Spacelog Mercury 6

Roger. Hello Cap Com, Friendship Seven. How are things going?

Hello, Muchea Cap Com, Muchea Cap Com, Friendship Seven. Over.

Hello, Muchea Cap Com, Muchea Cap Com. Over.

How me? 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.

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.