Phase 2: 1st Orbit

John Glenn

SECO, posigrades fired okay.

CAPCOM

Roger, stand. …

John Glenn

Roger. Zero-g and I feel fine. Capsule is turning around.

John Glenn

Oh, that view is tremendous

CAPCOM

Roger. Turnaround has started.

John Glenn

Roger. The capsule is turning around and I can see the booster during turnaround just a couple of hundred yards behind me. It was beautiful.

CAPCOM

Roger, Seven. You have a go, at least 7 orbits.

John Glenn

Roger. Understand Go for at least 7 orbits.

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven. Can see clear back; a big cloud pattern way back across towards the Cape. Beautiful sight.

CAPCOM

Roger, still reading you loud and clear. Next transmission, Bermuda.

John Glenn

Roger. Understand next transmission, Bermuda. Capsule did damp okay and turned around. Scope has extended, okay. Taking off the filter I had on it before launch.

John Glenn

Making electrical check.

John Glenn

All batteries 25 or above, on main. Going through orbit checklist.

CAPCOM

Roger, Friendship Seven. Orbit checklist.

John Glenn

Landing Bag is off. Emergency Retrosequence, off. Emergency Drogue Deploy is off.

CAPCOM

Emergency Landing Bag is next.

John Glenn

Roger. Landing Bag was already off. I got it first and reported it. Retromanual is off, and we're all set. This is very comfortable at Zero-g. I have nothing but very fine feeling. It just feels very normal and very good.

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven. Standby for retrosequence times.

John Glenn

Roger. Ready to copy.

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Spoken on Feb. 20, 1962, 2:54 p.m. UTC (62 years ago). Link to this transcript range is: Tweet

CAPCOM

Roger. 1B, 00 17 50.

John Glenn

Roger. 1 Bravo is 00 plus 17 plus 50.

John Glenn

Roger, 01 plus 28 plus 54.

CAPCOM

Roger, end of mission is 04 32 47.

John Glenn

Roger. 04 plus 32 plus 47. Do I have okay for resetting clock? Over.

CAPCOM

Negative, don't reset the clock. Your V over VR is unity, your apogee altitude is 138 [nautical miles] and are you starting your control systems check?

John Glenn

Roger. As soon as we get done with this transmission. I understand am I cleared to control systems check.

John Glenn

Roger. Starting controls check.

John Glenn

Starting controls check.

CAPCOM

Your attitudes look okay here.

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven. Anything to report on control systems checks.

John Glenn

Not yet, everything appears to be going okay. Am now on the yaw part of the check. Going off right on schedule.

CAPCOM

Very good, very good.

John Glenn

Control so far is excellent. Very good, no problems at all so far on control.

John Glenn

Aux Damp pulls it right in every time. No problems.

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven, Bermuda. Do you still read?

John Glenn

Roger, Bermuda, still read you loud and clear. Still completing control check. Having no problem at all so far.

CAPCOM

Roger, you're still loud and clear.

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven. Working just like clockwork on the control check, and it went through just about like the Procedures Trainer runs. It's very smooth and I checked. …

CAPCOM

On UHF, if you read, go to HF.

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven, Bermuda CapCom on HF.

John Glenn

Hello, Hello, Bermuda. Receive you loud and clear; how me?

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven, Friendship Seven, Bermuda CapCom on HF.

John Glenn

Hello, Bermuda, Hello, Bermuda CapCom. Friendship Seven reads you loud and clear. Hello, Bermuda, Friendship Seven. How me?

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven, this Bermuda CapCom on HF.

John Glenn

Hello, Bermuda CapCom, this is Friendship Seven. Read you loud and clear; how me?