STS
Well-known member
As done with Apollo 7, in this thread I will do a debrief of the various Flight Days of Apollo 8, as flown on my recent real time simulation. I believe that this debriefs help users and provide feedback to the NASSP Team.
I considered the flight days as follows, on a different manner as on Apollo 7, and one that I believe is simpler:
For the first 24 hours of mission, the following activities were scheduled:
This procedure was, as always, started at T-4 hours. Word Checklist was followed, and a V35 was added after computer power up. Procedure was completed in 56 minutes and 6 seconds.
Prime crew prelaunch:
Procedure was started at T-2 hours and 40 minutes, following the Word Checklist. At T-1 hour, 39 minutes and 26 seconds, the hatch was closed, from the VC, by using the following clickspot:
Saturn V Boost procedure:
First Saturn V to fly with a crew lifted off at 07:51:00 local time, and the boost procedure was done by following the Word Checklist. Cabin pressure decreased during first stage climbout. Tower jettison was a few seconds late. At 00:06:13 GET an RCS was fired by mistake, when performing the GPI test. SECO occured at 00:11:13 GET. Insertion data was as follows:
Post insertion checks and config:
Steps for post insertion were performed in the following order: Step 1, Step 5, Step 2, Step 3, Step 16, Step 4, Step 12 (just GDC Align to IMU), Step 7, Step 8, Step 9, step 11.
Steps 9, 10 and 11 were performed as able, while step 8 was completing. COAS was then installed, and then continued with step 6 and 12 (IMU realign, P52 option 3, stars 6 and 17). Checklist was continued at GET 01:31:45, with Step 13, after AOS and completed by 01:37:30 by performing step 17 and 15.
Data for step 13 was as follows (SCS ATT reference comparison check):
TLI:
PAD for TLI was received at 01:47:25 GET and was as follows:
S-IVB Ullage begun (reported) at 02:49:10 GET
S-IVB Restarted for TLI at 02:50:23 GET and burnt for 5 minutes and 17 seconds.
TLI Data is as follows:
Transposition demo and S-IVB photography:
Preparation for S-IVB sep was started at 03:15:48 GET.
Separation from the S-IVB ocurred at 03:21:00 GET and the THC was used to command the separation. As on Apollo 7, a pitch up was obtained. Transposition was performed in AUTO mode and photos were taken from the S-IVB.
Evasive maneuver from S-IVB:
Maneuver around the S-IVB, in preparation for evasive maneuver started at 03:36:00 GET.
Evasive maneuver was performed at 03:43:58 GET, applying -1.5 fps in the X axis.
P23 runs with Earth Horizons:
The following P23´s were run starting at 04:20:00 GET.
Star 14 ENH, Star 15 EFH and Star 16 EFH.
Results are as follows
MCC-1 was scrubbed, maybe because of the RCS hotfire at 00:06:13 GET, or the sneeze at 04:51:12 GET.
Crew took a power NAP from 08:07:00 GET to 08:33:00 GET.
P23 runs with Earth Landmarks:
The following P23´s were run starting at GET 09:11:00
Star 15 and 16, Earth Landmark 10 (Punta Yoyameko)
Landmarks could not be seen on Earth, despite being enabled. Maybe because of the distance from Earth Surface?
Results are as follows:
Trajectory de-correction:
It was determined that as MCC-1 was scrubbed, because trajectory was very nice, if MCC-2 got also scrubbed a bug may occur and MCC would "break", so a decorrection was needed to force MCC-2.
At GET 17:00:44 a +X burn with translation was performed at 0,0,0 attitude, and 1 fps Delta V
Rest periods:
The first sleep period of the mission was started at 13:30:00 GET and finished at 16:15:00
Next "sleep" period started at 18:30:00 GET and finished at 20:40:00 GET.
Next "sleep" period started at 21:10:00 GET.
P23 runs with Earth Horizons:
To conclude FD1, the following P23´s were run starting at GET 17:20:00:
Star 22 EFH and Star 16 EFH.
Results are as follows
I considered the flight days as follows, on a different manner as on Apollo 7, and one that I believe is simpler:
- FD1 (18/05/2022) GET -04:30:00 to GET 24:00:00
- FD2 (19/05/2022) GET 24:00:00 to GET 48:00:00
- FD3 (20/05/2022) GET 48:00:00 to GET 72:00:00
- FD4 (21/05/2022) GET 72:00:00 to GET 96:00:00
- FD5 (22/05/2022) GET 96:00:00 to GET 120:00:00
- FD6 (23/05/2022) GET 120:00:00 to GET 144:00:00
- FD7 (24/05/2022) GET 144:00:00 to GET 148:15:26
For the first 24 hours of mission, the following activities were scheduled:
- Backup Crew Prelaunch Procedure
- Prime Crew Prelaunch Procedure
- Saturn V Boost Procedure
- Post insertion checks and config
- TLI
- Transposition demo and S-IVB photography
- Evasive maneuver from S-IVB
- P23 runs with Earth Horizons
- MCC-1
- P23 runs with Earth Landmarks
- P23 runs with Earth Horizons
This procedure was, as always, started at T-4 hours. Word Checklist was followed, and a V35 was added after computer power up. Procedure was completed in 56 minutes and 6 seconds.
