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Scott Carpenter
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Roger. It's going to be real tight on fuel, Gus. I've got the horizon in view now. Trying to keep rates very low. I just lost part of the balloon. The string from the balloon.
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CAPCOM
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The weather in the recovery area is good. You've got overcast cloud; 3-foot waves; 8 knots of wind; 10 miles visibility; and the cloud bases are at 1,000 feet.
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CAPCOM
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Aurora Seven, Cap Com. Will you check your glove compartment and make sure it's latched and your …
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Scott Carpenter
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I don't have a roll rate in yet. I'll put some in when I begin to get the g buildup.
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Scott Carpenter
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I've got the orange glow. I assume we're in blackout now. Gus, give me a try. There goes something tearing away.
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Scott Carpenter
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Not much glow: just a little. Reading 0.5 g. Aux Damp seems to be doing well My fuel, I hope, holds out. There is 1 g. Getting a few streamers of smoke out behind. There's some green flashes out there.
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Scott Carpenter
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Reentry is going pretty well. Aux Damp seems to be keeping oscillations pretty good. We're at 1 1/2 g's now. There was a large flaming piece coming off. Almost looked like it came off the tower.
- Note
Tower here refers to cylindrical section of the spacecraft.
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Scott Carpenter
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Okay. We're reading 3 g's, think we'll have to let the reentry damping check go this time. Reading now 4 g's. The reentry seems to be going okay. The rates there that Aux Damp appears to be handling. I don't think I'm oscillating too much; seem to be rolling right around that glow—the sky behind. Auto fuel still reads 14 (percent) at 6.5 g's. Rates are holding to within 1 1/2 degrees per second indicating about 10 degrees per second roll rate. Still peaked at 6.8 g's. The orange glow has disappeared now. We're off peak g. Still indicating 14 [percent] auto fuel; back to 5 g's.
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Scott Carpenter
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And I'm standing by for altimeter off the peg. Cape, do you read yet? Altimeter is off the peg. 100 [1,000] ft., rate of descent is coming down, cabin pressure is—cabin pressure is holding okay. Still losing a few streaming. No, that's shock waves. Smoke pouring out behind. Getting ready for the drogue at 45 [1,000 ft].
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Scott Carpenter
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Oscillations are pretty good. I think ASCS has given up the ghost at this point. Emergency drogue fuse switch is on.
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?
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. . .
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Scott Carpenter
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Roger. Aurora Seven, reading okay. Getting some pretty good oscillations now and we're out of fuel. Looks from the sun like it might be about 45 degrees. Oww, it's coming like—it's really going over.
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Scott Carpenter
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Think I'd better take a try on the drogue. Drogue out manually at 25 [1,000 ft.]. It's holding and it was just in time. Main deploy fuse switch is on now, 21 [1,000 ft.] indicated [altitude].
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Scott Carpenter
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Snorkle override now. Emergency flow rate on. Emergency main fuse switch at 15 [1,000 ft.], standing by for the main chute at 10 [1,000 ft.].
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Scott Carpenter
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Cabin pressure, cabin altimeter agree on altitude. Should be 13,000 [feet] now. Mark 10; I see the main is out, and reefed, and it looks good to me. The main chute is out. Landing bag goes to auto now. The drogue has fallen away. I see a perfect chute, visor open. Cabin temperature is only 110 [degrees] at this point. Helmet hose is off.
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Scott Carpenter
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Roger. I'm reading you. I'm on the main chute at 5,000 [feet]. Status is good. I am not in contact with any recovery forces. Do you have any information on the recovery time? Over.
Spoken on May 24, 1962, 5:31 p.m. UTC (62 years, 5 months ago). Link to this transcript range is: Tweet