Spacelog Mercury 7

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.

Roger.

Aurora Seven, Cap Com. Can you give us a comment on the zero g experiment?

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.

Aurora Seven, Cap Com. Repeat as much of your last message as you can.

Aurora Seven, Aurora Seven, this is Canary Cap Com on HF. Do you read? Over.

Hello, hello, Canary Cap Com, Aurora Seven. Reading you loud and clear; HF. Transmitting HF. How do you read? Over.

Aurora Seven, this is Canary Cap Com on HF. Do you read? Over.

Roger, Canary Cap Com. Reading you loud and clear; HF. How me? Over.

These pictures of the—small groups of closely knit clouds are south of Canary, third orbit.

This must be crossing [Intertropical Convergence Zone] (ITCZ). I have never seen weather quite like this.

This is Canary Cap Com on HF. Do you receive? Over.

Aurora Seven, this is Canary Cap Com. We had no transmissions from you. This is Canary Islands, signing out.

I have the Voasmeter out 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.