Spacelog Mercury 7

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.

How many cycles per minute?

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

The moon is just above the horizon at this time.

I have a picture of the balloon.

Aurora Seven, Cap Com. Repeat your last message.

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

Roger.

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

Roger. Bermuda Flight, reading you loud and clear.

Switch wobulator switch off.

Roger. Phase shifter.

Mark!

Phase shifter is off.

Phase shifter is on, now.

Aurora Seven, Cap Com. What control mode?

Fly-by-wire.

Thank you.

Bermuda Flight. How do you read?

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

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

Roger. Blood pressure starting now.

I have lost sight of the balloon at this minute.

Roger.

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.

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

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

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

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 …

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

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

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

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

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.

. . . cabin exhaust temperature. Over.

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

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

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

Roger. Did you observe any haze layers? Over.

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.

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.

Roger. That's good to hear.

Aurora Seven, do you have anything to report on your balloon test? Over.

Roger. The balloon is oscillating through an arc of about 100 degrees. It gets out of view frequently. At this moment, it's nearly vertical. Mark a coastal passage at this time—it seems to—what I'm trying to tell you is that it oscillates 180 degrees, above and below. Over.

It also oscillates in and out. Sometimes the line is tight and other times it is not.

When I look over to the right side, I have the sensation that—

Hello.

This is Kano. How do you read? Over.

Hello, Kano. Aurora Seven. Loud and clear. How me?

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

Hello Kano. Loud and clear. How me?

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

Kano, this is Aurora Seven. Reading you loud and clear. How me?

Aurora Seven, Kano Cap Com. What is your status? Over.

Roger. My status is good; fuel reads 51 [percent] and—and 69 [percent]; oxygen is 84 [percent] and 100 [percent]; cabin pressure is holding good. All d-c and a-c power is good. The only thing of—to report regarding the flight plan is that fuel levels are lower than expected. My control mode now is ASCS. I expended my extra fuel in trying to orient after the night side. I think this is due to conflicting requirements of the flight plan. I should have taken time to orient and then work with other items. I think that by remaining in automatic, I can keep—stop this excessive fuel consumption. And the balloon is sometimes visible and sometimes not visible. I haven't any idea where it is now, and there doesn't seem to—and it seems to wander with abandon back and forth, and that's all, Kano.

Roger, Aurora Seven. Will you give us a blood-pressure check again—. Over.

Roger. Blood pressure is on the air.

Aurora Seven, how are you feeling? Your body temperature is up somewhat. How do you feel? Over.

Roger. I feel fine. Last time around I—someone told me it was 102 [degrees]. I don't feel, you know, like I'm that hot. Cabin temperature is 101 [degrees]. I'm reading 101 [degrees], and the suit temperature indicates 74 [degrees].

Are you perspiring any?

Slightly, on my forehead.

Since turning down the suit water valve, the suit steam vent temperature has climbed slightly—am increasing from one to two at this time. This should bring it down. The cabin steam vent temperature has built back up to 40 [degrees].

Roger, Aurora Seven, everything looks okay now. We seem to have lost the body temperature readings from previous stations. We are reading 102 [degrees] right now, but as long as you feel okay right now.

Roger, I feel fine.

Can you see anything of the Gulf of Guinea?

Roger. I just—just passed the coastline, and I am over a solid cloud cover at this time

Roger, Aurora Seven. Would you care to send a greeting to the people of Nigeria?

Roger, please send my greetings and best wishes of me and my countrymen to all Africans. Over.

Roger. Thank you very much. I'm sure it will be appreciated. Over.

Roger.

Aurora Seven, Kano. Are we still in contact? Over.

Say again, Kano.

Roger. Would you repeat in a few words why you thought the fuel usage was great? Over.

I expended it on—by manual and fly-by-wire thruster operation on the dark side, and just approaching sunrise. I think that I can cut down the fuel consumption considerably on the second and third orbits. Over.

Roger. Understand. Over.

Have you started your night adaptation? Over.

Roger

Aurora Seven, Kano. Just for your own information, the 250 inverter is on 180 degrees right now. Over.

Say again, please.

… Over.

At this time, oh-oh, this doggone food bag is a problem.

Actually, the food bag is not a problem, the food inside it is. It's crumbled. I dare not open the bag for fear the crumbs will get all through the capsule.

Things are very quiet.

Roger: Zanzibar. Loud and clear. How do you read Aurora Seven?

Aurora Seven, Aurora Seven, this is Zanzibar Com Tech, transmitting on HF/UHF. Do you copy? Over.

Roger. Loud and clear. How me, Zanzibar?

Auroral Seven, Aurora Seven, this is Zanzibar Cap Com. Read you weak, but readable. Do you have a short report for us?

Roger. My status is good; the capsule status is good; my control mode is automatic; gyros are normal; maneuver is off. Control fuel is 51 [percent] and 69 [percent]; oxygen is 82 [percent] and 100 [percent]. That's about all except I have, so far, been unable to get my suit steam vent temperature down much below 70 [degrees]. Steam vent, or the water control valve, setting at this time is 4 at the prelaunch mark. It may be too high. Turning it off at this time and going to three, which is where the cabin is set. Over.

Aurora Seven, Zanzibar Cap Com. Roger, Roger. Do you have the latest—contingency area times?

Roger: I have them.