John Glenn

There are literally thousands of them.

John Glenn

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

John Glenn

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.

John Glenn

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

John Glenn

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.

Comm Tech

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

John Glenn

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

CAPCOM

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

John Glenn

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.

CAPCOM

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

John Glenn

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

CAPCOM

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

John Glenn

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

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CAPCOM

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

John Glenn

Roger. Friendship Seven.

John Glenn

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

CAPCOM

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

John Glenn

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.

CAPCOM

Roger, Friendship Seven.

John Glenn

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

CAPCOM

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.

John Glenn

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

CAPCOM

Roger, we're standing by.

John Glenn

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

John Glenn

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

CAPCOM

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

John Glenn

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

CAPCOM

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

John Glenn

Roger. This is Friendship Seven, going to UHF.

John Glenn

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

CAPCOM

Roger, Friendship Seven, loud and clear. Over.

John Glenn

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

CAPCOM

Roger, we're still go.

John Glenn

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.

CAPCOM

Roger, understand.

CAPCOM

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

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven. Ready to copy.

CAPCOM

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

John Glenn

Say again Area Golf again, please.

John Glenn

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

CAPCOM

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

John Glenn

Roger, 04 plus 32 plus 40 for Hotel.

CAPCOM

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

John Glenn

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.

CAPCOM

Roger. How big are these particles?

John Glenn

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.

CAPCOM

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

John Glenn

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.

CAPCOM

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

John Glenn

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

John Glenn

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

John Glenn

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

CAPCOM

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

John Glenn

That is affirmative.

CAPCOM

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

John Glenn

That is affirmative, Cal, scope is extended.

CAPCOM

Roger, we concur here.

John Glenn

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.

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven. Back on ASCS.

CAPCOM

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

John Glenn

That is affirmative.

John Glenn

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

John Glenn

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

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven. Is the ASCS OK now? Over.

John Glenn

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

John Glenn

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

John Glenn

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

John Glenn

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.

John Glenn

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

Comm Tech

Cape Com Tech. Do you read? Over.

John Glenn

Roger, Cape Com Tech. Friendship Seven. Over.

John Glenn

Hello, Cape Com Tech. Friendship Seven. Over.

Comm Tech

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

John Glenn

Roger, Cape Com Tech. Friendship Seven.

John Glenn

Hello, Cape Com Tech. Friendship Seven. Over.

Comm Tech

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

John Glenn

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

Comm Tech

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

CAPCOM

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

John Glenn

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.

CAPCOM

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

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven. Negative.

CAPCOM

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

John Glenn

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?

CAPCOM

That is affirmative. Standby one, please.

John Glenn

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.

CAPCOM

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

John Glenn

Roger, remaining fly-by-wire.

CAPCOM

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

CAPCOM

Go ahead, Mr. President.

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven, standing by.

CAPCOM

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

John Glenn

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.

CAPCOM

Roger.

John Glenn

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.

CAPCOM

Roger, still reading you.

John Glenn

Roger. Are we in communication yet? Over.

CAPCOM

Say again, Seven.

John Glenn

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

CAPCOM

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

John Glenn

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.

CAPCOM

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

John Glenn

Roger. Friendship Seven.

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven, this is Bermuda Cap Com.

John Glenn

Go ahead, Bermuda.

CAPCOM

Roger, we read you 5 by 5.

CAPCOM

Seven, this is Cape. Go to Bermuda now.

John Glenn

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

CAPCOM

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

John Glenn

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

CAPCOM

Roger, we understand all of your reports.

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven. Bermuda.

John Glenn

Go ahead, Bermuda. Friendship Seven.

CAPCOM

Have you started your oculogyric test yet?

John Glenn

Negative, not yet. Just getting set at the present time.

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven, have you started your test yet?

John Glenn

This Friendship Seven. That's affirmative, starting now.

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven. I can get no, no results from that at all.

John Glenn

Hello, Bermuda Cap Com. Friendship Seven. Over.

