Scott Carpenter

Roger. Going to fly-by-wire. It doesn't cost so much.

CAPCOM

Roger. Fly-by-wire, Manual on. Is that affirmative?

Scott Carpenter

Manual is—no, I'm, my control mode is pure fly-by-wire now.

CAPCOM

Roger. Flare test coming up. Stand by. Mark 00 [plus] 58 plus 30. All four flares away.

CAPCOM

Aurora Seven, Aurora Seven, this is Woomera. How do you read? Over.

Scott Carpenter

Roger. Reading you loud and clear. Searching for your flares. Stand by.

CAPCOM

Roger. We still have approximately 60 seconds left.

CAPCOM

You're up to minus 50 [degrees] on roll.

Scott Carpenter

Roger. Backing off. Thank you, thank you. Backing off.

Scott Carpenter

I do not have your flares. I'm sorry, Woomera.

CAPCOM

Say again, Seven.

Scott Carpenter

No joy on your flares. I do not have your flares visible.

CAPCOM

Have copied. Evidently the cloud coverage is too tight.

Scott Carpenter

At this time I have extensive cloud coverage—wait.

CAPCOM

Did you try Aux Damp when you're in fly-by-wire to see if you are holding attitudes?

Scott Carpenter

Negative. I have verified that Aux Damp is operating satisfactorily. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger. Understand.

Scott Carpenter

I have some lights on the ground underneath me. Stand by, I'll try to identify them.

CAPCOM

Roger. Wilco.

CAPCOM

Aurora Seven, Aurora Seven, this is Woomera Cap Com. Do you read? Over.

Scott Carpenter

Loud and clear, Woomera. Go ahead.

CAPCOM

Roger. Could you give us a short report at this time?

Scott Carpenter

Roger. My control mode is fly-by-wire, gyros are free, and the maneuver switch is off. Fuel reads 75-85 [percent], oxygen 88 and 100 [percent]. Wait till I pick a washer out of the air. And everything is very good. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger. You're intermittent. What is your suit temperature? Over.

Scott Carpenter

Roger. Suit temperature is now 70 [degrees]. Suit temperature is 70 [degrees]. Steam exhaust is 70 [degrees]. The cabin exhaust is 80 [degrees].

CAPCOM

Roger. Do you confirm—do you have your—back down to the black scribe mark?

Scott Carpenter

That is negative. I have then both set on seven at this time and—an increase in setting resulted in a decrease—in suit temperature. I think I'd like to try—try them at this setting a little while longer. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger. Understand. I believe at this time you're supposed to have your midnight snack.

Scott Carpenter

Roger. I'll get to that shortly.

CAPCOM

Roger. You're starting to drift or fade slightly.

CAPCOM

Are you prepared to go into drifting flight before too long?

Scott Carpenter

Roger. I can do that at this time. At night yawed—

CAPCOM

. . . is that affirmative?

Scott Carpenter

I am going to drifting flight at this time. Over.

Scott Carpenter

Gyros are caged. I have about a 2-degree-per-second yaw rate. All gyros are zero. I have Corvus directly above me. I'm yawing over the top. I feel that my attitude is—the line of sight is nearly—nearly vertical.

Scott Carpenter

I am in VOX record only now. The time is 01 04 00 elapsed. I'm searching the star charts.

Scott Carpenter

The finish on the star chart is so shiny that—it's impossible to read because of reflection.

Scott Carpenter

I've got to turn white lights on, that's all.

Scott Carpenter

Attitudes are of no concern to me whatsoever. I know I'm drifting freely. The moon crossed the window not too long ago.

Scott Carpenter

Let's see, now what can—I am at this moment rocking my arms back and forth and I can make this show up in the roll, yaw, and pitch needle. By moving my torso, I can make the pitch rate needle move up to 1 degree per second. Roll is, needle, rate needle is very sensitive to this. Yaw is also. Let's see, am going to open the visor at this time. Have a few crumbs of food floating around in the capsule.

Scott Carpenter

At 01 06 106—-at 1 minute, 1 hour and 7 minutes elapsed, I'm going above the scale to approximately 8 on cabin and suit.

Scott Carpenter

Hello, hello, Canton Com Tech, Canton Com Tech, Aurora Seven. Weak but readable. Go ahead.

Comm Tech

Aurora Seven, Aurora Seven. This is Canton Com Tech, Canton Com Tech. Do you read? Over.

Scott Carpenter

Hello, Canton Com Tech, Aurora Seven. Loud and clear. How me?

Scott Carpenter

The food—hello, Canton Com Tech, Aurora Seven. How do you read?

Scott Carpenter

Hello, Canton Com Tech, Aurora Seven. How do you read?

Scott Carpenter

This food has crumbled badly.