Spacelog Mercury 6

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.

There are literally thousands of them.

This is Friendship Seven. Am I in contact with anyone? Over.

This has been going on since about 1 plus 15. Over. Just after I remarked about the sunset. I looked back up and looked out the window, and all the little swirl of particles was going by. Over.

This is Friendship Seven. This is Friendship Seven, broadcasting in the blind again on HF.

This is Friendship Seven, broadcasting in the blind. Sunrise has come up behind in the periscope. It was brilliant in the scope, a brilliant red as it approached the horizon and came up; and just as the—as I looked back up out the window, I had literally thousands of small, luminous particles swirling around the capsule and going away from me at maybe 3 to 5 miles per hour. Now that I am out in the bright sun, they seem to have disappeared. It was just as the sun was coming up. I can still see just a few of them now, even though the sun is up some 20° above the horizon.

Friendship Seven, Friendship Seven. This is Guaymas Com Tech, Guaymas Com Tech, transmitting on HF-UHF. Do you read? Over.

Hello, Guaymas Com Tech, Guaymas Com Tech. This is Friendship Seven. Receive your HF loud and clear. How me? Over.

Friendship Seven, Friendship Seven. This is Guaymas Cap Com. You're little garbled right now, but understandable. What is, what is your status? Over.

This is Friendship Seven on HF. My status is excellent. Everything is going according to plan. Control fuel is 90-100 [percent], oxygen is 72-101 [percent], amps 22. Over.

Roger, Friendship Seven. Would you repeat your oxygen please? Over.

This is Friendship Seven. Oxygen is 72-101 [percent]. Over.

Roger.

Friendship Seven, Guaymas Cap Com. Everything looks fine from here.

Roger. This is Friendship Seven. Understand everything looks okay.

… 110. Your main inverter temperatures are rising slightly, but everything is okay now. Over.

Roger. Friendship Seven.

This is Friendship Seven. I still have some of these very small particles coming around the capsule. Over.

Friendship Seven, Guaymas Cap Com. Say again, please. Over.

This is Friendship Seven. Just as the sun came up, there were some brilliantly-lighted particles that looked luminous, that were swirling around the capsule. I don't have any in sight right now; I did have a couple just a moment ago, when I made the transmission to you. Over.

Roger, Friendship Seven.

This is Friendship Seven. For the record, number, the number two film that I'm putting in the camera is the number four roll.

Friendship Seven. Guaymas Cap Com. We have about 3 minutes yet before we acquire telemetry. I'll give you, I'll give you your retrosequence times for Areas 2 Alpha, Golf, Hotel. Area 2 Alpha is 01 36 38.

This is Friendship Seven. Standby. I'm not ready to copy yet; I'm changing film in the camera. Over.

Roger, we're standing by.

This is Friendship Seven, going back and using the number 2 roll if I can get hold of it.

Negative, number 2 is missing; I'm using number 3.

Friendship Seven, Guaymas Cap Com. Say again, please.

This is Friendship Seven, I was making a transmission for the record here on what film I was loading. Over.

Roger.

Friendship Seven, Guaymas Cap Com. Could you go to UHF now?

Roger. This is Friendship Seven, going to UHF.

Hello, Guaymas, Friendship Seven on UHF. Do you receive? Over.

Roger, Friendship Seven, loud and clear. Over.

Hello, Roger, this is Friendship Seven. Loud and clear with you also. Are we still go from Control Center? Over.

Roger, we're still go.

Roger. Friendship Seven. All systems are go in the capsule. I still have some of these little particles coming around the capsule occasionally here. I can see them against the dark sky even on the day side. Over.

Roger, understand.

Friendship Seven, Guaymas. Do you want your contingency times now? Over.

This is Friendship Seven. Ready to copy.

Area 2 Alpha 01 36 38. Area Golf 03 00 41.

Say again Area Golf again, please.

Area Golf 03 00 41.

Roger, Area Golf is 03 plus 00 plus 41. Is that affirm?

That's affirmative. Area Hotel is 04 32 40.

Roger, 04 plus 32 plus 40 for Hotel.

Friendship Seven, Guaymas. If you have a chance, could you give us a blood pressure check? Over.

Roger. Friendship Seven. Will give blood pressure check. I still have some of these particles that I cannot identify coming around the capsule occasionally. Over.

Roger. How big are these particles?

Very small, I would indicate they are on the order of 16th of an inch or smaller. They drift by the window and I can see them against the dark sky. Just at sunrise there were literally thousands of them. It looked just like a myriad of stars. Over.

Roger. Are they moving by you or floating with you? Over.

Some of them almost float with me. Most of them appear to be moving at about 3 to 5 miles an hour away from me. I'm going just a little faster then they are. Over.

Roger.

Friendship Seven, Guaymas Cap Com. We have a scope retract indication on ground. Believe it's ground failure. Over.

That is affirmative. The scope is extended. The scope is extended. Over.

Roger.

This is Friendship Seven. A lot of cloud cover. I cannot see land yet. Over.

This is Friendship Seven. Yaw is drifting out of orbit attitude and will bring it back in. Over.

Roger.

Friendship Seven, Guaymas. I said the, I have an indication of scope retract. Your say your scope is out, though? Over.

That is affirmative.

Roger.

Friendship Seven, California Cap Com. We have your scope as extended.

