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.

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.

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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?

Scott Carpenter

The line is still not taut. I have some pictures of the line just waving out in back. I would say we have about a one-cycle-per-minute oscillation. It's both in pitch and yaw.

CAPCOM

How many cycles per minute?

Scott Carpenter

One cycle per minute, or maybe 1 cycle in a minute and a half.

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Spoken on May 24, 1962, 2:23 p.m. UTC (61 years, 10 months ago). Link to this transcript range is: Tweet

Scott Carpenter

The moon is just above the horizon at this time.

Scott Carpenter

I have a picture of the balloon.

CAPCOM

Aurora Seven, Cap Com. Repeat your last message.

Scott Carpenter

Roger. I've got a washer to put away.

Flight

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

Scott Carpenter

Roger. Bermuda Flight, reading you loud and clear.

Flight

Switch wobulator switch off.

Scott Carpenter

Roger. Phase shifter.

Scott Carpenter

Phase shifter is off.

Scott Carpenter

Phase shifter is on, now.

CC (Cape)

Aurora Seven, Cap Com. What control mode?

CC (Cape)

Thank you.

Flight

Bermuda Flight. How do you read?

Scott Carpenter

Hello, Bermuda Flight. Reading you loud and clear. How me?

Flight

Will you run a blood pressure, please? Read you loud and clear.

Scott Carpenter

Roger. Blood pressure starting now.

Scott Carpenter

I have lost sight of the balloon at this minute.

Scott Carpenter

Also, Bermuda, the balloon not only oscillates in cones in pitch and yaw, it also seems to oscillate in and out toward the capsule; and sometimes the line will be taut, other times it's quite loose.

Scott Carpenter

It's now about 50 degrees off of the flight path.

Scott Carpenter

Pictures of whirls taken, just east of Bermuda, now the balloon line is tight.

Scott Carpenter

At 01 45 30, I have turned the cabin, or the suit-water valve all the way off and back up to one.

Scott Carpenter

I'm taping now the fuel quantity warning lights in preparation for the dark side. I think also excess cabin water I'll tape. It's not a satisfactory lighting arrangement to …

Scott Carpenter

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

CAPCOM

Aurora Seven, Aurora Seven, this is Canary Cap Com. How do you read? Over.

Scott Carpenter

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

CAPCOM

Roger. You're coming into UHF range. Proceed with the short report. Over.

Scott Carpenter

Roger, Canary. My status is good; the capsule status is good; my control mode is automatic; gyros normal; maneuver off. Fuel 51-68 [percent], oxygen 85-100 [percent]; my cabin steam vent temperature now is picking up and reading about 19, suit steam vent temperature still reading 70 [degrees]. I have backed it off to zero and reset it at one. Over.

CAPCOM

. . . cabin exhaust temperature. Over.

Scott Carpenter

Cabin exhaust temperature is climbing back up to 19. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger. Have you been doing any drifting flight? Over.

Scott Carpenter

That is Roger. I did quite a bit of drifting flight on the dark side over Woomera and Canton. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger. Did you observe any haze layers? Over.

Scott Carpenter

Roger, I did observe haze layers but not the ones that were separated from the horizon that we expected, and that John reported. I'll keep a sharp lookout next time and try to see them after sunset. On the light side there is nothing more than the bright, iridescent blue layer, which separates the actual horizon from the deep black of space. Over.

CAPCOM

Aurora Seven, you are fading rapidly. You are fading. MCC [Mercury Control Center] is worried about your auto fuel and manual fuel consumption. They recommend that you try to conserve your fuel.

Scott Carpenter

Roger. Tell them I am concerned also. I will try and conserve fuel.

CAPCOM

Aurora Seven, Aurora Seven, I cannot read you. Do you read Canary Cap Com? Over.

Scott Carpenter

Roger. Canary, copied your message. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger. Understand copied message regarding fuel and consumption.

CAPCOM

Surgeon here has requested a blood-pressure transmission.

Scott Carpenter

Blood pressure is coming your way now.

CAPCOM

We are receiving same at Canaries and it looks good.