Spacelog Mercury 7

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

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

Say again, Seven.

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

Have copied. Evidently the cloud coverage is too tight.

At this time I have extensive cloud coverage—wait.

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

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

Roger. Understand.

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

Roger. Wilco.

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

Loud and clear, Woomera. Go ahead.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

Roger. I'll get to that shortly.

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

Roger.

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

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

. . . is that affirmative?

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

Roger.

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.

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

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