Flown double-sided ‘LM Contingency Checklist’ page carried into lunar orbit during the Apollo 13 mission, 5.5 x 8, signed and flight-certified in blue ballpoint, “Flown to the moon on Apollo 13, Fred Haise, Apollo 13 LMP," who signs again in the same manner on the opposite side. Both checklist pages are identified as “LM-7” and “P27 Update (LM),” and contain handwritten in-flight notations made in ballpoint and felt tip by Haise; these annotations proved vital to the safe rescue of the Apollo 13 astronauts as they relate to the essential jettisoning of both the damaged Service Module and the crew’s ‘lifeboat,’ the Lunar Module Aquarius. In fine condition.
Accompanied by a signed letter of authenticity from Haise, who writes: “Accompanying this letter is a page from our LM Contingency Checklist carried on the flight of Apollo 13. I used this particular page to record critical flight data for both the Service Module and Lunar Module separation maneuvers. My actual flight notes read: ‘SM SEP PAD, Following MCC-7 mau, R 000 (degrees) P 091.3, Y 000. @ GET 138:10:00, EI - 4 1/2 hrs, execute push of 0.5 fps, 4 jet ullage then execute SM Sep followed by pull of 0.5 fps.’ These were the real-time procedures to separate the Service Module from the still-docked Command and Lunar Modules. This CM/LM configuration had never been flown during Apollo.
After the Mid-Course Correction (MCC) maneuver number 7, we placed the CSM/LM configuration in the position defined by the R, P, and Y angles. At the Ground Elapsed Time (GET) of 138 hours and 10 minutes, 4.5 hours before Entry Interface (or entering the earth's atmosphere), we then ‘pushed’ the SM with the LM's 4 small attitude control engines at 0.5 feet per second (fps), released the SM from the CM/LM, then ‘pulled’ away from the SM at 0.5 fps.
The last major flight step prior to entering the earth's atmosphere was to jettison the LM. It had served as our ‘life boat’ during the mission and was the only vehicle capable of placing the entire docked configuration on a proper trajectory to return safely to the earth after the SM oxygen tank explosion. My actual notes on the opposite side of this sheet read: ‘LM SEP PAD, Prior to 141:40:00 (EI - 1:00) manver to following attitude R 130, P 125, Y 012.4. Corresponding CSM gimble angle - R 291, P 196 Y 045.’ Other notes are: ‘2 Bat C current, 30.2 Bat A volt” and the numbers ‘31021, 25248, 09050.’ Only one hour before entry into the earth's atmosphere, we placed the CM/LM docked vehicles in the attitude defined by the R, P, and Y angles. Then we jettisoned the LM, allowing the atmospheric pressure inside the docking tunnel to push the vehicles apart. I also recorded the current flow of battery C and the voltage of battery A.
These two flight maneuvers were the last critical steps to insure James Lovell, Jack Swigert, and myself could return to the earth. These steps were developed and tested by ground support crews during round-the-clock efforts after the Service Module explosion occurred some 56 hours into the mission.”
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