Scott Carpenter

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

Scott Carpenter

Am going to increase it just a tad more.

Scott Carpenter

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

Scott Carpenter

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

Scott Carpenter

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

Scott Carpenter

Now, for the record.

Scott Carpenter

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

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.

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.

Scott Carpenter

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

Scott Carpenter

Visor is coming closed now.

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.

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.

Scott Carpenter

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

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."

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.

Scott Carpenter

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

Scott Carpenter

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

Scott Carpenter

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

Scott Carpenter

Coastal passage over Africa.

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.

Scott Carpenter

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

Comm Tech

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

Scott Carpenter

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

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.

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.

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—

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.

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.

Scott Carpenter

That is Roger. I am.

Scott Carpenter

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

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.

CAPCOM

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

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.

Scott Carpenter

Negative. I have them all, thank you.

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.

Scott Carpenter

Roger, Kano. I copied all that.

CAPCOM

Roger, Aurora. You were loud and clear.

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

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.

Scott Carpenter

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

CAPCOM

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

Scott Carpenter

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

CAPCOM

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

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.

CAPCOM

Roger, Aurora Seven. Understand.

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.

CAPCOM

Aurora Seven, do you read? Over.

Expand selection down Contract selection up

Spoken on May 24, 1962, 4:30 p.m. UTC (62 years, 6 months ago). Link to this transcript range is: Tweet

Scott Carpenter

Go ahead, Indian Cap Com.

CAPCOM

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

Scott Carpenter

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

CAPCOM

Roger. Understand.

Scott Carpenter

The eye patch is in place, this time.

Scott Carpenter

Going to record—record only at this time.

Scott Carpenter

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.

Scott Carpenter

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.

Scott Carpenter

Okay. I'm shaking my head violently from all sides, with eyes closed, up and down, pitch, roll, yaw. Nothing in my stomach; nothing anywhere. There is now—I will try to poke zero, time zero button. Well, I missed it. I was a little disoriented as to exactly where things are, not sure exactly what you want to accomplish by this but there is no problem of orienting. Your—your—inner ears and your mental appraisal of horizontal, you just adapt to this environment, like—like you were born in it. It's a great, great freedom.

Note

The result of this test is the same under 1g and he describes no difficulty in re-establishing relationships.

Scott Carpenter

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

Scott Carpenter

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.

Scott Carpenter

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

Scott Carpenter

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.

Scott Carpenter

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

CAPCOM

Coming in loud and clear.

Scott Carpenter

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.

CAPCOM

Roger. Okay, starting blood pressure.

Scott Carpenter

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.

CAPCOM

Roger. Understand visor coming closed.

CAPCOM

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

Scott Carpenter

Understand, 04 32 34.

Scott Carpenter

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

CAPCOM

We indicate 35.

Scott Carpenter

I do, too. I overshot. Stand by.

CAPCOM

That's probably close enough for government work.

Scott Carpenter

For you, to the second.

CAPCOM

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

Scott Carpenter

Roger. I am reading 04 32 34.

CAPCOM

Would you please exercise prior to your second blood pressure.

Scott Carpenter

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

Scott Carpenter

Exercise start, now.

Scott Carpenter

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

CAPCOM

60 cycles in 30 seconds.

CAPCOM

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

Scott Carpenter

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

CAPCOM

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

Scott Carpenter

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

CAPCOM

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

Scott Carpenter

Yeah, I figure. I hope so.

CAPCOM

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.

Scott Carpenter

Roger, I'll let you know.

CAPCOM

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