CAPCOM

Say again, Friendship Seven.

John Glenn

That was about the shortest day I've ever run into.

CAPCOM

Kinda passes rapidly, huh.

CAPCOM

Okay. Do you have any landmark, any other landmark observations to make? Over.

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven. I have the Pleiades in sight out here, very clear. Picking up some of these star patterns now. Little better than I was just off of Africa.

CAPCOM

Roger, understand you have Pleiades in sight. Have you sighted Orion yet? Over.

John Glenn

Negative. Do not have Orion in sight yet.

CAPCOM

Within a few seconds, you should have Orion and Canopus and Sirius probably in sight very shortly thereafter. The moon will be off. …

CAPCOM

Do you have time to send us a blood pressure reading? Over.

CAPCOM

Roger. The surgeons are standing by for your blood pressure whenever you're ready.

John Glenn

Roger. I'm already sending it. Did they pick it up? Over.

CAPCOM

Roger. They have it in good shape.

John Glenn

Roger. I do have the lights in sight on the ground. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger. Is it just off to your right there?

John Glenn

That's affirmative. Just to my right I can see a big pattern of lights apparently right on the coast. I can see the outline of a town and a very bright light just to the south of it. On down. …

CAPCOM

Perth and Rockingham, you're seeing there.

John Glenn

Roger. The lights show up very well and thank everybody for turning them on, will you?

CAPCOM

We sure will, John.

John Glenn

Very fine. On down farther to the south and inland, I can see more lights. There are two, actually four patterns in that area. And also, coming into sight in the window now is another one almost down under me. The lights are very clear from up here.

CAPCOM

Roger. Sounds good.

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven, Friendship Seven. This is Woomera Cap Com, reading you loud and clear. We have TM solid. Woomera standing by.

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven. We have your blood pressure readout, reading 126 over 90. What kind of results from your physiological tests? Over.

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven. I have had no ill effects at all as yet from any zero-g. It's very pleasant, in fact. Visual acuity is still excellent. No astigmatic effects. Head movements caused no nausea or discomfort whatsoever. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger, Friendship Seven. Let's go ahead with this 30-minute report please, starting with the fuse panel positions. Over.

John Glenn

Roger. This is 30-minute report coming up. Have gone through head movements and I get no effect from that. Have gone through the reach test and have no problem with that at all. My orientation is good, vision is clear. My moving target, looking at a light spot back and forth causes no ill effects whatsoever. Running the light test at present time and all lights do check okay in the capsule. I am over a large cloud bank at present time, almost extending to the left of my course which would be to the south. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger, Friendship Seven. Let's continue on with this 30-minute report.

John Glenn

Roger. Panel rundown follows: The fuse switches on the left panel are all as previously reported, without repeating them again. Squib is armed. Auto Retrojettison is off. ASCS Mode Select is normal, auto, gyro normal. All “T” Handles are in. The Retro Delay is normal, Cabin lights are on both. I have the red filters on, of course. The Telem low frequence is on. Rescue Aids is auto. All sequence panel items are normal except the Landing Bag to the center-off position. Fuel is 90-100 [percent]. Attitude indications are 5 [degrees] right, 3 [degrees] left, 36 [degrees] down. EPI is indicating fairly well, indicating almost over Woomera at present time. Time from launch on my mark will be 58 plus 15. Standby-MARK. Retrograde time is still set at 04 plus 32 plus 28.

John Glenn

Cabin pressure is holding steady at 5.5. Temperature in the cabin is 100 [degrees]. Cabin humidity is 25 percent, Coolant quantity is 67 percent. Suit environment is 62 [degrees]. Inlet pressure. Inlet temperature, … pressure is 5.8 on the suit. Steam temperature is 57 [degrees] and dropping since I turned it down. Oxygen is 74-101 [percent]. Amps 23. Are you still copying? Over.

CAPCOM

Affirmative, Friendship Seven. Go ahead.

John Glenn

Roger. Main Bus is 24, One is 25, 25, 25. Standby One is 25, 25. Isolated 29, and Main 24 again. Fans 113, ASCS 113. All switch fuses on the right are on except Retrojettison and Retromanual in the center-off position. All other switches normal. Over.

CAPCOM

Hello. Roger, Friendship Seven. Read you loud and clear. All systems appear go at this time. Your clocks are in sync. We have the Woomera Airport lights on. Do you, do you see? Over.

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven. Negative, I do not; there's too much cloud cover in this area. I had the lights at Perth in good shape; they were very clear, but I do not have the lights at Woomera; sorry. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger, Friendship Seven.

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven, let's have another blood pressure check please. Over.

John Glenn

Friendship Seven, Roger.

CAPCOM

Hello, Friendship Seven, Woomera Cap Com. 150 volt inverter temperature reading 195 [degrees]; 250 inverter temperature reading 172 degrees.

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven, this is Woomera Cap Com. What's your cabin temperature reading? Over.

John Glenn

Woomera, standby just a moment, please.

John Glenn

Say again. You wanted cabin temperature?

