The Other Side
Public Servce Broadcasting Lyrics


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Apollo Control, Houston, 2 minutes 50 seconds from time of L.O.S. now
Our distance away from the Moon: 460 nautical miles
Velocity: 74-17 feet per second
Here in Mission Control we're standing by
There's uh certainly a great deal of anxiety at this moment
We acquire at 36 minutes, so
So at 68 hours 55 minutes, continuing to monitor
This is Apollo Control

So at this time we're gonna stand by and continue to monitor the loops here in Mission Control
For our 'go'/'no-go' decision

1 minute 30 seconds away now from Loss Of Signal
Our distance away from the Moon now 401 nautical miles
Velocity reading: 75-35
As we continue with this flight of Apollo 8

Apollo 8, Houston, 1 minute to L.O.S., all systems go

Our flight control team in Mission Control here has examined the data and it looks good
So we have a combined crew-ground decision
We are 'go' for lunar orbit insertion 1

Apollo 8, 10 seconds to go, you're 'go' all the way

Roger

Thanks a lot, troops

We'll see you on the other side

We've had, uh, Loss Of Signal with Apollo 8
At 68 hours 58 minutes 45 seconds
We will watch with continuing interest the A.O.S. clock here in Mission Control

They're travelling over the back side of the Moon now
Our velocity reading here: 7-7-7-7 feet per second
Now we are in our period of the longest wait
Continuing to monitor, this is Apollo Control, Houston

Apollo Control, Houston, we've acquired signal but no voice contact yet
We're standing by

We're looking at engine data and it looks good
Tank pressure's looking good

Apollo 8, Apollo 8, this is Houston, Houston over

Roger, Houston. We read you loud and clear. How do you read us?

Right, we've got it, we've got it
Apollo 8 now in lunar orbit, there's a cheer in this room
This is Apollo Control, Houston, switching now to the voice of Jim Lovell

...by 60.5. Good to hear your voice





The unmanned lunar spacecraft traversed the moon perhaps over 10, 000 times
But this is the first that a man aboard reported to his compatriots here on Earth

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Public Service Broadcasting’s “The Other Side” are a transcription of the famous exchange that took place on December 24, 1968, between the Apollo 8 spacecraft and NASA’s Mission Control center in Houston as the spacecraft entered lunar orbit. The song opens with an announcement of the distance of the spacecraft from the moon and a report of its velocity, but quickly shifts focus to the high level of anxiety at Mission Control as they await the critical “go” or “no go” decision for the Apollo 8’s lunar orbit insertion. As the spacecraft disappears behind the far side of the moon during its orbit, Mission Control loses communication and begins the long and nerve-wracking wait for the spacecraft to emerge from behind the moon and re-establish contact.


In the final verse of the song, the communication link between Apollo 8 and Earth is successfully re-established, and there is a collective cheer in the Mission Control room as they hear the astronauts’ voices again. The final lines of the song acknowledge the historic significance of the moment, as for the first time a human being reports back to Earth from lunar orbit.


“The Other Side” is a haunting and atmospheric song that captures the tension and excitement of a pivotal moment in human history. Its use of actual recordings of the Apollo 8 crew and Mission Control personnel creates a sense of immediacy and urgency that draws the listener into the drama of the moment.


Line by Line Meaning

Apollo Control, Houston, 2 minutes 50 seconds from time of L.O.S. now
Houston is two minutes and fifty seconds away from losing contact with the Apollo 8 spacecraft.


Our distance away from the Moon: 460 nautical miles
The Apollo 8 spacecraft is 460 nautical miles away from the Moon.


Velocity: 74-17 feet per second
The spacecraft is travelling at a velocity of 74-17 feet per second.


Here in Mission Control we're standing by
Mission Control is waiting for further information from the spacecraft.


There's uh certainly a great deal of anxiety at this moment
There is a lot of anxiety in Mission Control due to the upcoming loss of signal from the spacecraft.


We acquire at 36 minutes, so
Mission Control will acquire the spacecraft's signal after 36 minutes.


So at 68 hours 55 minutes, continuing to monitor
Mission Control is monitoring the spacecraft at 68 hours and 55 minutes into the mission.


This is Apollo Control
This is Mission Control speaking.


So at this time we're gonna stand by and continue to monitor the loops here in Mission Control
Mission Control will continue to monitor the spacecraft's signals at this time.


For our 'go'/'no-go' decision
Mission Control is waiting for further information to decide whether to proceed or not.


1 minute 30 seconds away now from Loss Of Signal
Mission Control is 1 minute and 30 seconds away from losing contact with the spacecraft.


Our distance away from the Moon now 401 nautical miles
The spacecraft is 401 nautical miles away from the Moon now.


Velocity reading: 75-35
The spacecraft is travelling at a velocity of 75-35 feet per second.


As we continue with this flight of Apollo 8
Mission Control is continuing to monitor the Apollo 8 mission.


Apollo 8, Houston, 1 minute to L.O.S., all systems go
Houston informs Apollo 8 that all systems are set to 'go' and they have 1 minute until loss of signal.


Our flight control team in Mission Control here has examined the data and it looks good
The flight control team in Mission Control has analyzed the data and deemed it good.


So we have a combined crew-ground decision
Mission Control and the crew of Apollo 8 have made a decision together.


We are 'go' for lunar orbit insertion 1
Mission Control has made the decision to proceed with lunar orbit insertion 1.


