John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven, returning on fly-by-wire to orbit attitude. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger, Friendship Seven, I check your returning to orbit attitude.

John Glenn

Roger, this is Friendship Seven. Out the window, can see some fires down on the ground, long smoke trails right on the edge of the desert. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger. We've had dusty weather here, and as far as we can see, a lot of this part of Africa is covered with dust.

John Glenn

That's just exactly the way it looks from up here, too.

CAPCOM

Roger. You want to stand by for retrosequence time, Area 1 Charlie?

John Glenn

Roger. Going back on ASCS. Yaw check okay. Can pick up yaw fairly well in the scope. It's a little different display than I had really anticipated, but it checks okay, and I can pick up yaw. I have to be about 5° or so in yaw before I really start picking it up. Over.

CAPCOM

Seven, you are fading rapidly. I will broadcast this time in the blind for Area 1 Charlie, 00 32 12, 00 32 12.

John Glenn

00 32 22. Is that affirm? Over.

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven. Hello, Zanzibar, Friendship Seven. Do you receive? Over.

Comm Tech

Friendship Seven, Friendship Seven, this is Zanzibar Com Tech transmitting on HF, UHF, do you copy? Over.

John Glenn

Roger, Zanzibar Com Tech, read you loud and clear. Control fuel is 90 98 [percent] cabin pressure, 5.6 and holding; oxygen, 75-100 [percent]. Over.

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven in the blind for recording. Much of eastern Africa is covered by clouds, sort of wispy high cirrus looking clouds. Cannot see too much down there except the cloud decks themselves. Catch a sight of the ground underneath once in a while.

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven, this is Zanzibar Cap Com, reading you loud and clear.

CAPCOM

Message from IOS Cap Com, that he will not release balloon flare this orbit. Will fire parachute flares instead. Did you copy? Over.

John Glenn

Roger, this is Friendship Seven, understand.

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven, this is Zanzibar Cap Com. We have solid telemetry contact, report your status. Over.

John Glenn

Roger, this is Friendship Seven. Fuel 90-98 [percent], cabin pressure 55 and holding, oxygen 75-100 [percent], amps 24. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger, Friendship Seven, this is Zanzibar Cap Com. Proceed with 30-minute report. Over.

John Glenn

Roger, this is Friendship Seven. Standby one.

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven, blood pressure.

Flight Surgeon

Friendship Seven, Friendship Seven, this is Surgeon Zanzibar. You've got a good blood pressure trace. It shows the systolic and diastolic, if there's no necessity to repeat, you do not need to.

John Glenn

Roger, this is Friendship Seven, going through exercise.

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven. Exercise completed, repeating blood pressure.

Flight Surgeon

Friendship Seven, this Surgeon Zanzibar. Your blood pressure was 136 over 80 before exercise. We have good electrocardiographic trace during the time of exercise and you are now in a good level coming down on your blood pressure. Over.

John Glenn

Roger, this is Friendship Seven.

Flight Surgeon

Friendship Seven, this is Zanzibar Surgeon. Blood pressure 136 systolic after exercise, recording well and coming down now to just under 90 for diastolic. Both traces are of excellent quality. Your electro-cardiogram is excellent also. Everything on the dials indicates excellent aeromedical status. Over.

John Glenn

Roger, Friendship Seven. Running through 30-minute check,

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven. The head movements caused no sensations, whatsoever. Feel fine. Reach test, I can hit directly to any spot that I want to hit. I have no problem reaching for knobs and have adjusted to zero-g very easily, much easier than I really thought I would. I have excellent vision of the charts, no astigmatism or any malfunctions at all.

John Glenn

Roger. You should get it now, okay.

CAPCOM

Now, thank you.

Flight Surgeon

Friendship Seven, this is Zanzibar Surgeon, received your report indicating good reach accuracy. No disturbances on head motion, good visual acuity including astigmatism test and good response to exercise. Over. Could you …?

John Glenn

Roger, this is Friendship Seven. Are you ready to copy panel rundown? Over.

CAPCOM

Roger, Friendship Seven. This is Zanzibar CapCom. Proceed.

John Glenn

Ah, Roger, Zanzibar CapCom. Friendship Seven. All fuses remain same as previously reported; have not changed any of them. Squib is armed. Auto Retrojettison is off. ASCS is on normal, auto, gyro normal. All “T” handles are in. Retro Delay is normal. The sequence panel is normal. Landing bag is off. Fuel is 90-98 [percent]. The EPI is indicating just about right on schedule. My attitude is 5 [degrees] left, 3 [degrees] right, — 33 [degrees] on pitch. Retrograde time is still set for 04 plus 32 plus 28. Are you receiving? Over.

CAPCOM

Roger, Friendship Seven. Continue with the report.

John Glenn

Roger. This is Friendship Seven. The window, attitude indications, and periscope all check right together in good shape. I can see the dark side coming up in the periscope back behind me at present time. Cabin pressure is 5.5 and holding. Cabin temperature is 95 [degrees]. Relative humidity is 28 [percent]. I have turned the cabin—my suit temperature onto the increased water position for more cooling. Steam temperature is presently indicating 61 [degrees]. Oxygen is 75—100 [percent]. I didn't give suit temperature. Suit inlet temperature is 65 [degrees] and pressure is 5.8. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger, Friendship Seven. Continue with the report.

