Mercury 7 transcript starting at 03 05 35 on Spacelog

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03 05 35
CAPCOM: Roger.
03 05 43
CAPCOM: What was that on your yaw?
03 05 45
Scott Carpenter: I have the yaw needle on the 250 stop.
03 05 50
CAPCOM: Roger.
03 05 52
Scott Carpenter: 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.
03 06 04
CAPCOM: Roger.
03 06 12
CAPCOM: Roger. Can you turn your wobulator on now and leave it on?
03 06 15
Scott Carpenter: Roger. It has been on, and I haven't touched it.
03 06 19
CAPCOM: Roger. Understand.
03 06 20
Scott Carpenter: Do you want it off?
03 06 24
CAPCOM: Roger. On and off in approximately 20-second intervals.
03 06 29
Scott Carpenter: Okay, wobulator going off—Now.
03 06 38
CAPCOM: Roger. We're relaying this.
03 06 46
Scott Carpenter: Am I in a position to do a 360 [degree] roll for them at this time?
03 06 51
CAPCOM: Your 00 yaw; you do have a yaw input in.
03 06 57
Scott Carpenter: Could we do this 360 [degree] roll on this pass at White Sands?
03 07 03
Scott Carpenter: Gordo.
03 07 12
CAPCOM: Aurora Seven, Cape Cap Com.
03 07 15
Scott Carpenter: Roger Cape. Loud and clear and break, break. Guaymas, the wobulator is back on now.
03 07 24
Scott Carpenter: Roger Cape. Go ahead.
03 07 26
CAPCOM: Roger Aurora Seven, Cape Cap Com back on HF. Give me your report.
03 07 32
Scott Carpenter: 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.
03 08 12
CAPCOM: Roger: and how do you feel, now?
03 08 15
Scott Carpenter: I feel pretty good. Still warm.
03 08 18
CAPCOM: Okay, sounds like you'll be all right.
03 08 23
CAPCOM: Did you—your normal balloon release time will be 3 plus 34, Scott?
03 08 28
Scott Carpenter: 3 plus 34, Roger.
03 08 31
CAPCOM: Roger, can you describe the balloon and its actions a little to us?
03 08 35
Scott Carpenter: 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.
03 09 28
CAPCOM: Roger. Surgeon suggests that you drink as much water as you can. Drink it as often as you can.
03 09 38
Scott Carpenter: Roger.
03 09 40
CAPCOM: Retrosequence times for area 3 B and 3 C are nominal.
03 09 43
Scott Carpenter: 3 B and 3 C nominal. Roger.
03 09 50
CAPCOM: And we recommend you go to normal on your gyros with the maneuver switch off.
03 09 55
Scott Carpenter: Roger. The gyros are normal and the maneuver switch is off.
03 09 59
CAPCOM: Roger.
03 10 11
CAPCOM: Would you give us your—your temperature control valve settings, please?
03 10 20
Scott Carpenter: Roger, suit is 7.5, cabin is about 10. That's 10 on the cabin and 5 on the inverters. Over.
03 10 35
CAPCOM: Roger.
03 10 37
CAPCOM: Stand by for Z cal.
03 10 39
Scott Carpenter: Roger, standing by.
03 10 46
CAPCOM: R cal.
03 10 53
Scott Carpenter: Mark a tensiometer reading. It's as tight as I've—as it gets.
03 11 29
CAPCOM: Aurora Seven, Cap Com.
03 11 32
Scott Carpenter: Go ahead, Cap Com.
03 11 33
CAPCOM: . . . drifting flight yet?
03 11 35
Scott Carpenter: Say again.
03 11 36
CAPCOM: Have you done any drifting flight?
Expand selection up Contract selection down Close
03 11 38
Scott Carpenter: That is Roger. And if I am to save fuel for retrosequence, I think I better start again. Over.
03 11 49
CAPCOM: Roger, I agree with you.
03 11 52
Scott Carpenter: My control mode is now manual; gyros are caged, and I will allow the capsule to drift for a little while.
03 12 04
CAPCOM: Roger, and John suggests you try to look back, towards the darkness, at sunrise to see those particles.
03 12 14
Scott Carpenter: Toward the darkness.
03 12 16
CAPCOM: Roger. At sunrise, try to look toward the darkness.
03 12 18
Scott Carpenter: Okay, I have done that, and—and—tell him no joy.
03 12 24
CAPCOM: Roger.
03 12 36
CAPCOM: Aurora Seven, are you in drifting flight?
