Scott Carpenter

Going to transmit to—record only, at this time.

Scott Carpenter

The weightless condition is a blessing, nothing more, nothing less.

Scott Carpenter

I am now photographing large cloud banks over the Pacific on a southerly direction.

Scott Carpenter

I'm drifting slowly to retroattitude at this time.

Scott Carpenter

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

CAPCOM

Roger. Aurora Seven, this is Guaymas Cap Com. How me? Over.

Scott Carpenter

Roger, Guaymas, loud and clear. My control mode is now fly-by-wire; gyros are caged, I'm in— maneuver is off. I'll go to automatic mode directly. My status good; the capsule status is good. The fuel is 69-69 [percent], oxygen is 88-100 [percent]. The cabin steam vent has gone to plus 10, I believe that's a bad gage reading, and suit temperature steam vent is coming down slowly, now reading 68 [degrees]. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger. Understand 68 [degrees]. How is your temperature comfort? Over.

Scott Carpenter

Roger. My body comfort is good. I am tracking now a very small particle, one isolated particle, about—there is another, very small, could be a light snowflake.

CAPCOM

Roger. We're reading—we're having a—a bad body temperature reading on you, 102.4 [degrees], probably erroneous.

Scott Carpenter

I can't believe it. My suit temperature shows 60 [degrees] and I feel quite comfortable. I'm sure I would be sweating more than this if my temperature were 102 [degrees].

CAPCOM

Your suit-inlet temperature, near 61 [degrees], so it looks pretty good.

CAPCOM

Roger. It looks like we have a go for the second orbit as everything appears all right for you.

Scott Carpenter

Roger. I was hoping you'd say that, Gordo.

CAPCOM

You start to conserve your fuel a bit and maybe, perhaps, use a little more of your manual fuel.

CAPCOM

Roger, are you ready for Z and R cal?

CAPCOM

Z cal coming on now.

Scott Carpenter

And, mark, coastal passage.

Scott Carpenter

Mark, coastal passage coming over the—Baja.

CAPCOM

How does it look?

Scott Carpenter

Half covered with clouds, and—and the other half is dry. Will you pass on—this message for me, Gordo, to all the troops at Guaymas?

Scott Carpenter

Hola, amigos, felicitaciones a Mexico y especialmente a mi amigos de Guaymas. Desde el espacio exterior, su pais esta cubierto con numbes—and es—also—se muy bello. Aqui el tiempo esta muy bueno. Buena suerte desde Auror Siete.

Note

Translation: Hello, friends, greetings to Mexico and especially to my friends of Guaymas. From outer space, your country is covered with clouds and is very beautiful. Here the weather is very good. Good luck from Aurora Seven.

CAPCOM

Roger, muchas gracias, amigo.

CAPCOM

Give us a blood pressure.

CAPCOM

Roger, do you—I'd like to pass your 2 Alpha time on to you, Scotty.

CAPCOM

Roger, 2 Alpha time is 01 36 13, with a G.M.T. of 14 21 30. That takes into account your clock error.

CAPCOM

Roger, 01 36 13.

Scott Carpenter

Roger, 01 36 13 for 2 Alpha.

CAPCOM

For Golf, 03 00 31.

Scott Carpenter

Roger, 03 00 31 for Golf.

CAPCOM

There's a G.m.t. on that of 15 45 48.

Scott Carpenter

Roger. Standing by for the . . . my mark on the radar test over White Sands.

CAPCOM

CAPCOM

Roger. Command roll now.

Scott Carpenter

No, I'll have to get in a better attitude for you first, Gus. It'll mean nothing this way, I mean Coop.

CAPCOM

You still reading us, Scotty?

Scott Carpenter

Roger. Loud and clear.

CAPCOM

Hearing you also. Have you done your roll for the radar yet?

Expand selection up Contract selection down Close
Scott Carpenter

That's negative. I'm afraid I'm not going to make it, Gordo, unless I get the attitudes—down close.

CAPCOM

Roger. We're reading your attitudes all right at zero now.

Scott Carpenter

Roger. The gyros are caged.

CAPCOM

Aurora Seven, this is Cape Cap Com on emergency voice.

Scott Carpenter

Roger, Cape. Loud and clear. How me?

CAPCOM

Loud and clear. I'm going back to HF/UHF.

CAPCOM

Are you ready for your 2 Bravo time?

Scott Carpenter

Roger. Send 2 Bravo.

CAPCOM

01 49 30.

Expand selection down Contract selection up

Spoken on May 24, 1962, 2:18 p.m. UTC (62 years, 5 months ago). Link to this transcript range is: Tweet

Flight

Roger. 01 49 30.

CAPCOM

Roger. And 2 Charlie time is nominal.

Scott Carpenter

Okay. Stand by one.

Scott Carpenter

Okay, Gus, my status is good; my control mode is fly-by-wire; the gyros are still caged; maneuver is off. Fuel is 62 and 68 [percent]. A little ahead on fuel consumption; fuel quantity light is on; the excess cabin-water light is on. I'll try and get auto mode here directly.

CAPCOM

Roger. Can you give us a blood pressure?

Scott Carpenter

Roger. Blood pressure coming now.

CAPCOM

And after the IOS voice has dropped, will use Zanzibar in that area.

Scott Carpenter

Roger. I heard IOS calling, but I couldn't raise him.

CAPCOM

Aurora Seven, use a normal balloon release.

Scott Carpenter

And are you going to give me a mark for that?

CAPCOM

Roger. One at an elapsed time of 01 37.

CAPCOM

Roger. In 2 minutes, Echo will be almost directly overhead.

CAPCOM

Could you give us a cabin steam and suit temperature, please?

Scott Carpenter

Roger. Suit steam is 69 [degrees] and cabin is plus 11. That dropped down very suddenly when the excess cabin-water light came on. I think I'm going to—increase . . . I'll try to increase suit-water flow one more time. If that doesn't work I'll drop—down—to closed and start over again.

CAPCOM

Aurora Seven, cut back your cabin water.

Scott Carpenter

Okay. Cabin water going back. I'll start now at two. This is 20 degrees below launch value.

CAPCOM

Roger. I'm going to give you a Z cal.

CAPCOM

Okay. I'm going to give you an R cal.

CAPCOM

Aurora Seven, Cap Com. Do you read?

Scott Carpenter

Roger. Loud and clear.

CAPCOM

Roger. Everything looks good down here, except for your fuel usage; you better watch that a little bit.

CAPCOM

Aurora Seven, have you deployed the balloon?

Scott Carpenter

That is negative. Stand by.

Scott Carpenter

Balloon deploy, now. The balloon is out and off. I, I see it way out, but it—I think now it is way out, and drifting steadily away. I don't see the line. I don't see that any attempt was made to inflate the thing. It's just drifting off.

Scott Carpenter

I have only the rectangular shape tumbling at this point about 200 yards back, barely visible; and now wait, here is a line. That was the cover, the balloon is out.

CAPCOM

Understand. The balloon is out.

Scott Carpenter

There is very little acceleration here.

CAPCOM

Aurora Seven, did the balloon inflate?

Scott Carpenter

The balloon is partially inflated. It's not tight. I've lost it at this moment. Wait one, I'll give you a better reading shortly.

Scott Carpenter

There is an oscillation beginning.

CAPCOM

This is an oscillation in the balloon?