A 6″ x 9″ book of approximately 130 pages (65 leaves) on cardstock, three-hole punched and held together with three loose-leaf binder rings. The NASA Part Number is “SKB32100082-309” and the Serial Number is “1001”. The title page lists Dennis L. Bentley as Preparer and Book Manager and the crew presented this to him after the mission, signing on the cover as follows: “To Dennis-/ This document flown to the moon/ on Odessey [sic] 11-17 April 1970. Thanks/ from the Apollo 13 crew-/ Fred Haise“, “James Lovell“, and “Jack Swigert“. This Checklist was used from Liftoff through Translunar Injection (TLI) and Lunar Module Extraction at ~4 hours and 30 minutes. It includes the following procedures: Boost Preparation, Boost Monitoring, Insertion and Systems Checks, TLI Preparation, Nominal TLI, Manual TLI, SC/Booster Separation, Docking with the Lunar Module and Lunar Module Extraction. The crew was trained to fly the Saturn V to orbit or to fly the TLI if the Saturn’s stable member platform failed. The checklist also contains Launch Abort procedures, Emergency procedures for various failures, and Earth Orbit Deorbit and Entry procedures if the TLI is No Go.
Late changes to the checklist were “pen and ink” and those were made with a fine tip black pen. The red notes were made by Ken Mattingly about a week before the flight. Due to his exposure to Measles, backup CMP Jack Swigert took his place at the last minute. The TLI Burn data and the LI + 90 minute abort data was read up to the crew and it was recorded in pencil. The TLI + 90 minute abort was provided in case there was a CSM failure that required a return to earth using the SPS engine.
This Checklist was used again in the Command Module power up procedures. Approximately 400 switches and circuit breakers had to be set for the start of the new power up procedures and instead of reading up all of them, only about 100 switches and circuit breakers that were different than the Liftoff Configuration were read up to Jack Swigert. An important and unique piece of history used not only at the successful start of the mission but also in their harrowing journey home.