03 12 38
Scott Carpenter: That is Roger.
03 12 40
CAPCOM: Roger.
03 12 46
Scott Carpenter: I am looking down almost vertically. It's possible to distinguish, I believe, four separate cloud layers.
03 12 57
CAPCOM: Understand.
03 13 07
Scott Carpenter: Balloon—I'll maneuver enough to get the balloon out in trail so I can photograph its departure.
03 13 35
CAPCOM: Roger.
03 13 55
Scott Carpenter: I, incidently, have those little particles visible in the periscope at this time.
03 14 05
CAPCOM: Roger. Understand the periscope.
03 14 22
CAPCOM: Aurora Seven, Cap Com.
03 14 24
Scott Carpenter: Roger. Go ahead.
03 14 26
CAPCOM: 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.
03 14 33
Scott Carpenter: Roger. I'll try. I have balloon jettison on and off, and I can't get rid of it.
03 14 41
CAPCOM: Understand that you can't get rid of the balloon.
03 14 43
Scott Carpenter: That's right. It will not jettison.
03 14 48
CAPCOM: Okay.
03 15 19
CAPCOM: Aurora seven, Cap Com.
03 15 21
Scott Carpenter: Go ahead, Cap Com.
03 15 23
CAPCOM: Give us your blood pressure and fuel reading.
03 15 26
Scott Carpenter: Okay. Fuel is 45-42 [percent]. Blood pressure on the air.
03 15 32
CAPCOM: Rog.
03 15 58
Scott Carpenter: I have the particles visible still. They're streaming aft, but in an arc of maybe a 120 or 130 degrees.
03 16 16
CAPCOM: Aurora Seven, Cap Com. Say again.
03 16 19
Scott Carpenter: 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.
03 16 36
CAPCOM: Roger.
03 16 41
CAPCOM: Aurora Seven, Cap Com. Can you give us a comment on the zero g experiment?
03 16 53
Scott Carpenter: Roger. At this moment, the fluid is all gathered around the standpipe; the standpipe appears to be full and the fluid outside the standpipe is about halfway up. There is a rather large meniscus. I'd say about 60° meniscus.
03 17 27
CAPCOM: Aurora Seven, Cap Com. Repeat as much of your last message as you can.
03 17 32
Scott Carpenter: Roger. The standpipe is full of the fluid. The fluid is halfway up the outside of the standpipe—a rather large meniscus, on angle of about 60 degrees. Over.
03 20 31
CAPCOM: Aurora Seven, Aurora Seven, this is Canary Cap Com on HF. Do you read? Over.
03 21 00
Scott Carpenter: Hello, hello, Canary Cap Com, Aurora Seven. Reading you loud and clear; HF. Transmitting HF. How do you read? Over.
03 21 32
CAPCOM: Aurora Seven, this is Canary Cap Com on HF. Do you read? Over.
03 21 40
Scott Carpenter: Roger, Canary Cap Com. Reading you loud and clear; HF. How me? Over.
03 22 04
Scott Carpenter: These pictures of the—small groups of closely knit clouds are south of Canary, third orbit.
03 22 48
Scott Carpenter: This must be crossing [Intertropical Convergence Zone] (ITCZ). I have never seen weather quite like this.
03 22 54
CAPCOM: This is Canary Cap Com on HF. Do you receive? Over.
03 23 36
CAPCOM: Aurora Seven, this is Canary Cap Com. We had no transmissions from you. This is Canary Islands, signing out.
03 24 33
Scott Carpenter: I have the Voasmeter out at this time.
03 24 53
Scott Carpenter: Hello.
03 25 01
Scott Carpenter: Hello, Canary Cap Com, Aurora Seven. Reading you loud and clear. How me?
03 25 08
CAPCOM: Aurora Seven, this is Canary Cap Com. Do you read? Over.
03 25 12
Scott Carpenter: Go ahead, Canary. Reading you loud and clear.
03 25 18
Scott Carpenter: I am going—I am in the record only position now. I think the best answer to the autokinesis—is that there is none. I noticed none—and I tend to aline the horizontal with my head—it—a horizontal line under zero g is a line parallel to the line drawn between your eyes. I don't get autokinesis. I don't get—now wait a minute, maybe I'm beginning to.