That is affirmative, Cal, scope is extended.

Roger, we concur here.

Roger.

This is Friendship Seven. Yaw drifted out of limits about 20 degrees to the right. I'm bringing it back in manually at present time. Over.

Roger.

This is Friendship Seven. Back on ASCS.

Friendship Seven, Guaymas. You were on ASCS when it started drifting out. Over.

That is affirmative.

This is Friendship Seven. Now on fly-by-wire to hold orbit attitude.

This is Friendship Seven. I have the land in sight out the window. Controlling manually, on fly-by-wire.

Friendship Seven. Is the ASCS OK now? Over.

I'll switch back on to it now and see.

This is Friendship Seven. Negative. Seems to, well, standby one.

This is Friendship Seven. Affirmative. Seems to be controlling now. There may be some drift to the right, however. Over.

Roger.

This is Friendship Seven. It drifts about out 20° to the right and then gets a large pulse to kick it back over to the left. It goes in about, the rate runs over to about 3 degrees per second, to the left.

It's drifting again in yaw. Over. And once again pulls through.

Cape Com Tech. Do you read? Over.

Roger, Cape Com Tech. Friendship Seven. Over.

Hello, Cape Com Tech. Friendship Seven. Over.

Friendship Seven, this is Cape Com Tech, Cape Com Tech. Do you read? Over.

Roger, Cape Com Tech. Friendship Seven.

Hello, Cape Com Tech. Friendship Seven. Over.

Friendship Seven, this is Canaveral Com Tech. How do you copy? Over.

Friendship Seven to Canaveral. Read you loud and clear. How me? Over.

Friendship Seven, Canaveral Com Tech. Read you loud and clear. Standby for Cap Com. Over.

Roger.

Friendship Seven, Cap Com. Would you give us the difficulty you've been having in yaw in ASCS? Over.

Roger. This is Friendship Seven. I'm going on fly-by-wire so I can control more accurately. It just started as I got to Guaymas, and appears to be it drifts off in yaw, to the right at about 1° per second. It will go over to an attitude of about 20°, and hold at that and when it hits about a 20° point it then goes into orientation mode and comes back to zero, and it was cycling back and forth in that mode. I am on fly-by-wire now and controlling manually. Over.

Roger. Understand. Do you have a retrofire time for 2 Bravo and 2 Charlie?

This is Friendship Seven. Negative.

OK, 2 Bravo, 01 50 00; 2 Charlie, 02 05 59. Over.

Ah, this is Friendship Seven. Understand 1 Bravo is 01 plus 50 plus 00; 2 Charlie, correction 2 Bravo is 01 50 00, 2 Charlie is 02 plus 05 plus 59. Is that affirm?

That is affirmative. Standby one, please.

This is Friendship Seven. What appears to have happened is, I believe, I have no one pound thrust in left yaw. So it drifts over out of limits and then hits it with the high thrust. Over.

Roger, Seven, we concur here. Recommending you remain fly-by-wire.

Roger, remaining fly-by-wire.

Seven, this is Cape. The President will be talking to you and while he is talking I'll be sending Z and R cal.

Ah—President.

Go ahead, Mr. President.

This is Friendship Seven, standing by.

Roger, Seven. Having a little difficulty. Start off with your 30 minute report.

Roger. This is Friendship Seven, controlling manually on fly-by-wire, having no trouble controlling. Very smooth and easy; controls very nicely. Fuses are still the same on the left panel. Squib is, Squib is armed. Auto Retrojettison is off. ASCS is fly-by-wire, auto, gyro normal. All fuel, all “T” handles are in, Retro Delay is normal. I have beautiful view out the window of the coast at present time. Just departing. Can see the, way down across Florida. Cannot quite see the Cape yet.

Roger.

Continuing with the report. No sequence panel lights showing. Only abnormal position. Landing bag is off. The EPI is indicating okay. Control fuel is 80 [percent] auto, 100 [percent] manual. Retrograde time set in is 04 plus 32 plus 28. Over.

Roger, still reading you.

Roger. Are we in communication yet? Over.

Say again, Seven.

Roger. I'll be out of communication fairly soon. I thought if the other call was in, I would stop the check. Over.

Not as yet, we'll get you next time.

Roger. Continuing report. Cabin pressure 5.5 and holding nicely. Cabin air is 95 [degrees]; relative humidity, 20 [percent]; coolant quantity is 67 [percent]; temperature is 67 [degrees] on the suit; 5.8 on the pressure; steam temperature is 50 [degrees] and coming down slowly. Oxygen is 70-100 [percent]; amps, 22. Only really unusual thing so far beside ASCS trouble were the little particles, luminous particles around the capsule, just thousands of them right at sunrise over the Pacific. Over.

Roger, Seven, we have all that. Looks like you're in good shape. Remain on fly-by-wire for the moment.

Roger. Friendship Seven.

Friendship Seven, this is Bermuda Cap Com.

Go ahead, Bermuda.

Roger, we read you 5 by 5.

Seven, this is Cape. Go to Bermuda now.

Roger. This is Friendship Seven. Go ahead, Bermuda.

Roger, Friendship Seven. Your oculogyric test is due in a minute and 30 seconds.

Roger. This is Friendship Seven. I am controlling fly-by-wire, present time. I have no left yaw low thrust. Over.

Roger, we understand all of your reports.

Roger.