Spacelog Mercury 7

The cabin temperature has dropped considerable now, and the setting I have on the suit is 7.

Am going to increase it just a tad more.

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—

Our medical monitor says that we are reading your respiration. I believe this is almost the first time it's come across.

That's very good. I guarantee I'm breathing.

Roger. Understand.

The eye patch is in place, this time.

Going to record—record only at this time.

At 3 hours and 48 minutes and 51 seconds elapsed, I'm taking a good swig of water. It's pretty cool this time. Stretching my legs a tad. It's quite dark. I'm in drifting flight. Oh, boy! It feels good to get that leg stretched out. That one and the right one too.

I drank an awful lot of water and I'm still thirsty. As a matter of fact, I think there— there is a leak in the urinal, I'm sure.

Okay, line touch.

Don't let me forget about the shiny finish on the star chart. It makes it very hard to read.

At 3 53.

I'm using the photometer now—to try and get—a reading. I saw a com—no, it's the balloon that I see, still drifting aimlessly, lighted by moonlight at this time.

None of the colors are—particularly visible. I think—

Excess cabin water light is on at this time, 03 56 24. Am going to turn it down just a tad— so it will be just about where the suit is. I would say, let's see, from that, that it jumped down to freezing.

Hello, Muchea Cap Com, Aurora Seven. Loud and clear. How me?

Coming in loud and clear.

Roger. Deke, my control mode is manual; gyros are caged; the maneuver switch is off. My fuel reads 45 and 42 [percent]; the oxygen is reading 76 and 100 [percent]; steam vent temperatures are 68 [degrees] on the suit and I just got excess cabin water light; the needle dropped down to 20. Reset cabin water at about 6 and in this capsule it seems optimum settings are right between 6 and 7. Outside of that, all things, all systems are good. And blood pressure is starting now.

Roger. Okay, starting blood pressure.

The visor has been open for some time, I've been taking some readings on stars through the haze layer with the photometer. The visor is coming closed now.

Roger. Understand visor coming closed.

I'll give you retro time for end of mission and would like to have you set the clock to this at this time.

Roger.

32 34

Understand, 04 32 34.

Good.

Okay. It's going into the clock now—whoop.

We indicate 35.

I do, too. I overshot. Stand by.

That's probably close enough for government work.

For you, to the second.

Roger. Still you indicate 1 second slow on g.e.t.; we indicate you on, on retrotime.

Roger. I am reading 04 32 34.

Would you please exercise prior to your second blood pressure.

Roger. I'll give you the calibrated exercise at this time.

Roger.

Exercise start, now.

Okay, blood pressure start, now. That was 60 cycles in 30 seconds on the exerciser.

60 cycles in 30 seconds.

Did you by any chance try T/M keying over the Cape on your last pass?

I think I may have to mark time for tensiometer reading on the balloon.

Very good.

Understand you still have the balloon with you. It's possible if you go to deploy position and back to release, you can—

Roger. I've tried that a number of times, Deke. I just can't get rid of it.

Okay. Well, she'll probably come into your face on retrofire; but I'm sure you'll lose it shortly after that.

Yeah, I figure. I hope so.

Okay, for your information, cloud—is five-tenths and it's only one-eighth to the north over Port Moresby; so if you see some lights up in that area, we'd like to know about it.

Roger, I'll let you know.

Could you give us a c.e.t, hack, please.