03 26 40
Scott Carpenter: I should remark that at 3 26 33, I have.in the sky, at any time, 10 particles. They no doubt appear to glow to me. They appeared to be little pieces of frost. However. some appear to be way, way far away. There are two—that look like they might be a 100 yards away. I haven't operated the thruster not for some time. Here are two in closer. Now a densiometer reading on these that are in close. Extinct at 5.5, the elapsed time is 3 27 39. I am unable to see any stars in the black sky at this time. However, these little snowflakes are clearly visible.
03 28 13
Scott Carpenter: The cabin temperature has dropped considerable now, and the setting I have on the suit is 7.
03 28 20
Scott Carpenter: Am going to increase it just a tad more.
03 28 40
Scott Carpenter: My suit valve, water valve temperature now is—about 8.
03 28 53
Scott Carpenter: Hello, hello, Kano Cap Com, Aurora Seven. Reading you loud and clear. How me?
03 29 24
Scott Carpenter: I've noticed that every time I turn over to the right everything seems vertical, but I am upside down.
03 29 34
Scott Carpenter: Now, for the record.
03 29 43
Scott Carpenter: I still feel that, I could easily feel like I am coming in on my back.
03 30 03
Scott Carpenter: 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.
03 30 48
CAPCOM: 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.
03 31 00
Scott Carpenter: Roger. Reading you, Keno, loud and clear. Blood pressure start at this time.
03 31 10
Scott Carpenter: Visor is coming closed now.
03 31 39
CAPCOM: 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.
03 32 55
Scott Carpenter: 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.
03 33 43
Scott Carpenter: The zero g senta sensations are wonderful. This is the first time I've ever worn this suit and had it comfortable.
03 34 07
Scott Carpenter: I don't know which way I'm pointed, and don't particularly care.
Note: In paper 7, Astronaut Carpenter is quoted as follows: "Times when the gyros were caged and nothing was visible out the window, I had no idea where the earth was in relation to the spacecraft. However, it did not seem important to me. I knew at all times that I had only to wait and the earth would again appear in the window."
03 34 23
Scott Carpenter: 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.
03 34 49
Scott Carpenter: Let's see, we wanta go back that way.
03 35 35
Scott Carpenter: I can't see any relationship between thruster action and the fireflies.
03 35 43
Scott Carpenter: Mark MIT pictures to 3 35 36, crank two by—at infinity.
Expand selection down Contract selection up
03 36 36
Scott Carpenter: Coastal passage over Africa.
03 38 33
Scott Carpenter: 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.
03 38 54
Scott Carpenter: Hello, Indian Com Tech, Aurora Seven. Loud and clear. How me?
03 39 13
Comm Tech: Aurora Seven, this is IOS Com Tech, on HF and UHF. How do you read? Over.
03 39 18
Scott Carpenter: Roger Loud and clear. How me, Indian Cap Com?
03 39 24
CAPCOM: 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.
03 39 31
Scott Carpenter: 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.
03 40 16
CAPCOM: 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—
03 40 31
Scott Carpenter: 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.
03 40 42
CAPCOM: 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.
03 41 10
Scott Carpenter: That is Roger. I am.
03 41 12
CAPCOM: Confirm.
03 41 13
Scott Carpenter: I am on manual control. I am allowing the capsule to drift. Over.
03 41 18
CAPCOM: Roger.
03 41 19
Scott Carpenter: 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.
03 41 33
CAPCOM: Roger. Understand no problem expected, but balloon is still attached. Stand by.
03 42 04
CAPCOM: Aurora Seven, this is Indian Cap Com. All our retrosequence times are nominal. Do you want me to call them out to you? Over.
03 42 13
Scott Carpenter: Negative. I have them all, thank you.
03 42 19
CAPCOM: 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.
03 43 05
Scott Carpenter: Roger, Kano. I copied all that.
03 43 08
CAPCOM: Roger, Aurora. You were loud and clear.
03 43 20
Scott Carpenter: 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
03 43 54
CAPCOM: 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.
03 44 05
Scott Carpenter: Roger. These layers extend from at least 90 degrees either side of the sun at sunset.
03 44 14
CAPCOM: Aurora Seven, I did not hear your whole sentence. Will you repeat, please? Over.
03 44 19
Scott Carpenter: Roger. This bright horizon band extends at least 90° north and south of the position of the sunset.
03 44 45
CAPCOM: Roger. Understand. About the balloon, does Mercury Control Center know you did not—
03 44 52
Scott Carpenter: 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.
03 45 02
CAPCOM: Roger, Aurora Seven. Understand.
03 45 25
CAPCOM: 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.
03 45 38
Scott Carpenter: Roger. Thank you very much.

Spacelog Mercury 7