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John Glenn
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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.
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John Glenn
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This is Friendship Seven. Can see clear back; a big cloud pattern way back across towards the Cape. Beautiful sight.
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John Glenn
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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.
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John Glenn
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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.
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CAPCOM
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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?
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John Glenn
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Roger. As soon as we get done with this transmission. I understand am I cleared to control systems check.
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John Glenn
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Not yet, everything appears to be going okay. Am now on the yaw part of the check. Going off right on schedule.
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John Glenn
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Roger, Bermuda, still read you loud and clear. Still completing control check. Having no problem at all so far.
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John Glenn
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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. …
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John Glenn
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Hello, Bermuda, Hello, Bermuda CapCom. Friendship Seven reads you loud and clear. Hello, Bermuda, Friendship Seven. How me?
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John Glenn
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Canary, Friendship Seven. Roger. Control check complete. Capsule in ASCS and holding. I have booster in sight out the window. It's probably about 1 mile away and going down under my position and a little bit to my left. Over.
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John Glenn
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This is Friendship Seven. Everything is still Go. Capsule is in fine shape. Holding pressure at 5.8. Over.
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John Glenn
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Roger. This is Friendship Seven. Control systems cheek was perfect. Control systems checks perfect, Over.
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John Glenn
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Roger. Standby, Will give status report. I am in orbit attitude for your tracking. Status report, follows: Fuses all number one except Tower Sep number two. Emergency Retrosequence, Emergency Retrojettison, and Emergency Drogue are in the center-off position, Squib is Armed. Auto Retrojettison is off. ASCS is normal, auto, gyro normal. All “T” handles are in the “in”-position. Retro Delay is normal. Cabin Lights are on both. Photo Lights are still on. Telemetry Low Frequency is on. Rescue Aids are on automatic. Ah, Jettison Tower, and Sep Capsule lights are out. The pressure regulator is still in the “in”-position. Launch control is on. All sequence panel positions are normal except Landing Bag is off. Are you receiving? Over.
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John Glenn
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That is affirmative. Attitude: roll 0 [degrees], yaw 2 [degrees] right, pitch —33 [degrees]. Rates are all indicating zero. I am on ASCS at present time. The clock is still set for time to ret, for retrograde time of 04 plus 32 plus 28. I have retrograde times okay from Bermuda. Cabin pressure holding steady at 5.7. Cabin air 90 [degrees]. Relative humidity, 30 [percent]. Coolant quantity is 68 [percent]. Suit environment is 65. Suit pressure is indicating 5.8. Steam temperature 60 [degrees] on the suit. I am very comfortable. However, I do not want to turn it down just yet. Primary oxygen is 78 [percent]; secondary, 102 [percent]. Main bus is 24. Number one is 25, 25, 25. Standby one is 26; Standby two is 25; Isolated, 29, and back on main. Ammeter is indicating 23. ASCS is 112. Fans are 112. Over.
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John Glenn
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That is affirmative. That's what's set in the clock. The horizon is a brilliant, a brilliant blue. There, I have the mainland in sight at present time coming tip on the scope, and have Canaries in sight out through the window and picked them up on the scope just before I saw them out of the window. Over.
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CAPCOM
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Roger, Friendship Seven. This is Canary CapCom. Repeat blood pressure check, repeat blood pressure check.
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John Glenn
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This is Friendship Seven. Have beautiful view of the African Coast, both in the scope, and out the window. Out the window is by far the best view.
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John Glenn
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This is Friendship Seven standing by. I am slightly behind on my checklist at present time. Will get caught up.
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John Glenn
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This is Friendship Seven still on ASCS. I can see dust storms down there blowing across the desert, a lot of dust; it's difficult to see the ground in some areas. Over.
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CAPCOM
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Roger. I monitored part of your conversation over Canary and heard your comments on the weather over Africa. Will you give us status report? Over.
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John Glenn
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Roger, this is Friendship Seven. Fuel, 90-98 [percent]. Oxygen, 78-100 [percent]. Cabin pressure holding 5.6 at the present time. Have very little dirt floating around in the capsule, just a little bit and preferring to take xylose pill at present time. Unsealing the, going to unseal the faceplate. Over.
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CAPCOM
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Friendship Seven, this is Kano Cap Com. Can you give us the reading on your exhaust temperature?
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CAPCOM
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Roger. Friendship Seven. We have TM solid. If you want, we will standby while you do your yaw maneuver and check your systems.
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John Glenn
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Roger, this is Friendship Seven, starting in yaw maneuver. I'm about 40 seconds late on that one. Starting yaw maneuver at present time. Over.
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John Glenn
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This is Friendship Seven, having no trouble controlling on fly-by-wire. Drift is coming around at about 1° per second, and holding attitude okay in other axes. Over.
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CAPCOM
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Roger. Check drift at 1° per second and holding attitude okay all axes, I have your retrosequence time for Area 1 Charlie.
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John Glenn
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Attitudes all well within limits. I have no problem holding attitude with fly-by-wire at all. Very easy. Over.
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CAPCOM
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Roger, check fly-by-wire is very easy. Our telemetry checks all your systems out okay. Are you ready for retrosequence time?
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John Glenn
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Negative, not yet. I'll pick it up possibly at next station if I lose contact with you. I'm still on manual control here on fly-by-wire. Over.
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CAPCOM
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Roger, Friendship Seven, I check your returning to orbit attitude.
Expand selection down Contract selection up -
John Glenn
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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.
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CAPCOM
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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.
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John Glenn
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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.
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CAPCOM
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Seven, you are fading rapidly. I will broadcast this time in the blind for Area 1 Charlie, 00 32 12, 00 32 12.
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Comm Tech
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Friendship Seven, Friendship Seven, this is Zanzibar Com Tech transmitting on HF, UHF, do you copy? Over.
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John Glenn
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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.
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John Glenn
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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.
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CAPCOM
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Message from IOS Cap Com, that he will not release balloon flare this orbit. Will fire parachute flares instead. Did you copy? Over.
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CAPCOM
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Friendship Seven, this is Zanzibar Cap Com. We have solid telemetry contact, report your status. Over.
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John Glenn
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Roger, this is Friendship Seven. Fuel 90-98 [percent], cabin pressure 55 and holding, oxygen 75-100 [percent], amps 24. Over.
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Flight Surgeon
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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.
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Flight Surgeon
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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.
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Flight Surgeon
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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.
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John Glenn
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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.
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Flight Surgeon
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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 …?
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John Glenn
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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.
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John Glenn
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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.
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John Glenn
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Roger. All other switches on right panel are normal except for Retrojettison and Retromanual fuse switches in the off position. Over.
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John Glenn
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Roger. Suit exhaust temperature, steam temperature is 61 [degrees]. I have just turned it down. Over.
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John Glenn
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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.
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CAPCOM
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Roger, Friendship Seven. Are you ready to copy your Contingency Area 1 Delta retrosequence time? Over.
Spoken on Feb. 20, 1962, 2:57 p.m. UTC (62 years, 10 months ago). Link to this transcript range is: Tweet