Spacelog Mercury 7

Roger.

What was that on your yaw?

I have the yaw needle on the 250 stop.

Roger.

I will not cage until after I get rid of the balloon, and then I can start a slow yaw to the left to pick it off the stop.

Roger.

Roger. Can you turn your wobulator on now and leave it on?

Roger. It has been on, and I haven't touched it.

Roger. Understand.

Do you want it off?

Roger. On and off in approximately 20-second intervals.

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.

My suit valve, water valve temperature now is—about 8.

Hello, hello, Kano Cap Com, Aurora Seven. Reading you loud and clear. How me?

I've noticed that every time I turn over to the right everything seems vertical, but I am upside down.

Now, for the record.

I still feel that, I could easily feel like I am coming in on my back.

I could very easily come in from another planet, and feel that I am on my—on my back, and that earth is up above me, but that's sorta the way you feel when you come out of split S, or out of an Immelmann.

Keno on HF. If you read me, the surgeon requests that you take a blood-pressure check now, a blood-pressure check for the onboard record. Over.

Roger. Reading you, Keno, loud and clear. Blood pressure start at this time.

Visor is coming closed now.

Aurora Seven, Aurora Seven, this is Kano Cap Com. If you read me, would you do a blood-pressure check for the onboard records. Over.

Okay. I'm taking the—I've taken the big back off; going to record only, at this time. Have taken the big back off of the camera and trying to get some more MIT film at this time. The filter is in. The cassette—is in the camera.

The zero g senta sensations are wonderful. This is the first time I've ever worn this suit and had it comfortable.

I don't know which way I'm pointed, and don't particularly care.

Roger. At this time I am hearing Kano calling for a blood-pressure check. I will give it to him now. Let's see, I have fuel 45-43, still would like to get just a little rate—just a little one.

Let's see, we wanta go back that way.

I can't see any relationship between thruster action and the fireflies.

Mark MIT pictures to 3 35 36, crank two by—at infinity.

Coastal passage over Africa.

I'm taking many MIT pictures, at capsule elapsed [time] 03 38 38. It will be the only chance we have. I might as well use up all the film.

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

Aurora Seven, this is IOS Com Tech, on HF and UHF. How do you read? Over.

Roger Loud and clear. How me, Indian Cap Com?

Aurora Seven, this is Indian Cap Com. I did not read all of your transmission, but the part I monitored was loud and clear. Go ahead.

Roger. My status is good, the capsule status is good. I am in drifting flight on manual control. Gyros are caged. The fuel reads 45-42 [percent], oxygen 79-100 [percent]. Steam vent temperatures both read 65 [degrees] now; suit temperature has gone down nicely. It is now 62 [degrees], and all the power is good. The blood pressure is starting at this time. I've just finished taking some MIT pictures, and that is all I have to report at this time.

Roger, Aurora Seven. I copy your control mode manual; gyro caged; fuel 45-42 [percent]; oxygen 79-100 [percent]; and I did not hear the last part of your transmission. How do—

Roger. My status is good; the suit temperature has reduced considerably; steam vent temperatures now read 69 [degrees] on cabin and suit, suit temperature is 62 [degrees], and cabin temperature is 101 [degrees]. Over.

Roger. Suit temperature 62 [degrees], and cabin temperature 101 [degrees]. Your blood pressure is starting—and understand you are on the manual. Understand also you are drifting for awhile.

That is Roger. I am.

Confirm.

I am on manual control. I am allowing the capsule to drift. Over.

Roger.

Also another departure from the plan is the fact that I have been unable to jettison the balloon. The balloon is still attached—should be no problem.

Roger. Understand no problem expected, but balloon is still attached. Stand by.

Aurora Seven, this is Indian Cap Com. All our retrosequence times are nominal. Do you want me to call them out to you? Over.

Negative. I have them all, thank you.

Aurora Seven, your last transcription was unreadable. You are fading badly, although intermittently. I will read retrosequence times in the blind. Area 3 Delta, 04 12 32, 04 12 32; Echo 04 22 27; 3 Echo 04 22 27; and the last . . . we have is 04 32 26… now and your capsule clock is still within 1 second.

Roger, Kano. I copied all that.

Roger, Aurora. You were loud and clear.

The sunsets are most spectacular. The earth is black after the sun has set. The earth is black; the first band close to the earth is red, the next is yellow; the next is blue; the next is green; and the next is sort of a—sort of a purple. It's almost like a very brilliant rainbow. It extends at some

Indian Cap Com. Check you see about all colors between the horizon and the night sky. You seem to see more layers than Friendship Seven.

Roger. These layers extend from at least 90 degrees either side of the sun at sunset.

Aurora Seven, I did not hear your whole sentence. Will you repeat, please? Over.

Roger. This bright horizon band extends at least 90° north and south of the position of the sunset.

Roger. Understand. About the balloon, does Mercury Control Center know you did not—

Yes. I tried to release it over their station and was unable to do so. You might remind them that the balloon is still on.

Roger, Aurora Seven. Understand.

Aurora Seven, Indian Cap Com. Your inverter temperatures are 183 [degrees] for the 150, and 195 [degrees] for the 250. All your other primaries check out okay on telemetry.

Roger. Thank you very much.