Prime crew prelaunch:
Procedure was started at T-2 hours and 40 minutes, following the Word Checklist. At T-1 hour, 39 minutes and 26 seconds, the hatch was closed, from the VC, by using the following clickspot:

Saturn V Boost procedure:
First Saturn V to fly with a crew lifted off at 07:51:00 local time, and the boost procedure was done by following the Word Checklist. Cabin pressure decreased during first stage climbout. Tower jettison was a few seconds late. At 00:06:13 GET an RCS was fired by mistake, when performing the GPI test. SECO occured at 00:11:13 GET. Insertion data was as follows:
N62 VI +25558
N62 H DOT +00008
N62 H PAD +01036
N44 HA +01039
N44 HP +00998
N44 TFF -59 59
Post insertion checks and config:
Steps for post insertion were performed in the following order: Step 1, Step 5, Step 2, Step 3, Step 16, Step 4, Step 12 (just GDC Align to IMU), Step 7, Step 8, Step 9, step 11.
Steps 9, 10 and 11 were performed as able, while step 8 was completing. COAS was then installed, and then continued with step 6 and 12 (IMU realign, P52 option 3, stars 6 and 17). Checklist was continued at GET 01:31:45, with Step 13, after AOS and completed by 01:37:30 by performing step 17 and 15.
Data for step 13 was as follows (SCS ATT reference comparison check):
DSKY: +18009 +00047 +00052
ATT Set dials: 180.3 001 000.5
TLI:
PAD for TLI was received at 01:47:25 GET and was as follows:
TLI preparation checklist was started at 02:15:30 GET, by following the Checklist MFD.TLI
02:40:44 TB6p
179 R
045 P
001 Y
5:17 BT
10499.0 DVC
35569 VI
357 R SEP
081 P SEP
002 Y SEP
S-IVB Ullage begun (reported) at 02:49:10 GET
S-IVB Restarted for TLI at 02:50:23 GET and burnt for 5 minutes and 17 seconds.
TLI Data is as follows:
N62 VI +35568
N62 H DOT +04749
N62 H PAD +01775
Transposition demo and S-IVB photography:
Preparation for S-IVB sep was started at 03:15:48 GET.
Separation from the S-IVB ocurred at 03:21:00 GET and the THC was used to command the separation. As on Apollo 7, a pitch up was obtained. Transposition was performed in AUTO mode and photos were taken from the S-IVB.
Evasive maneuver from S-IVB:
Maneuver around the S-IVB, in preparation for evasive maneuver started at 03:36:00 GET.
Evasive maneuver was performed at 03:43:58 GET, applying -1.5 fps in the X axis.
P23 runs with Earth Horizons:
The following P23´s were run starting at 04:20:00 GET.
Star 14 ENH, Star 15 EFH and Star 16 EFH.
Results are as follows
+00047
+00142
---------
+00003
+00009
+00014
+00037
---------
+00010
+00024
MCC-1:+00024
+00052
MCC-1 was scrubbed, maybe because of the RCS hotfire at 00:06:13 GET, or the sneeze at 04:51:12 GET.
Crew took a power NAP from 08:07:00 GET to 08:33:00 GET.
P23 runs with Earth Landmarks:
The following P23´s were run starting at GET 09:11:00
Star 15 and 16, Earth Landmark 10 (Punta Yoyameko)
Landmarks could not be seen on Earth, despite being enabled. Maybe because of the distance from Earth Surface?
Results are as follows:
+00326
+00108
---------
+00626 (bad)
+00202 (bad)
---------
+00184
+00058
+00333
+00095
---------
+00353
+00099
Trajectory de-correction:
It was determined that as MCC-1 was scrubbed, because trajectory was very nice, if MCC-2 got also scrubbed a bug may occur and MCC would "break", so a decorrection was needed to force MCC-2.
At GET 17:00:44 a +X burn with translation was performed at 0,0,0 attitude, and 1 fps Delta V
Rest periods:
The first sleep period of the mission was started at 13:30:00 GET and finished at 16:15:00
Next "sleep" period started at 18:30:00 GET and finished at 20:40:00 GET.
Next "sleep" period started at 21:10:00 GET.
P23 runs with Earth Horizons:
To conclude FD1, the following P23´s were run starting at GET 17:20:00:
Star 22 EFH and Star 16 EFH.
Results are as follows
+00779 (Bad)
+00107 (Bad)
-----------
+01180 (Bad)
+00161 (Bad)
-----------
+00922 (Bad)
+00126 (Bad)
-----------
+00834 (Bad)
+00113 (Bad)
P23 run discarded (Star 22 EFH)
+02612 (Bad)
+00426 (Bad)
------------
+01032 (Bad)
+00167 (Bad)
P23 run discarded (Star 16 EFH)
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