John Glenn

Roger. All other switches on right panel are normal except for Retrojettison and Retromanual fuse switches in the off position. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger, Friendship Seven. Could you give me suit exhaust temperature? Over.

John Glenn

Roger. Suit exhaust temperature, steam temperature is 61 [degrees]. I have just turned it down. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger, Friendship Seven. Continue with battery voltages. Over.

John Glenn

Roger. Battery voltages: Main is 24, Number One is 25, Two is 25, Three is 25. Standby One 25, Standby Two 25, Isolated 29. Ammeter is 22; ASCS, 112; fans, 113. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger, Friendship Seven. Are you ready to copy your Contingency Area 1 Delta retrosequence time? Over.

John Glenn

Roger. Say 1 Delta.

CAPCOM

1 Delta is 00 50 24. Did you copy? Over.

CAPCOM

Roger, your inverter temperatures 150 volt inverter is 188°, 250 volt inverter, 158°.

John Glenn

Roger, Roger, I copy inverter temperatures okay.

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CAPCOM

Friendship Seven, this is Zanzibar Cap Com. Telemetry indicates all systems go. Medical status go, … reports same, we have a little bit of telemetry drop out. … Standby to pick up IOS in about 3 minutes. Zanzibar Cap Com out.

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Spoken on Feb. 20, 1962, 3:25 p.m. UTC (62 years ago). Link to this transcript range is: Tweet

Comm Tech

Hello, Friendship Seven, Friendship Seven. This is Indian Com Tech. …

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven, going on to eye patch.

Comm Tech

Hello, Friendship Seven. Friendship Seven, IOS Com Tech. Over.

John Glenn

Hello, IOS Com Tech, Friendship Seven. Go ahead.

Comm Tech

Friendship Seven, Friendship Seven. This is Indian Com Tech on HF UHF. How do you read? Over.

John Glenn

IOS, this is Friendship Seven. Do you read? Over.

Comm Tech

Friendship Seven, Friendship Seven. This is Indian Com Tech on HF UHF. How- do you read? Over.

John Glenn

Indian Com Tech. Read you loud and clear on HF. Over.

Comm Tech

Hello Friendship Seven, Friendship Seven. This is Indian Com Tech on HF UHF. How do you read? Over.

John Glenn

Indian Com Tech, Friendship Seven. Loud and clear, how me?

Comm Tech

Roger, Friendship Seven, reading you loud and clear—

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven. Had a beautiful sunset and can see the light way out almost up to the northern horizon.

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven, Friendship Seven,. … Over.

John Glenn

Indian Cap Com, I'm receiving you very garbled. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger, … , now. Over.

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven, Friendship Seven, this is Indian Cap. Over.

John Glenn

Go ahead Indian Cap Com. I read you fairly good now. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger. Proceed with the rest of your status please. Over.

John Glenn

Say again, Indian. Over.

CAPCOM

Would you give me your status and consumable readings please? Over.

John Glenn

Roger. This is Friendship Seven. My status is very good. I feel fine. Fuel is 90-98 [percent], oxygen 75-100 [percent], amps, 21 present time, cabin pressure holding at 5.5. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger, understand, reading you loud and clear now. Over.

John Glenn

Roger, loud and clear.

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven. At this, MARK, at this present time, I still have some clouds visible below me, the sunset was beautiful. It went down very rapidly. I still have a brilliant blue band clear across the horizon almost covering my whole window. The redness of the sunset I can still see through some of the clouds way over to the left of my course. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger, under. …

John Glenn

The sky above is absolutely black, completely black. I can see stars though up above. I do not have any of the constellations identified as yet. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger, understand Friendship Seven.

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven. Would you confirm you received retrosequence time 1 Delta from Zanzibar? Over.

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven. Roger, 1 Delta is 00 50 24.

CAPCOM

Roger. I have areas 1 Echo, Foxtrot, and Hotel. Are you prepared to copy? Over.

CAPCOM

Roger. Let me know.

John Glenn

All right, go ahead with retrotimes. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger. Area 1 Echo is one hour, 15 minutes, 42 seconds. I say again, one hour, 15 minutes, 42 seconds. Over.

John Glenn

Roger. One Echo is 01 plus 15 plus 42.

CAPCOM

Roger. Area Foxtrot is one hour, 28 minutes, 50 seconds. I say again, one hour, 28 minutes, 50 seconds.

John Glenn

Roger. Foxtrot is 01 plus 28 plus 50.

CAPCOM

That is affirmative. Area Hotel is four hours, 32 minutes, 42 seconds. Four hours, 32 minutes, 42 seconds. Over.

John Glenn

Roger. 04 plus 32 plus 42. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger. That is affirmative. Over.

John Glenn

Roger. This is Friendship Seven. I am having no trouble at all seeing the night horizon. I think the moon is probably coming up behind me. Yes, I can see it in the scope back here and it's making a very white light on the clouds below. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger, understand.

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven, we have launched our flare. You understand it is. … Over.

John Glenn

That is affirmative.

CAPCOM

We have been advised that it has been ignited. Do you see anything? Over.

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven. Negative. I don't have anything in the scope or out the window.

CAPCOM

Roger, understand.