Scott Carpenter

Roger. My mode is auto, gyro normal, maneuver off.

CAPCOM

Aurora Seven, Kano Cap Com. Be sure you're on fly-by-wire before going through the procedures for uncaging.

Scott Carpenter

Roger. Roger. Understand.

Scott Carpenter

I'm going to be unable to complete the MIT pictures on this pass, I believe. Negative, negative, I can fix the problem. Too much film was out of the canister, that was the problem. Film is now in tight. The small back going on now.

Scott Carpenter

At 00 29 43, the first time I was able to get horizon pictures with MIT film. Set at F8 and 125th. A picture to the south into the sun, directly down my flight path is number two. Number three, 15 degrees north at capsule elapse 00 30 17.

Scott Carpenter

Stowing the camera at this time. Going to the gyro uncaging procedure at this time. Fly-by-wire, now. Gyros going to cage. Maneuver at this point is on.

Scott Carpenter

Pitching down, yawing left.

Comm Tech

Aurora Seven, Aurora Seven, Aurora Seven. This is I.O.S. Com Tech on HF and UHF. How do you read? Over.

Scott Carpenter

Roger, Indian Com Tech. Aurora Seven reading you weak but readable. Go ahead.

Comm Tech

Aurora Seven, Aurora Seven. This is I.O.S. Com Tech on HF and UHF. How do you read? Over.

Scott Carpenter

Hello, Indian Ship Cap Com. Aurora Seven. Loud and clear. How me?

Scott Carpenter

Hello, Indian Cap Com, Indian Cap Com, Aurora Seven. How do you read?

Scott Carpenter

Hello, Indian Cap Com, Indian Cap Com, Aurora Seven. How do you read?

Scott Carpenter

At 00 34 28, I'm increasing the cabin water valve and the suit valve to 6 [degrees]. Steam vent temperature now reads 65 and 75 [degrees].

Scott Carpenter

Mark African coastal passage, about 20 seconds ago.

Scott Carpenter

I'm using the airglow filter at this time. Visor is coming open for a better look at that. Hello, Indian Cap Com, Aurora Seven. Do you read?

Scott Carpenter

Maneuver [switch] is going off at this time, and I'm going to aline manually to retroattitude.

Scott Carpenter

Okay. That took me some time to aline my attitudes properly. Three more pictures with MIT film: 2, 3, directly into the sun at an elapsed time of 00 39 42.

Expand selection down Contract selection up

Spoken on May 24, 1962, 1:23 p.m. UTC (62 years, 4 months ago). Link to this transcript range is: Tweet

Scott Carpenter

Okay, going through …

Scott Carpenter

The big back is going on the camera at this time. There was a period there when nothing was recorded because I was in VOX power off, instead of record. The big …

Scott Carpenter

At 00 43 02, I think my gyros are properly alined.

Scott Carpenter

What in the world happened to the periscope?

Scott Carpenter

Oh, its' dark, that's what happened. It's facing a dark earth. Sunset F16 to F, okay; we'll start with F16. Up north, coming south. Try some at 250.

Scott Carpenter

It's getting darker. Let me see. Muchea contact, sometime. Oh, look at that sun.

Scott Carpenter

F5.6 That was those last four, were F3.8. It's quite dark. I didn't begin to get time to dark-adapt.

Scott Carpenter

Photo lights are off. Cabin lights are going to red at this time. Oh, man, a wide, a beautiful, beautiful red like in John's pictures. Going to fly-by-wire.

Scott Carpenter

It is a reflection. It is a reflection in the window. That's too bad.

Scott Carpenter

I see at this point; I'm not sure I am recording on VOX record. I will go to transmit. I have Venus, now approaching the horizon.

Scott Carpenter

It's about 30 degrees up. It's just coming into view. Bright and unblinking. I cannot—I can see some other stars down below Venus. Going back to ASCS than at this time.

Scott Carpenter

Bright, bright blue horizon band as the sun gets lower and lower—the horizon band still glows. It looks like five times the width of the—the diameter of the sun. I'm at—now at 00 47 34 elapsed.

Scott Carpenter

It's now nearly dark, and I can't believe I'm where I am.

Scott Carpenter

Oh, dear, I've used too much fuel.

Scott Carpenter

Well, I'm going to have to increase. Let's see, going to ASCS at this time.

Scott Carpenter

My fuel reads 75-100 [percent] at this time. The window—is Venus occlude. No, that—that is not correct. Venus did not occlude. I'm getting out the equipment to measure Venus occlusion.

Scott Carpenter

There is too much red light in the cockpit from the time correlation. Venus at above the—horizon.

CAPCOM

Aurora Seven. This is Muchea Cap Com. How do you read?

Scott Carpenter

Hello, Muchea Cap Com, Aurora Seven. Loud and clear. How me, Deke?

CAPCOM

Rog. Coming in very good, dad. Sound very good. How's things going?

Scott Carpenter

Roger. Things axe going very well. My status is very good. The capsule status is very good. The control mode is normal. Automatic gyros normal and maneuver off. Fuel is 72-100 [percent]. Oxygen 88-100 [percent]. Everything is normal with the exception of—-the fact that I am a tad behind in the flight plan. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger. Understand.

Scott Carpenter

Blood pressure is starting now.

CAPCOM

Okay. Blood pressure starting. We suggest that you do not exercise during the blood pressure since your temp is up.

Scott Carpenter

Roger. This is the story on the suit temp. I have increased two 10-degree marks since lift-off. And now about—well, 15 degrees above launch mark. My steam vent temperatures read 69 and 80 [degrees]. I'll take one more stab at increasing or decreasing temperature by increasing flow rate. If this doesn't work, I'll turn them off and start lower. Over.

CAPCOM

Rog, Understand. I'll give you some retrotimes while you're sending blood pressure. End of orbit is 01 28 18. End of mission is 04 32 28.

Scott Carpenter

Roger. Understand. End of orbit 01 28 18 and 04 32 28 for end of orbit. Over. End of mission.

CAPCOM

That's affirmative. We indicate your clock is 1 second slow and this is compensated for.

CAPCOM

G.m.t. time hack at this time—we're coming up on 13 36 57. Mark.