Spacelog Mercury 6

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.

Roger. Friendship Seven.

Seven, this is Cape. Standby for Z Cal.

Roger.

R Cal.

Cal off.

Roger.

Friendship Seven, this Bermuda Cap Com. We read you loud and clear.

Roger, Bermuda. Hear you loud and clear also.

Seven, this is Cape. Over.

Go ahead, Cape.

Correct your 3 Bravo time to 03 22 22. Over.

Roger, 03 22 22 for 3 Bravo.

Well, Seven, I'm having trouble, the seconds should be 32. Over.

Roger, 03 22 32.

Good Show.

Roger. Roger.

Hello Bermuda. Friendship Seven. It's over to you. Over.

Roger, Friendship Seven. We have nothing for you, you're in good shape.

Roger, this is Friendship Seven. I have the Cape in sight down there. It looks real fine from up here.

Rog. Rog.

As you know.

Yea, verily, Sonny.

This is Friendship Seven, Flor-, I can see the whole state of Florida just laid out like on a map. Beautiful.

Very good.

Even from this position out here, I can still see clear back to the Mississippi Delta.

This is Friendship Seven, checking down in Area Hotel on the weather and it looks good down that way. Looks like we'll have no problem on recovery.

Very good. We'll see you in Grand Turk.

Yes, Sir.

In fact, I can see clear down, see all the islands clear down that whole chain from up here, … I can see way beyond them and area Hotel looks excellent for recovery.

Friendship Seven, Bermuda Cap Com.

Go ahead, Bermuda.

Cape recommends that you reenter on ASCS with manual for backup.

Roger, this is Friendship Seven. Understand recommend ASCS with manual backup.

This, this operation of ASCS has been very erratic. I have not been able to pin it down to any particular, one particular item. It went off one direction in yaw at one time; it went off the other the next time. I felt for a little while that pitch was drifting. It seemed to have a little stuck thrust in pitch at one time and I have to keep correcting that and that corrected itself and then I was off in roll just after I came off the dark side this time. Over.

Roger, understand. I have all that down. Could you give us a blood pressure please?

Roger. Standby.

Friendship Seven, can you give me both your primary and secondary oxygen?

Roger, primary oxygen is 62 [percent], secondary is 94 [percent].

Roger.

This is Friendship Seven. I'm letting it drift a little bit to the right here to look up north.

Friendship Seven, Bermuda Cap Com.