LTA-8 lunar countdown tests not needed soon

PE/Chief, LM Project Engineering DivisionJAN 16 196868-PA-T-10APA/Chief, Apollo Data Priority CoordinationLTA-8 lunar countdown tests not needed soon

1. This memo is to close the loop on at item brought up in a memo from Myron Kayton to me (EG21-M-51-67, dated December 29) regarding a lunar countdown timeline test on the LTA-8. You sent your copy to me stamped “action.” I reviewed this business with Myron and some other people. The most important point to be made is that he did not intent to imply addition of these tests in the first series of LTA-8 runs. For one thing, it must be in a lunar landing configuration to be meaningful. Furthermore, we do not have a countdown in hand for the crew to use even if we wanted to do it. Once we are ready to conduct lunar ascent countdown tests, we will probably exercise them in the LMS since this provides the best simulation of the overall operation. As a supplement to that, it may be desirable to include one or two runs with actual equipment such as would be available on an LTA, but I would like to emphasize a simulation test program of this nature has not been laid out, by and means, or is its requirement clear.

2. None of those I spoke to know what is scheduled in your LTA test program. For example, we assume, but ask if it is true, that the LTA will be recycled through again, or is this a one shot affair. If it is going to be run again we would be interested in when you envision it being done in the lunar landing configuration, so that any proposals we might make are compatible.