Spacelog Mercury 7

Okay, wobulator going off—Now.

Roger. We're relaying this.

Am I in a position to do a 360 [degree] roll for them at this time?

Your 00 yaw; you do have a yaw input in.

Could we do this 360 [degree] roll on this pass at White Sands?

Gordo.

Aurora Seven, Cape Cap Com.

Roger Cape. Loud and clear and break, break. Guaymas, the wobulator is back on now.

Roger Cape. Go ahead.

Roger Aurora Seven, Cape Cap Com back on HF. Give me your report.

Roger. Control mode, manual; gyros normal; the maneuver switch is off. Fuel is 45-45 [percent]; oxygen is 70 [percent], or, correction, oxygen is 80 and 100 [percent]. Suit temperature is 68 [degrees], now and coming down pretty well. Suit steam vent temperature is 69 [degrees], and beginning to be a little more comfortable. Over.

Roger: and how do you feel, now?

I feel pretty good. Still warm.

Okay, sounds like you'll be all right.

Did you—your normal balloon release time will be 3 plus 34, Scott?

3 plus 34, Roger.

Roger, can you describe the balloon and its actions a little to us?

Yes, it has a random drift. There is no oscillation that I can predict whatsoever. The—the line leading to the balloon sometimes is tight; sometimes is loose—loose enough, so that there are loops in it. Its—its behaviour is strictly random as far as I can tell. The balloon is not inflated well either. It's an oblong shape out there, rather than a round figure; and I believe when the sun is on it, the day-glow orange is the most brilliant, and the silver. That's about all I can tell you, Gus.

Roger. Surgeon suggests that you drink as much water as you can. Drink it as often as you can.

Roger.

Retrosequence times for area 3 B and 3 C are nominal.

3 B and 3 C nominal. Roger.

And we recommend you go to normal on your gyros with the maneuver switch off.

Roger. The gyros are normal and the maneuver switch is off.

Roger.

Would you give us your—your temperature control valve settings, please?

Roger, suit is 7.5, cabin is about 10. That's 10 on the cabin and 5 on the inverters. Over.

Roger.

Stand by for Z cal.

Roger, standing by.

R cal.

Mark a tensiometer reading. It's as tight as I've—as it gets.

Aurora Seven, Cap Com.

Go ahead, Cap Com.

. . . drifting flight yet?

Say again.

Have you done any drifting flight?

That is Roger. And if I am to save fuel for retrosequence, I think I better start again. Over.

Roger, I agree with you.

My control mode is now manual; gyros are caged, and I will allow the capsule to drift for a little while.

Roger, and John suggests you try to look back, towards the darkness, at sunrise to see those particles.

Toward the darkness.

Roger. At sunrise, try to look toward the darkness.

Okay, I have done that, and—and—tell him no joy.

Roger.

Aurora Seven, are you in drifting flight?

That is Roger.

Roger.

I am looking down almost vertically. It's possible to distinguish, I believe, four separate cloud layers.

Understand.

Balloon—I'll maneuver enough to get the balloon out in trail so I can photograph its departure.

Roger.

I, incidently, have those little particles visible in the periscope at this time.

Roger. Understand the periscope.

Aurora Seven, Cap Com.

Roger. Go ahead.

We're still fairly happy with your fuel state now. Don't let—we'd like for you not to let either get down below 40 percent.

Roger. I'll try. I have balloon jettison on and off, and I can't get rid of it.

Understand that you can't get rid of the balloon.

That's right. It will not jettison.

Okay.

Aurora seven, Cap Com.

Go ahead, Cap Com.

Give us your blood pressure and fuel reading.

Okay. Fuel is 45-42 [percent]. Blood pressure on the air.

Rog.

I have the particles visible still. They're streaming aft, but in an arc of maybe a 120 or 130 degrees.

Aurora Seven, Cap Com. Say again.

Roger, I have these particles drifting aft again, but they do not parallel the line to the balloon exactly. They drift aft within an arc of maybe 120 to 130 degrees.