Happy Apollo 8 Day!

Glom · #1 (**permalink**) 21-December-2002, 01:21 PM

In this festive season, many days are celebrated, Christmas, Hanukah, Eid, etc. Well now, there's Apollo 8 Day. The 21st December 1968 was the launch of the first ever manned Lunar mission. This festive season lasts 7 days, and so we have this carol.

On the first day of Apollo 8 day, my true love gave to me,
A Saturn V on an ML.
On the second day of Apollo 8 day, my true love gave to me,
Two LOI burns,
and a Saturn V on an ML.
On the third day of Apollo 8 day, my true love gave to me,
Three CM couches,
Two LOI burns,
and a Saturn V on an ML.
On the fourth day of Apollo 8 day, my true love gave to me,
Four RCS thruster quads,
Three CM couches,
Two LOI burns,
and a Saturn V on an ML.
On the fifth day of Apollo 8 day, my true love gave to me,
Five F-1 engines,
Four RCS thrusters quads,
Three CM couches,
Two LOI burns,
and a Saturn V on an ML.
On the sixth day of Apollo 8 day, my true love gave to me,
Six Hasselblad cameras,
Five F-1 engines,
Four RCS thruster quads,
Three CM couches,
Two LOI burns,
and a Saturn V on an ML.
On the seventh day of Apollo 8 day, my true love gave to me,
Seven mid-course corrections,
Six Hasselblad cameras,
Five F-1 engines,
Four RCS thruster quads,
Three CM couches,
Two LOI burns,
and a Saturn V on an ML.

More festive cheer coming soon...

Colt · #2 (**permalink**) 22-December-2002, 01:37 AM

That rocks. [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] -Colt

Glom · #3 (**permalink**) 22-December-2002, 11:11 AM

Today's carol:

O Saturn V,
O Saturn V,
How loud your ignition.
You accelerate to Max Q,
In seventy-seven seconds.
You thrust with the S-IC,
The S-II, then the S-IVB.
Into Earth Parking Orbit,
Ready for TLI.

ToSeek · #4 (**permalink**) 22-December-2002, 02:56 PM

Sorry to nitpick, but were there two LOI burns?

I definitely appreciate and endorse the thought, however.

Glom · #5 (**permalink**) 22-December-2002, 05:48 PM

Yes. The first at 69:08:20 GET inserted Apollo 8 into 111 by 315km orbit, while the second at 73:35:05 GET circularised the orbit at 111km.

ToSeek · #6 (**permalink**) 23-December-2002, 12:58 AM

Quote:

On 2002-12-22 12:48, Glom wrote:
Yes. The first at 69:08:20 GET inserted Apollo 8 into 111 by 315km orbit, while the second at 73:35:05 GET circularised the orbit at 111km.

Poetic and technically correct. Excellent!

Glom · #7 (**permalink**) 23-December-2002, 11:09 AM

Jingle bells, those F-1 bells, jingle all five,
O what fun it is to ride on SA-503.
Jingle bells, those J-2 bells, jingle all six,
O what fun it is to ride in CM-104.

Rushing through the belts,
On a free-return trajectory,
Heading to pericynthian,
At an altitude of one hundred and thirty kilometres,
Gonna see the far side,
Photograph Tsiokolvsky,
Gonna read from Genesis as another Earthrise comes.

nebularain · #8 (**permalink**) 24-December-2002, 02:19 AM

Oh, I know, I know. . .

"You're a mean one - Mr. Sibrel"
You really are a heel.
You're as cuddly as a cactus,
You're as charming as an eel.
Mr. Sibrel"

[img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

Glom · #9 (**permalink**) 21-December-2003, 05:37 PM

Happy Apollo 8 Day!

gethen · #10 (**permalink**) 21-December-2003, 05:46 PM

Glom must not have exams coming up, as he clearly has way too much time for such merriment. :wink:
I hope there's more coming.

Glom · #11 (**permalink**) 21-December-2003, 05:47 PM

I used up all my Apollo 8 Day carols last year.

gethen · #12 (**permalink**) 21-December-2003, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glom

I used up all my Apollo 8 Day carols last year.

I don't believe that. Glom run out of material for satire? It'll never happen.

Sever · #13 (**permalink**) 21-December-2003, 05:51 PM

These are great.

Glom · #14 (**permalink**) 21-December-2003, 05:57 PM

Give me some carols to parody and I'll try to come up with something.

Andromeda321 · #15 (**permalink**) 21-December-2003, 06:55 PM

Grandma got run over by a lander,
She said there was no real moon landing...

Someone else care to continue?

gethen · #16 (**permalink**) 21-December-2003, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glom

Give me some carols to parody and I'll try to come up with something.

Joy to the World, the Eagle has landed......

Wrong Apollo mission, I know, but I'm sure you can fix it.

Superluminal · #17 (**permalink**) 22-December-2003, 03:02 AM

On the rim, orange dust is a glisning
In the back room, they're a listning
Harrisons gloves are to tight
But he's happy tonight
Walking in a lunar wonder land.

