Phase 4: 3rd Orbit

Comm Tech

Canaveral Com Tech. How do you copy? Over.

John Glenn

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

Comm Tech

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

John Glenn

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

CAPCOM

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

John Glenn

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

CAPCOM

… 3 Charlie 03 40 18. Over.

John Glenn

Roger, 03 40 18 for 3 Charlie.

CAPCOM

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

John Glenn

Roger, 04 plus 32 plus 38.

John Glenn

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

CAPCOM

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.

John Glenn

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.

CAPCOM

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

CAPCOM

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

John Glenn

Roger. Friendship Seven.

CAPCOM

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

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Spoken on Feb. 20, 1962, 5:57 p.m. UTC (62 years, 7 months ago). Link to this transcript range is: Tweet

John Glenn

Roger. Friendship Seven.

CAPCOM

Seven, this is Cape. Standby for Z Cal.

CAPCOM

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

John Glenn

Roger, Bermuda. Hear you loud and clear also.

CAPCOM

Seven, this is Cape. Over.

CAPCOM

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

CAPCOM

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

John Glenn

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

CAPCOM

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

John Glenn

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

CAPCOM

Yea, verily, Sonny.

John Glenn

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

John Glenn

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

John Glenn

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.

CAPCOM

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

John Glenn

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.

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven, Bermuda Cap Com.

John Glenn

Go ahead, Bermuda.