Telemetry and Communications to Apollo Flight Controllers

Abstract

The focus of this paper is on the use of telemetry and communications as essential tools in Apollo flight operations. The operational capabilities of the spacecraft and ground systems are described briefly to provide a background for detailing the management of the Apollo data system. The Mission Control Center is the central point of the operations and the recipient of all real-time Apollo data. Therefore, the operational structure within the mission operations control room is outlined briefly, with emphasis on the flight controllers who are the prime users and manipulators of telemetry data. The Instrumentation and Communications Officer (INCO) and the Operations and Procedures Officer (PROCEDURES) in the mission operations control room are responsible for the compatibility control of both the spacecraft and ground telemetry and communications systems. Their mission duties in four areas are detailed: (1) space-vehicle/ground communications compatibility, (2) telemetry subcarrier and bit-rate control, (3) spacecraft antenna management, and (4) data retrieval. The INCO and the PROCEDURES, through effective management of the many communications-systems modes of operation, maximize the amount of preferred real-time and playback data being transmitted to the Mission Control Center. The importance of the data is illustrated by specific mission events from the Apollo 11, 12, and 13 missions.