Later on, if you wanna
You can put Tracys initials on a big breccia
Genes covered with dust
But he's happy tonight
Walking in a lunar wonder land.

Before heading up the ladder
Harry threw away his hammer
Now the missions complete
They're happy tonight
Been driving in a lunar wonder land. =D>

We can also celebrate Apollo 17 in December as well.

Superluminal · #18 (**permalink**) 22-December-2003, 03:11 AM

Grandma got runned over by Gene Cernan
Walking home from our crater Christmas eve
You can say there's no such thing as Earthmen
But as for me and grandpa we believe.

SpaceTrekkie · #19 (**permalink**) 22-December-2003, 03:25 AM

wow...all those are great...i am not creative enough (or motivated enough) to make one but those are all fabulos!

kucharek · #20 (**permalink**) 22-December-2003, 08:02 AM

Just in case you don't know:
Apollo 8 Flight Journal, currently approaching the Moon...

Harald

kucharek · #21 (**permalink**) 22-December-2003, 08:09 AM

Never forget this classic:

Twas the night before Christmas and way out in space,
the Apollo 8 crew had just won the moon race.
The headsets were hung by the consoles with care,
in hopes that Chris Kraft soon would be there.

Frank Borman was nestled all snug in his bed,
while visions of REFSMMAT's danced in his head;
and Jim Lovell, in his couch, and Anders, in the bay,
were racking their brains over a computer display.

When out of the DSKY, there arose such a clatter,
Frank sprang from his bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the sextant he flew like a flash,
to make sure they weren't going to crash.

The light on the breast of the moon's jagged crust
gave a luster of green cheeses to the gray lunar dust.
When what to his wondering eyes should appear,
but a Burma Shave sign saying 'Kilroy was here.'

But Frank was no fool. He knew pretty quick
that they had been first; this must be a trick.
More rapid than rockets, his curses they came.
He turned to his crewmen and called them by name.

Now Lovell, now Anders, now don't think I'd fall
for an old joke you've written up the wall.
They spoke not a word, but grinning like elves,
and laughed at their joke in spite of themselves.

Frank sprang to his couch, to the ship gave a thrust,
and away they all flew past the gray lunar dust.
But we heard them explain ere they flew around the moon:
'Merry Christmas to earth; we will be back there real soon.'

Mellow · #22 (**permalink**) 22-December-2003, 12:06 PM

Who'd have thought all these songs....

Of course a bona fide pop group had a UK hit with "Saturn Five" all about our favourite big fuel tanker. I post a selection here, from memory, so sorry if they're wrong....

Lady take a ride on a Zeke 64 Jerry wants to be a rockette
There's a popular misconception
Says we haven't seen anything yet
Laying down the lifeless corpse of President 35
The lady crying by his side is The most beautiful woman alive Saturn 5
You really were the greatest sight
Stretching out on a summer's day
Houston is calling me back to her

An eagle lands
And a planet full of people raises its hands
All hail the men Who will walk up in heaven today
Monochrome TV
All the things you ever represented to me
Take me once more Take me to heaven again

Saturn 5 You really were the greatest sight Stretching out on a summer's day
Houston is calling me back to her
....repeat

gethen · #23 (**permalink**) 22-December-2003, 02:05 PM

Kucharek, is that your own? I'm impressed.

kucharek · #24 (**permalink**) 22-December-2003, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gethen

Kucharek, is that your own? I'm impressed.

Uh, no! It really happened on Apollo 8 and was read up to the crew by Jack Schmitt. The almighty ALSJ also covers this story - as the Apollo 8 Flight Journal hasn't reached the moon yet...
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17.launch.html

Quote:

183:36:46 Schmitt: Hey, Gordy. In honor of one of your comm handovers last night, and in the tradition of Apollo 8, I've got a paraphrase of a familiar poem for you.

183:37:01 Fullerton: Okay; go ahead.

183:37:03 Schmitt: Well, "It's the week before Christmas and all through the LM, not a commander was stirring, not even Cernan. The samples were stowed in their places with care, in hopes that with you, they soon will be there. And Gene in his hammock and I in my cap, had just settled our brains for a short lunar nap. But up on the comm loop there rose such a clatter, I sprang from my hammock, to see what was the matter. The Sun on the breast of the surface below, gave the luster of objects, as if in snow. And what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a miniature Rover and eight tiny reindeer. And a little old driver so lively and quick, I knew in a moment, it must be St. Nick. I heard him exclaim as over the hills he did speed. Merry Christmas to all and to you all Godspeed."

183:38:22 Fullerton: Very good.

183:38:27 Cernan: Gordo, that was the first time I heard that and I got to say that is beautiful!

[Cernan - "I still think it's a classic. That's what I meant (a little while ago) about the tone of the moment."]

183:38:33 Fullerton: I agree. Did the LMP get any sleep or did he spend all night composing that?

183:38:43 Cernan: People always said we ought to have a poet in space.

183:38:48 Schmitt: I don't think we've made it yet. (Answering Fullerton) No, for some reason I really woke up with one of your handovers last night, and that was how I went back to sleep. (Pause) Gordy, that's for the kids. They are the future.