Apollo 8, 10 seconds to go, you're 'go' all the way
Houston informs Apollo 8 that they have 10 seconds to go and are 'go' all the way.


Roger
Apollo 8 acknowledges Houston's message.


Thanks a lot, troops
Mission Control thanks the crew of Apollo 8.


We'll see you on the other side
Mission Control will see the crew on the other side of their mission.


We've had, uh, Loss Of Signal with Apollo 8
Mission Control has lost contact with the spacecraft.


At 68 hours 58 minutes 45 seconds
The loss of signal occurred at 68 hours, 58 minutes, and 45 seconds into the mission.


We will watch with continuing interest the A.O.S. clock here in Mission Control
Mission Control will continue to monitor the A.O.S. clock to regain contact with the spacecraft.


They're travelling over the back side of the Moon now
The spacecraft is travelling over the back side of the Moon at the moment.


Our velocity reading here: 7-7-7-7 feet per second
The velocity of the spacecraft is 7777 feet per second.


Now we are in our period of the longest wait
The period of the longest wait has started in Mission Control.


Continuing to monitor, this is Apollo Control, Houston
Houston is continuing to monitor the Apollo mission.


Apollo Control, Houston, we've acquired signal but no voice contact yet
Houston informs Mission Control that they have acquired the signal but haven't received any voice contact yet.


We're standing by
Mission Control is standing by for further information.


We're looking at engine data and it looks good
Mission Control is analyzing the engine data, and it looks good.


Tank pressure's looking good
The tank pressure is under control and looks good.


Apollo 8, Apollo 8, this is Houston, Houston over
Houston is trying to establish contact with Apollo 8.


Roger, Houston. We read you loud and clear. How do you read us?
Apollo 8 acknowledges Houston's message and enquires about its reception.


Right, we’ve got it, we’ve got it Apollo 8 now in lunar orbit, there's a cheer in this room This is Apollo Control, Houston, switching now to the voice of Jim Lovell
Mission Control received contact with the spacecraft, and they're ecstatic to hear that Apollo 8 is now in lunar orbit. They switch to Jim Lovell to congratulate him on this achievement.


...by 60.5. Good to hear your voice
Jim Lovell reports his position to Mission Control and thanks them for congratulating him.


The unmanned lunar spacecraft traversed the moon perhaps over 10, 000 times But this is the first that a man aboard reported to his compatriots here on Earth
An unmanned spacecraft may have traversed the moon countless times, but this is the first time that humans have done it and reported back to Earth.




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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

CR D

Apollo Control, Houston, 2 minutes 50 seconds from time of L.O.S. Now
Our distance away from the Moon 460 nautical miles, velocity 7417 feet per second
Here in Mission Control, we're standing by
There's uh certainly a great deal of anxiety at this moment
We acquire at 36 minutes
So at 68 hours 55 minutes, continuing to monitor, this is Apollo Control
So at this time we're gonna stand by
And continue to monitor the loops here in Mission Control for our 'go'/'no-go' decision
1 minute 30 seconds away now from Loss Of Signal
Our distance away from the Moon now 401 nautical miles,
Velocity reading 7535, as we continue with this flight of Apollo 8
Apollo 8, Houston, 1 minute to L.O.S., all systems go
Our flight control team in Mission Control here has examined the data and it looks good
So we have a combined crew-ground decision, we are 'go', repeat 'go', for lunar orbit insertion 1
Apollo 8, 10 seconds to go, you're 'go' all the way
Roger
Thanks a lot, troops
We'll see you on the other side
We've had, uh, Loss Of Signal with Apollo 8, at 68 hours 58 minutes 45 seconds,
We will watch with continuing interest the A.O.S. Clock here in Mission Control
They're travelling over the back side of the Moon now
Our velocity reading here 7777 feet per second
Now we are in our period of the longest wait
Continuing to monitor, this is Apollo Control, Houston
Apollo Control, Houston, we've acquired signal but no voice contact yet, we're standing by
We're looking at engine data and it looks good; tank pressure's looking good
Apollo 8, Apollo 8, this is Houston, Houston over?
Roger, Houston
We read you loud and clear
How do you read us?
Right, we've got it, we've got it
Apollo 8 now in lunar orbit; there's a cheer in this room
This is Apollo Control, Houston, switching now to the voice of Jim Lovell
By 60.5. Good to hear your voice
The unmanned Lunar Orbiter spacecraft traversed the moon perhaps over 10, 000 times,
But this is the first that a man aboard reported to his compatriots here on Earth



All comments from YouTube:

Mike Prior-Jones

This track presses my buttons in a very special way: working as a radio operator, I lost contact with an aircraft over Antarctica for several hours. The palpable relief I felt when I was finally able to confirm they were safe is directly echoed in this track, as is the heart-in-mouth waiting.

TransLunar11

Sounds fascinating! What's the story?

Heyiya-if

What the other dude said, sounds like story around the campfire time.

Mike Prior-Jones

@Heyiya-if see above!

1 More Replies...

Jam

I have listened to this piece of music absolutely countless times and it never gets any less tense.
So moving.
What a special bunch of guys these people are. Love this band

Rytis Šeškaitis

Perhaps over 10000 times?

BigOne

As other people have already mentioned. This album should be on the curriculum for anyone doing modern history, music or science at school. Words fail me is all I can say...

Kilo Matrage

I get goosebumps everytime I listen to this song

Nathan Gaskell

So im not alone

Gareth Hodge

As contact is re-established? Every time I am nervous. 😂 It brings tears to my eyes.

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