John Glenn

Cabin temperature 100 [degrees]. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger, Friendship Seven. Your Roll Auto Line temperature is reading 110 [degrees].

CAPCOM

Temperature is reading 95 [degrees]. Over.

John Glenn

Roger, Friendship Seven.

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven. Getting some pictures of star. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger, Friendship Seven.

CAPCOM

Hello Friendship Seven, Woomera Cap Com. Do you read me? Over.

John Glenn

Roger, Woomera Cap Com. Still read you loud and clear. How me?

CAPCOM

Weak but readable, Friendship Seven. All systems appear go at this time. Blood pressure reading 125 over 90. You have an HF check coming up in about 2 minutes and 30 seconds, and Canton acquisition approximately 7 minutes. Over.

Expand selection down Contract selection up

Spoken on Feb. 20, 1962, 3:48 p.m. UTC (62 years, 8 months ago). Link to this transcript range is: Tweet

John Glenn

Roger, Friendship Seven. Thank you very much. All systems are still go at this time. Switching to HF. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger, Friendship Seven. This is Woomera Cap Com. Out.

John Glenn

Hello Woomera, Friendship Seven on HF. Do you receive me? Over.

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven. This is Friendship Seven, broadcasting in the blind to the Mercury network. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. This is Mercury Friendship Seven. Out.

CAPCOM

This is Canaveral Cap Com, testing the HF. GMT 15 52 05, MARK. I did not read the capsule. Cape, out.

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven, this Kano. GMT 15 53 02. I did (Kano) not read your transmission. Kano, out.

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven, this is Zanzibar Cap Com. … This is Zanzibar Cap Com, out.

Comm Tech

Friendship Seven. This is Canton Com Tech. Do you read? Over.

John Glenn

Hello, Canton. Hello, Canton. This is Friendship Seven. Read you loud and clear, how me? Over.

John Glenn

Hello Canton. Hello Canton, Friendship Seven. Read you loud and clear. How me? Over.

Comm Tech

Friendship Seven, Canton Com Tech. Read you loud and clear, also. Stand by for Cap Com.

John Glenn

Roger. This is Friendship Seven. Com Tech Canton. Fuel 90-100 [percent], oxygen 73-101 [percent].

CAPCOM

Seven, this is Canton Cap Com. Go ahead. Over.

John Glenn

Roger, Canton Cap Com. My report follows: Fuel 90 100 [percent], oxygen 73-100 [percent], amps 22, cabin pressure holding steady at 5.5 Over.

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven, this is Canton Cap Com. Would you repeat that please?

John Glenn

Roger, Canton. Friendship Seven repeating. First, do you have TM solid? Over.

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven, this is Canton. Affirmative, we do have TM solid.

John Glenn

Roger, message follows: Control fuel 90-100 [percent], oxygen 73-100 [percent], amps 22, cabin pressure 5.5 and holding steady. Over.

CAPCOM

Ah, Roger, Friendship Seven. What control mode are you in the present time? Over.

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven. Still in automatic, automatic. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger, Friendship Seven. Canton standing by.

John Glenn

Roger, Friendship Seven.

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven. This is Canton Cap Com. All systems on the ground appear go. Your 150 volt-amp inverter temperature is presently 188° repeat 188° . Your clocks are in sync. Over.

John Glenn

Roger, Friendship Seven. Thank you.

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven, preparing to eat. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger, Friendship Seven.

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven. I had a big storm in sight off to the south, of course, for a little while and had lightning flashes going around on top of the clouds. I could see it very clearly. Over.

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven. Opening visor, going to eat. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger, Friendship Seven.

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven. Having no trouble at all eating, very good. In the periscope, I can see the brilliant blue horizon coming up behind me; approaching sunrise. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger, Friendship Seven. You are very lucky.

John Glenn

You're right. Man, this is beautiful

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven. Have eaten one tube of food, shutting the visor. I've had no problem at all eating. Oh, the sun is coming up behind me in the periscope, a brilliant, brilliant red. Over.

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven. It's blinding through the scope on clear. It's started up just as I gave you that mark; I'm going to the dark filter to watch it come on up.

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven. I'll try to describe what I'm in here. I am in a big mass of some very small particles, that are brilliantly lit up like they're luminescent. I never saw anything like it. They round a little; they're coming by the capsule, and they look like little stars. A whole shower of them coming by.

John Glenn

They swirl around the capsule and go in front of the window and they're all brilliantly lighted. They probably average maybe 7 or 8 feet apart, but I can see them all down below me, also.

CAPCOM

Roger, Friendship Seven. Can you hear any impact with the capsule? Over.

John Glenn

Negative, negative. They're very slow; they're not going away from me more than maybe 3 or 4 miles per hour. They're going at the same speed I am approximately. They're only very slightly under my speed. Over.

John Glenn

They do, they do have a different motion, though, from me because they swirl around the capsule and then depart back the way I am looking.

John Glenn

Are you receiving? Over.