183:39:20 Fullerton: Rog, Jack. (Long Pause)

[Gene thinks Jack may have made some notes and was using them as he recited his creation. Jack has a vague recollection of having used notes.]
[Schmitt - "The Apollo 8 reference is that somebody in the MOCR wrote a paraphrased version of 'The Night Before Christmas' and I read it up to the crew. As a kid I had given recitations of it."]

[On Christmas Day 1968, about 45 minutes after Apollo 8 had a successful engine burn to put themselves on a homeward-bound trajectory, the following conversation was recorded for posterity, starting at 89:59:18.]

[CapCom: Jack's been watching you since LOI (Lunar Orbit Insertion), and he has a few words he wants to give you.]

[Borman: Go ahead.]

[Schmitt: Typhoid Jack here, and we have some good words here that originated at the Cape with a bunch of friends of yours. And It's sort of a paraphrase of a poem that you probably are familiar with. Do you read me, Apollo 8?]

[Borman: You are loud and clear, Jack.]

[Schmitt: Okay. "'Twas the night before Christmas and way out in space, the Apollo 8 crew had just won the Moon race. The headsets were hung by the consoles with care, in hopes that Chris Kraft soon would be there. Frank Borman was nestled all snug in his bed, while visions of REFSMMAT's danced in his head; and Jim Lovell, in his couch, and Anders, in the bay, were racking their brains over a computer display. When out of the DSKY there arose such a clatter, Frank sprang from his bed to see what was the matter. Away to the sextant he flew in a flash to make sure they weren't going to crash. The light on the breast of the Moon's jagged crust gave a luster of green cheese to the gray lunar dust. When what to his wondering eyes should appear, but a Burma Shave sign saying 'Kilroy was here.' (Laughter) But Frank was no fool; he knew pretty quick that they had been first; this must be a trick. More rapid than rockets, his curses they came. He turned to his crewmen and called them by name. Now Lovell, now Anders, now don't think I'd fall for an old joke you've written up on the wall. They spoke not a word, but grinning like elves, and laughed at their joke in spite of themselves. Frank sprang from his couch, to the ship gave a thrust, and away they all flew past the gray lunar dust. But we heard them explain ere they flew around the Moon: Merry Christmas to Earth; we will be back there real soon." Great job, gang.]

[Borman: Thank you very much. That was a very good poem; but in order to win the race, you have got to end up on the carriers (the recovery ship).]

[The cultural references in the poem are to Kilroy, "a mythical soldier of World War II whose name was inscribed in unlikely places all over the world by American soldiers" (Webster's Third International Dictionary, 1968) and to the thousands upon thousands of Burma Shave signs that kept American motorists entertained between 1927 and 1963. As detailed in Frank Rowsome's Verse by the Side of the Road, the Burma-Vita Company advertised its brushless shaving cream with sets of six, red-and-white signs spaced far enough apart that there were easily read by passing motorists. Each set of six carried either an advertising message or a public service message, usually in funny verse with two or three words per sign and the last sign always saying "Burma Shave". Two examples from the 1960 campaign are "We've Made Grandpa / Look So Youthful / His Pension Board / Thinks / He's Untruthful / Burma Shave," and "Henry the Eighth / Sure Had / Trouble / Short Term Wives / Long Term Stubble / Burma Shave." A combination of rising costs, increasing urbanization, the development of the Interstate Highway System, and opposition to roadside advertising killed this much loved piece of Americana.]

[Schmitt, 2003 e-mail to David Woods - "During the last week of Apollo 8 training, with which I was deeply involved, I came down with a case of intestinal flu. As a result, I immediately isolated myself from physical contact with the crew. Frank, however, initially thought that his bout of space adaptation intestinal discomfort was the consequence of being exposed to me. Thus, references to 'Typhoid Jack.' If you look at his book, I think that he later admitted that it was a result of space adaptation."]

I hope, this leaves no open questions on the subject...

Harald

George · #25 (**permalink**) 23-December-2003, 12:09 AM

Quote:

On Christmas Eve 1968, one image radically changed our perspective of earth. That evening, the crew of Apollo 8 hosted a live television broadcast from space. The astronauts pointed their camera out the window and gave us earthlings our first glimpse of our home planet

Quote:

Command Module Pilot Jim Lovell said, “The vast loneliness is awe-inspiring and it makes you realize just what you have back there on Earth.” The three-man crew ended the broadcast by taking turns reading from the book of Genesis, sharing with the world their new appreciation for the vastness of God’s creation. That new perspective, seeing earth from space, made our big world look smaller, more fragile than ever before.

I did not realize the classic picture was from Christmas Eve. Great stuff. =D>

[Edit...BTW here is the site (a religous one) here ]

Glom · #26 (**permalink**) 24-December-2003, 01:09 AM

Here we go:

Silent orbit,
Elliptical orbit,
Until the next burn,
When we'll circularise.
Over the horizon, the earth will rise,
As we pass quickly over the far side,
Time for a publicity moment,
Got to keep the White House happy.

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