Spacelog Mercury 6

Say again, Friendship Seven.

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

Kinda passes rapidly, huh.

Yes Sir.

Fine.

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

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.

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

Negative. Do not have Orion in sight yet.

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

Roger.

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

Roger. Standby.

Roger.

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

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

Roger. They have it in good shape.

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

Roger. Is it just off to your right there?

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. …

Perth and Rockingham, you're seeing there.

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

We sure will, John.

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.

Roger. Sounds good.

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

Roger, Woomera.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

Affirmative, Friendship Seven. Go ahead.

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.

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.

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.

Roger, Friendship Seven.

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

Friendship Seven, Roger.

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

Roger.

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

Woomera, standby just a moment, please.

Say again. You wanted cabin temperature?

Roger, Friendship Seven.

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

Roger, Friendship Seven.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Roger, Friendship Seven. Canton standing by.

Roger, Friendship Seven.

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.

Roger, Friendship Seven. Thank you.

This is Friendship Seven, preparing to eat. Over.

Roger, Friendship Seven.

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.

Roger.

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

Roger, Friendship Seven.

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.

Roger, Friendship Seven. You are very lucky.

You're right. Man, this is beautiful

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.

Roger.

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.

Roger.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Are you receiving? Over.