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.

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.

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Spoken on Feb. 20, 1962, 4:14 p.m. UTC (62 years, 8 months ago). Link to this transcript range is: Tweet

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.