Spacelog Mercury 6

Say again. You came in garbled that time. This is Friendship Seven.

Friendship Seven, this is California Cap Com. We read you loud and clear; how me?

Roger. Receiving you much better now, Wally. Very good. Fuel is 62-62 [percent], oxygen 62-95 [percent], amps are 25. All systems are still go. I have had some erratic ASCS operation. I caged and uncaged on the night side and it appears to be working fairly well now although I was drifting again in roll a moment ago. It appears to have corrected itself in roll, however, without me caging again now. Over.

Good, John. We have a go all the way on this. I'd like to give you your inverter temperatures. Your fans are 215 [degrees], your ASCS 198 [degrees]. We're not going to do anything about them. Looks real good.

Okay, fine.

Will you give me your attitudes and we'll check those with ground.

Roger. I'll go back into orbit attitude, drifting toward it at present time. Do you have TM solid now? Over.

Good here.

Roger. Roll is 5 [degrees] left, yaw 3 [degrees] right, pitch — 32 [degrees], right now.

Roger, have your readings.

John, we check almost right on the button with your attitudes within 2°.

Roger. I appear to have a little bit of drift in the scope yet though.

Roger. You probably don't have a good reference yet, do you?

It's rather, it's more difficult to pick up drift than I thought it would be. Your best drift really is to look out the window and try and get something moving away from you out the window.

Roger, I've got you there.

You understand that your capsule elapsed time is running about a second slow compared to GET.

No, I did not; I was not aware of that on the elapsed time.

Roger. This will affect your sequence time. I'll give you 3 Alpha if you're ready to copy.

Standby.

Roger, ready to copy 3 Alpha.

Roger. 3 Alpha corrected for the second error will be 03 plus 11 plus 26. Over.

Roger, 03 11 26.

You have your end-of-orbit time, and that has not changed and I believe you have Area Golf also.

That's affirmative. I have Golf at 03 plus 00 plus 39 and Hotel at 04 plus 32 plus 40.

That is correct. You can correct your Area Golf by subtracting one second and subtract one second from Hotel.

Roger. Understand for my retrosequence for end-of-mission is 04 plus 32 plus 39. Is that affirm?

Negative. That should be 04 plus 32 plus 38.

Plus 38. Roger. Does Cape want me to set that into clock at present time? Over.

Negative, we have not had those instructions. I'll have Arnie check for you.

Roger. I am still operating on prelaunch time of 04 plus 32 plus 28. Over.

Understand.

This is Friendship Seven. Coming across the Gulf of Lower California at present time in the scope.

Roger.

John, for your information, the clocks will be set over Canaveral.

Roger, understand clocks will be set by command, is that affirm, or do they want…

That is negative. They, on contact with Al, they will have you change the clock.

Roger, understand. Friendship Seven.

For your information your O2 is holding. It seems to be working; it's reading about

Roger, Friendship Seven. Cabin temperature is holding steady at about 90 [degrees]. I still have excess cabin water light on and my, I have the cabin water turned almost completely off at present time.

Roger, it sounds like it's working out all right anyway.

Roger, it's doing okay. We'll make one more orbit okay.

I assume you are still on manual proportional; is that correct?

That's affirmative, I'm still on manual.

Friendship Seven, Guaymas Cap Com reads you loud and clear. Over.

Roger, Guaymas. Read you loud and clear, also.

John, the Aeromeds are real happy with you; you look real good up there.

Ali right, fine, glad everything is working out. I feel real good, Wally. No problems at all.

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

Hello, Texas, this is Friendship Seven. Read you loud and clear. How me? Over.

Roger, reading you five square on HF. Let's try UHF. Over.

This is Friendship Seven, I'm on UHF. Over.

Roger, Friendship Seven, Roger. Standby for Cap Com.

Roger.

This is Texas Cap Com, Friendship Seven. Do you read?

Roger, Texas Cap Com. Loud and clear. How me?

Loud and clear. We have no queries down here. Continue with your observations please.

Roger. This is Friendship Seven. Systems all operating normally. I gave my quantities again. There's no need to waste more time on those. I am pitching down to about 60° to make observation. Over.

Roger, we confirm down here on the TM. Over.

Roger.

This is Friendship Seven. Just passed over El Paso in good shape. Could see town through some of the clouds, Over.

Friendship Seven, flying over complete cloud deck at present time.

I'm pitching down to 60° at present time. Orbit attitude in roll and yaw.

This is. …

Canaveral Com Tech. How do you copy? Over.

Hello, Canaveral Com Tech. Friendship Seven. Loud and clear; how me?

Roger, Friendship Seven. This is Canaveral Com Tech. Copy you loud and clear, also. Standby for Cap Com please.

Roger.

Hello, Cap Com. Friendship Seven. Fuel is 62-60 [percent]; oxygen is 62-95 [percent]; amps 23. Over.

Friendship Seven, reading you loud and clear. I'll give you the 3 Bravo Time, 03 22 26. Over.

Roger, 03 22 26, for 3 Bravo. Is that affirm?

… 3 Charlie 03 40 18. Over.

Roger, 03 40 18 for 3 Charlie.

That is correct. At this time change your retro setting manually to 04 32 38. Over.

Roger, 04 plus 32 plus 38.

Roger, retrograde time is reset to 04 plus 32 plus 38. Over.

Roger, Seven. We recommend for the third orbit that you use gyros as you desire either normal or free so that in the event prior to retrofire on the third orbit that the scanners and ASCS do not program properly you may use your gyros in the free position for attitude reference. Over.

Roger. This is Friendship Seven. I have a fair, pretty good line-up now on the gyros, I believe. The check that I made on the night side was okay but they drifted off again, apparently rather rapidly in fact. I got another check on it and they seem to have corrected back pretty good now. I did not have to cage them again. Over.

Roger, Seven, we understand. The only problem is that you may not have enough light time prior yo retrofire.

Roger.

Let the gyros work in the free position if you desire. Over.

Roger. Friendship Seven.

Also, Seven, we recommend that you allow the capsule to drift on manual control in order to conserve fuel. Over.