM still attached, I conducted the extraction before fully completing the equalization procedure. I pressed on for a few minutes, but then abandoned what was turning into a unnecessarily rushed evolution. I think this became a quicksave, and then later (after your update) I erroneously grabbed it. That would explain why the Post LM Extraction checklist items (and others) are not done.

The switch guards are just sloppiness on my part.

A few other minor catches (some are really just me nitpicking :p) but you seem like a stickler for accuracy:
Ha! I figure you all went through a ton of effort to accurately model the CSM and LM systems. I'm just trying to follow the published procedures, and I appreciate how the simulation realistically models the "real" spacecraft. If I screw up a procedure, I find out pretty quickly.

Speaking of which: when I switch the LM PWR to CSM I'm reading zero volts on the system test indicator. Is that a sim issue or did I miss a step?

Hope this helps a bit!
It helps a lot. Thank you.
 

rcflyinghokie

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Speaking of which: when I switch the LM PWR to CSM I'm reading zero volts on the system test indicator. Is that a sim issue or did I miss a step?
Which meter display are you reading? Should be 4D as the test meter is modeled on earlier missions not J missions
 

indy91

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For the S-IVB, there are indeed two commands you need to send to the S-IVB for it to do the desired maneuvers. In the MCC scenarios it is automatic, but as they are started by ground commands and depend on when you separate from the S-IVB, they have to be send manually.

To do this use the Project Apollo MFD and go to the IU page. There is a SRC button where you need to enter the name of the S-IVB vessel in the simulation ("SA-510-S4BSTG" I think). The two commands are shown in the flight plan, so just do them at the scheduled time. First the "evasive yaw maneuvers" and then "Start Timebase 8". Slightly confusing names, the second uplink is what causes the S-IVB APS its evasive burn. And press UPL each time of course, you will get a message if it worked or not. In both cases you should be able to see visually that it worked, too. With the first command the S-IVB starts a yaw (from +40° to -40°) and in the second case you will see the small ullage thrusters fire.
 
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