See list belowFEB 5 196868-PA-T-28APA/Chief, Apollo Data Priority CoordinationRendezvous radar will be available during critical mission phases.
1. Something rather astounding happened at the Apollo Spacecraft Software Configuration Control Board meeting on Tuesday, January 30. It was so shocking the word spread like wildfire! But just in case you have not already heard, it looks like we are going to get rendezvous radar data on the downlink during the critical LM powered flight mission phases. Previously, MIT had estimated that it would cause a three week impact on Luminary delivery to provide the capability of automatically boresighting the rendezvous radar on the command module and getting its data on the downlink during the descent, ascent and abort programs. As a result, it had been anticipated this program change request would not be approved. Their more detailed analyses, however, showed they could provide these capabilities with no impact at all, and so we're going to get it.
2. During as Ascent Data Priority meeting a while back, we had concluded that we would do no rendezvous radar tracking of the command module immediately prior to liftoff not until the pitchover maneuver shortly after liftoff, at which time the command module would be within the field of view of the radar antenna in mode II. It is probable we will align the antenna prior to liftoff to the shaft and trunion angles which we anticipate would direct the antenna toward the CSM and it will have been powered up to whatever condition is necessary to permit acquisition at that time. There is still some question as to how well the antenna will maintain that position when in the standby mode, but that seems relatively immaterial.