Spacelog Mercury 6

Friendship Seven. Go ahead.

Roger. Area 3 Delta, Area 3 Delta is 4 hours, 12 minutes, 32 seconds.

Roger.

Area 3 Delta is 04 plus 12 plus 32. Is that affirm?

Affirmative. Area 3 Echo, Area 3 Echo is 4 hours, 22 minutes, 12 seconds. I say again; 4 hours, 22 minutes, 12 seconds. Over.

Roger. Area 3 Echo is 04 plus 22 plus 12.

Roger. Area Hotel is 4 hours, 32 minutes, 37 seconds. Say it again; 4 hours, 32 minutes 37 seconds. Over.

Roger. 04 plus 32 plus 38. I have correction, plus 37; I have 38 set on my retrosequence because of error in my clock of 1 second. Over.

That is affirmative. We assume you have an error in your clock. Over.

One second error, that is affirm. Request you confirm with Cape that I have 04 plus 32 plus 38 as correct retrograde time. Over.

Roger. That's affirmative.

This is Friendship Seven. The ASCS is drifting again. I'm indicating 25° right in yaw. Over.

Roger, understand.

This is Friendship Seven. I have almost continuous cloud cover under me as far as I can see in every direction. Over.

Roger, understand.

Friendship Seven, this is Indian Cap Com. Surgeon would like to talk to you. Over.

Roger. This is Friendship Seven.

This is the surgeon here. Have you switched to secondary oxygen for any reason during this hop? Over.

Negative. I don't quite understand the decrease in secondary either unless it's the bottles are beginning to cool down, but they shouldn't cool that much.

We're reading 90 [percent] on the TM. How about you?

I am reading 90 [percent] also.

Somewhere about 65 [percent]. This is Indian Surgeon. Out.

Roger. This is Friendship Seven. This thing is slipping in and out of orientation mode and wasting fuel at present time. I'm just going to try and hold it on orbit attitude manually. Over. Or on fly-by-wire. Over.

Roger. Manually by fly-by-wire. Over.

Roger.

This is Friendship Seven. Checking different control modes on fly-by-wire. I have no low thrust to the right. Over.

Roger, understand no low thrust to the right.

Roger.

I do have low thrust in all other axes. Over.

Roger, understand.

This is Friendship Seven. Pitching up for star observation.

Roger. Report anything you see. Over.

Friendship Seven, Muchea Cap Com. How now? Over.

Muchea Cap Com: Friendship Seven. Loud and clear. How me?

Roger. You are coming through rather weak. Do you want to switch to UHF? Over.

Roger. Switching to UHF.

Friendship Seven, Muchea Cap Com, how do you read? Over.

Roger, Muchea. Loud and clear, how me? Over.

Hello, Muchea, Friendship Seven. Loud and clear, how me? Over.

Muchea Cap Com. Give us 30-minute report.

Roger. This is Friendship Seven. 30-minute report: ASCS is major item, still not operating properly. I am on fly-by-wire at present time. I have no low thrust to the right fly-by-wire. Over.

Roger, understand no low right thruster on fly-by-wire.

That is affirmative. Got it?

We would like to send you a Z and R Cal sometime during your 30-minute report. …

Roger. Fine.

You want to start down the 30-minute report there?

This is Friendship Seven. In 45 more seconds I would like to have you send a message for me, please. Over.

I want you to send a message to the Director, to the Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps, Washington. Tell him I have my 4 hours required flight time in for the month and request flight chit be established for me. Over.

Roger. Will do.

Think they'll pay it?

I don't know. Gonna find out.

Roger. Is this flying time or rocket time?

Lighter than air, buddy.

Rog.

We're sending you a Z and R Cal, hear.

Very well.

Coming now.

Are you going to start down on this procedure, or this 30-minute stuff?

Yes, all the fuse switches are still in the same position, Gordo. I haven't changed any of those. Squib is armed, Auto Retrojettison is off. I am on fly-by-wire, auto, and gyro normal. All “T” handles are in. The sequence panel is normal except for Landing Bag in the off position. The attitude indicator has been rather erratic, they drift very rapidly sometimes. Especially when I maneuver myself and then come back onto ASCS. It seems they have been thrown way off at that time.

Roger.

My retrograde time 04 plus 32 plus 38 for capsule time which corrects for I second error in this clock.

On that, MCC recommends you change that to 04 32 37 shortly after you get done with these others.

Roger. Okay, cabin pressure is still holding at 5.5. It's been there ever since we left. 90 [percent] on cabin temp, relative humidity is back up again now to about 36 [percent], coolant quantity is down a little bit too, we may have had a small water leak some place since we have that much increase in humidity, cause it was down around 20 [percent]. Our coolant quantity, though, is down around 62 [percent] now. The suit temperature is 70 [degrees] inlet; cabin suit pressure is 5.8. Steam temperature is 4 point, is 48 [degrees]. Oxygen is 60-90 [percent]. Amps are 24, ASCS is 11, about 115 now. Fan, is 110. Over.

Roger. All your switches outboard?

That's affirmative. On the right side, everything is outboard except the fuel quantity warning light which is on. I have that switch inboard to cut the audio.

The only 2 switch fuses in the center off position, on the right, are Retro Jettison and Retro Manual. Over.

Roger. Comfort control settings?

Control settings on the water?

Rog.

Water on, on cabin temperature is setting number 2. Setting on the suit temp is beyond the 1.7 mark. I repeat, beyond the 1.7 mark which is the maximum setting.

Roger. I understand. What is your opinion on the gyro problem, John?

Well, I don't know. I want to start lining up just as carefully as I can here in a minute and see whether the scanners will pick it up and correct it in so that we have a good retrofire attitude. If it is not, I'll aline it myself. Over.

Roger. Do you have your three Dog, Easy, and Hotel times from Indian Ocean Ship?

Yes I did. I got these okay.

And, now I gave you the recommended change in the retro clock to 04 32 37. On your retro, using ASCS, you'll be using high torque thrusters for retrofire mode there. What do you say about retroing by ASCS and backing up by fly-by-wire?

Well-well, you can't, you couldn't do it on ASCS and fly-by-wire. You mean on manual.

No, I meant you could go ASCS by fly-by-wire and back it up on manual proportional.

Yes. If the ASCS appears to be programing and holding a good orbit attitude I'll let it go on ASCS and back it up with manual. If not, if it appears that the gyros are cocked as they were a little while ago, then I'll just stay on manual retrofire, I think and let it go at that.