UnclassifiedDepartment of War

17-TRANSCRIPT-1972

Prepared summary.

| | CC | Yes, we copied your VI and your EMS numbers, and we've got a number for you. Maneuver start time will be at 03 plus 33 plus 27. | |-|-|-| | | LMP | Okay, we got you. Maneuver at 03:33:27. | | | cc | That's affirmative, Jack. | | | LMP | You guys didn't tell us we couldn't see anything going through the sunrise. | | | cc | (Laughter) Roger. | | 00 03 25 01 | cc | 17, Houston. We're making plans here for a space craft SEP time of 03 plus 43. | | | LMP | 03 plus 43. Roger. | | 00 03 27 27 | cc | 17, Houston. We're copying cabin press of 5.9 this time. | | 00 03 27 27 | CMP | Roger. We - we just got it, Bob. | | 00 03 27 27 | cc | Okay. | | 00 03 27 27 | CMP | Thank you. | | 00 03 31 55 | LMP | Frame 65 for the LMPs mag November November. | | 00 03 34 10 | LMP | Okay. We - we are maneuvering, Houston. | | | cc | Roger. We're watching it. | | | CMP | Now we've got a few very bright particles or frag ments or something that go drifting by as we maneuver. | | | CC | Roger. Understand. | | | LMP | There's a whole bunce of big ones on my window down there - just bright. It looks like the Fourth of July out of Ron's window. | | | CMP | Yes. Now you can see some of them in shape. 'They're very jagged, angular fragments that are tumbling. |

Source

Record register

1 records

Serial 36f7c2d4-0beb-4274-996f-26a3ce821558 / 1972-12-01

Apollo 17 Technical Air-to-Ground Voice Transcription, Unidentified Phenomenon Excerpts, December 1972

Awaiting review

During the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972, Command Module Pilot Ronald Evans reported "very bright particles or fragments or something" drifting past the spacecraft during a maneuver at Day 00, 03:34:10. Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt described the view as looking "like the Fourth of July," while Mission Commander Eugene Cernan estimated the fragments as "flat, flakelike particles," some possibly 6 inches across and twinkling. Evans speculated the fragments might be ice chunks or paint from the S-IVB stage but called that "a wild guess."