README.md

Apollo 13 dot JSON

This project is a JSON representation of the Apollo 13 Technical Air-to-Ground Transcript originally published by NASA in April 1970. Both a minified version and a pretty version of the JSON are provided.

Source Material

This JSON version was adapted from the plain text version created by Heiko Kueffen. PDF copies of this and other Apollo 13 transcripts are published on NASA's Apollo 13 website.

About the JSON Format

The JSON format presents Kueffen's plain text within a series of keyed objects:

• metadata - Metadata about this file and its sources.
• preamble - The title page and introduction text of the original transcript
• acronyms - The list of acronyms described in the original transcript
• transcript - An array containing each of the verbal communications between the air and ground crews

Each item in the transcript array, representing a single, one-way communication between the air and ground crews, is comprised of the following:

• timestamp - The hhh:mm:ss timestamp from Kueffen's text transcript representing mission hours, minutes, seconds
• ddhhmmss - A timestamp that restores the days, hours, minues, seconds format used in the original, typed transcript
• speaker - The acronym representing the person speaking
• text - The speaker's spoken words, transcribed

A technical description of this format is available in the JSON schema file. The schema file was generated at https://extendsclass.com/json-schema-validator.html from the sample JSON file.

Motivation

I created the JSON format in the hope it could be useful for creating a searchable index of verbal exchanges from the mission.

Notable Exchanges Within the Transcript

Swigert's Tax Return Extension (abbreviated)

Timestamp 024:18:10: Houston reading the news to the crew via CAP COM, "Okay. Some truck lines are being struck in the Midwest, and the school teachers have walked off the job in Minneapolis. Today's favorite pasttime across the - Uh oh; have you guys completed your income tax?"

[...]

Timestamp 024:18:32: CMD responding to a CAP COMM, "Yes, Joe. I got to - hey, listen - It ain't too funny; things kind of happened real fast down there, and I do need an extension."

Followed by various joking, laughter, and a bit later...

Timestamp 024:20:06: "Houston, this is 13. Is it true that Jack's income tax return was going to be used to buy the ascent fuel for the LM?"

Stirring the Cryo Tanks and Initial Problem

Timestamp 055:52:58: CAP COMM requests the air crew stir the oxygen tanks: "13, we've got one more item for you, when you get a chance. We'd like you to stir up your cryo tanks."

Timestamp 055:55:35: Lovell reports the initial trouble with the Service Module's oxygen tank saying, "Houston, we've had a problem. We've had a MAIN B BUS UNDERVOLT."

A Successful Experiment

Timestamp 078:02:44: Swigert, replying to the news that the S-IVB engine successfully crashed into the moon's surface, completing a planned, seismic experiment says, "Well, at least something worked on this flight."

The Mailbox

Timestamp 080:22:13: CAP COMM begins to describe the the procedure to modify the Command Module carbon dioxide scrubber to work in the Landing Module, "Yes. Me wish we could send you a kit and it would be kind of like putting a model airplane together or something. As it turns cut, this contraption will look like a mailbox when you get it all put together. [sic]"

A Good Ship

Timestamp 142:30:50: Mission control mentions contact was lost with Aquarious and Swigert remarks, "She sure was a good ship."