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven.

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven. Oculo check being completed. Got no effects.

CAPCOM

… Com. Go ahead.

John Glenn

Bermuda Cap Com, Friendship Seven. I get no results from oculo check.

CAPCOM

Cap Com. If you read, go ahead,

John Glenn

Bermuda, Friendship Seven. I get no results from oculo check. Over.

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven, Bermuda Cap Com on HF.

John Glenn

Bermuda, this is Friendship Seven. Do you receive me now? Over.

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven, Bermuda Cap Com. How do you read?

John Glenn

Hello, Bermuda Cap Com. Friendship Seven, HF. Do you receive me now? Over.

CAPCOM

On HF. What are the results of the oculogyric test, please?

John Glenn

Results negative. Get no effect at all, no effect at all. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger. Understand no effects from oculogyric. Thank you.

John Glenn

That's affirmative.

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven, Bermuda Cap Com. Do you read?

John Glenn

Roger, Bermuda. Loud and clear; how me?

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Spoken on Feb. 20, 1962, 4:09 p.m. UTC (62 years, 8 months ago). Link to this transcript range is: Tweet

CAPCOM

Roger. We still are reading you loud and clear.

John Glenn

Roger. Friendship Seven getting ready for 1 plus 44 check.

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven broadcasting blind to Mercury Network on from just off the east coast over middle Atlantic, check completed at 15.

CAPCOM

… testing on HF GMT 16 31 59 MARK. I read the capsule weak, but readable. Cape, out.

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven, this is Bermuda Cap Com on HF. We did not read the capsule. GMT 16 32 15.

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven, Friendship Seven, this is CYI. The time now 16 32 26. We are reading you loud and clear; we are reading you loud and clear. CYI.

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven on UHF. As I went over recovery area that time, I could see a wake, what appeared to be a long wake in the water. I imagine that's the ships in our recovery area.

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven, … We do not read you, do not read you. Over.

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven, this is Kano. At GMT 16 33 00. We do not. … This is Kano. Out.

Comm Tech

Friendship Seven, Friendship Seven, this is CYI Com Tech. Over.

John Glenn

Hello, Canary. Friendship Seven. Receive you loud and a little garbled. Do you receive me? Over.

Comm Tech

Friendship Seven, Friendship Seven, this is CYI Com Tech. Over.

John Glenn

Hello, Canary, Friendship Seven. I read you loud and clear. How me? Over.

Comm Tech

Friendship Seven, Friendship Seven, this is CYI Com Tech. Over.

John Glenn

Hello, CYI Com Tech. Friendship Seven. How do you read me? Over.

Comm Tech

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

John Glenn

Roger. This is Friendship Seven, CYI. I read you loud and clear. Over.

Comm Tech

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

John Glenn

Hello, CYI Com Tech. Roger, read you loud and clear.

Comm Tech

Friendship Seven, this is CYI Com Tech. Read you loud and clear also, on UHF, on UHF. Standby.

John Glenn

Roger. Friendship Seven.

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven, Friendship Seven, Friendship Seven, this is Canary Cap Com. How do you read? Over.

John Glenn

Hello, Canary Cap Com. Friendship Seven. I read you loud and clear. How me?

CAPCOM

I read you loud and clear. I am instructed to ask you to correlate the actions of the particles surrounding your spacecraft with the actions of your control jets. Do you read? Over.

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven. I did not read you clear. I read you loud but very garbled. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger. Cap asks you to correlate the actions of the particles surrounding the vehicle with the reaction of one of your control jets. Do you understand? Over.

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven. I do not think they were from my control jets, negative. Over.

CAPCOM

Roger, I understand.

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven, Friendship Seven, this is Canary Cap Com. Please complete your status report.

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven. My status is excellent. I have control of capsule ,m fly-by-wire at present time. Control fuel is 80-100 [percent]; oxygen, 69-100 [percent]; amps, 22. Over.