CAPCOM

You are manual control. Is that right?

Scott Carpenter

That is correct. My control mode is manual; gyros free; maneuver off. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger. Could you give us . . . could you give us cabin temperature?

Scott Carpenter

Roger. Cabin temperature is 102 [degrees] at this time.

CAPCOM

Roger. What is the suit temperature?

Scott Carpenter

Suit temperature is 74 [degrees]; suit steam exhaust is 71 [degree].

CAPCOM

Roger. Understand. Are you feeling a little more comfortable at this time?

Scott Carpenter

I don't know. I'm still warm and still perspiring, but not really uncomfortable. I would like to—I would like to nail this suit temperature problem down. It—for all practical purposes, it's uncontrollable as far as I can see.

CAPCOM

Roger. Understand. You might have to wait a few more minutes before this takes effect. You are on No. 6. Is that right?

Scott Carpenter

That is right. Suit temperature is No. 6.

CAPCOM

Roger. Systems reports that your suit temperature has dropped 2 degrees over station, if that's any encouragement to you.

Scott Carpenter

Roger. Thank you. It is.

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Spoken on May 24, 1962, 3:20 p.m. UTC (61 years, 10 months ago). Link to this transcript range is: Tweet

CAPCOM

Have you taken any food thus far?

Scott Carpenter

Yes, I have. However, the food has crumbled badly; and I hate to open the package any more for fear of getting crumbs all over the capsule. I can verify that eating bite-size food as we packaged for this flight is no problem at all. Even the crumbly foods are eaten with no, with no problem.

CAPCOM

Roger. How about water?

Scott Carpenter

I had taken four swallows at approximately this time last orbit. As soon as I get the suit temperature pegged a little bit, I'll open the visor and have some more water. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger. You are still coming in very loud and clear.

CAPCOM

. . . out at this time.

Scott Carpenter

For the record now—

Scott Carpenter

One of the labels for a fuse switch has slipped out, and sideways, and has tied the adjoining fuse switch together with it. This happened to emergency-main and reserve-deploy fuse switches.

Scott Carpenter

I caged the gyros. They are too critical. I will try and navigate on the dark side without the gyros.

Scott Carpenter

The fuse switch should be glued in better so that turning off one fuse does not turn off the adjoining one.

Scott Carpenter

I guess I'd better try to get that xylose pill out. I hate to do this.

Scott Carpenter

Oh yes. There is the xylose pill. It didn't melt. All the rest of the stuff in here did melt.

Scott Carpenter

Okay. Xylose pill being consumed at 02 41 35. The rest of the food is pretty much of a mess. Can't stand this cabin temperature.

Scott Carpenter

Hello, Canton Com Tech. Aurora Seven reads you loud and clear. How me?

CAPCOM

This is Canton Cap Com. Read you loud and clear. Could you begin your short report, please?

Scott Carpenter

Roger, George. My control mode is manual. The gyros are caged, maneuver is off. Fuel is 45 and 64 [percent], a little ahead of schedule. Oxygen reads 82-100 [percent]. Steam vent temperature in the suit is dropping slightly. It's a little below 70 [degrees]. Cabin is 4.6 [psia]. Suit temperature has dropped to about 71 [degrees] now. All the power is good, and here is a blood pressure. Over.

CAPCOM

Okay, standing by for blood pressure.

CAPCOM

We are receiving the blood-pressure check. Over.

CAPCOM

Do you plan on eating as called for by … Over.

Scott Carpenter

I did have the visor open a short time ago for the xylose pill. All of the rest of the food that I have aboard has either crumbled or melted. It's unusable in its present state so I think the xylose pill will constitute my last zero g meal. However, the first one, before the food crumbled, was quite easy. It's no problem to eat this bite-size food—in a weightless state. I also drank some water at that time, which was no problem.

CAPCOM

Roger. I take it, from what you said then, that you have confirmed that your faceplate is closed for the decision on the third orbit.

Scott Carpenter

That is correct. My faceplate is closed. Also, what is the trend of my cabin pressure on the ground? Over.

CAPCOM

Stand by, please.

CAPCOM

We are checking on your request there, Scott. Could you hit that button again? We lost your EKG.

Scott Carpenter

Oh, you want blood pressure or EKG?

CAPCOM

No, we lost the EKG. Possibly you could press on those sensors. Okay, Surgeon informs me that the EKG is now returning. Your other question, cabin pressure is staying at 5.1 [psia] approximately.

Scott Carpenter

Roger. No change in reading since launch. Is that correct?

CAPCOM

Negative on that. It's gone from 5.8 [psia] at launch to approximately 5.1 [psia] in very, very gradual descending trend.

Scott Carpenter

Roger. My cabin pressure indicator is reading 4.8 [psia] at this time.

CAPCOM

Roger, I have no comment on this, just that the trend appears to be good here on the ground.

CAPCOM

Do you have any specific comments on your balloon experiments; for example, the best color contrast with the

Scott Carpenter

Yes, I would say the day-glow orange is the best.

CAPCOM

Roger. For your information, the second sunrise should be expected in approximately 3 to 4 minutes.