Phase 5: Reentry

John Glenn

Roger, retro sequence is green.

CAPCOM

You have a green. You look good on attitude.

John Glenn

Retro attitude is green.

CAPCOM

5, 4, 3, 2, 1, fire.

John Glenn

Roger, retros are firing.

CAPCOM

Sure, they be.

John Glenn

Are they ever. It feels like I'm going back toward Hawaii.

CAPCOM

Don't do that, you want to go to the East Coast.

John Glenn

Roger. Fire retro light is green.

CAPCOM

All three here.

John Glenn

Roger, retros have stopped. A hundred. …

CAPCOM

Keep your retro pack on until you pass Texas.

John Glenn

That's affirmative.

CAPCOM

Pretty good looking flight from what all we've seen.

John Glenn

Roger, everything went pretty good except for all this ASCS problem.

CAPCOM

It looked like your attitude held pretty well. Did you have to back it up at all?

John Glenn

Oh, yes, quite a bit. Yeah, I had a lot of trouble with it.

CAPCOM

Good enough for Government work from down here.

John Glenn

Yes, sir, it looks good, Wally. We'll see you back East.

John Glenn

Fire Retro is green.

John Glenn

Jettison retro is red. I'm holding onto it.

John Glenn

I'll tell you, there is no doubt about it when the retros fire.

CAPCOM

Gathered that from your comments.

John Glenn

Everything is looking good, I'll give you a fast readout here. Fuel is 29-27 [percent]. The cabin pressure holding 5.5, cabin air is 88 [degrees], relative humidity is 33 [percent]; coolant quantity, 58 [percent], temperature is 71 [degrees], suit temperature is 71 [degrees], suit pressure is 5.8, steam temperature is 53 [degrees] in the suit, oxygen is, primary 60 [percent], 89 [percent] on secondary.

CAPCOM

Looks pretty good on this end. How did the attitude seem to hold? Did you have any diversions in yaw at all?

John Glenn

Negative, very close. I backed it up and worked right along with the ASCS and it looked like it held right on the money.

CAPCOM

Roger, we didn't notice any particular disparity here.

John Glenn

Roger, good. Do you have a time for going to Jettison Retro? Over.

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CAPCOM

Texas will give you that message. Over.

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven, cutting yaw on automatic and I'll control that manually; it keeps banging in and out of orientation.

CAPCOM

Roger, Friendship Seven.

John Glenn

Hello, Texas. Friendship Seven. Over.

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven, Cal Cap Com. Do you read?

CAPCOM

Consideration about leaving retropack on, they will inform you over Texas.

John Glenn

Roger, over the Coast.

CAPCOM

Roger, clear blue here.

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven Can see El Centre and the Imperial Valley down there; Salton Sea very clear.

CAPCOM

It should be pretty green; we've had a lot of rain down here

CAPCOM

Do you notice any contrast over the coastline, John?

CAPCOM

How about contrast over the coastline?

John Glenn

There is quite a bit of cloud cover down in this area. I can, right on track, I can only see certain areas. I can see quite a bit on up to the north, however.

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven, going to manual control.

CAPCOM

Roger, Friendship Seven.

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Spoken on Feb. 20, 1962, 7:23 p.m. UTC (62 years, 8 months ago). Link to this transcript range is: Tweet

John Glenn

This is banging in and out here; I'll just control it manually.

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven, Guaymas Cap Com, reading you loud and clear.

John Glenn

Roger, Guaymas, read you loud and clear also.

Comm Tech

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

John Glenn

Roger, Texas, go ahead.

Comm Tech

Roger. Reading you 5 square. Standby for Texas Cap Com.

CAPCOM

This is Texas Cap Com, Friendship Seven. We are recommending that you leave the retropackage on through the entire reentry. This means that you will have to override the 0.05g switch which is expected to occur at 04 43 53. This also means that you will have to manually retract the scope. Do you read?

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven. What is the reason for this? Do you have any reason? Over.

CAPCOM

Not at this time; this is the judgment of Cape Flight.

John Glenn

Roger. Say again your instructions please. Over.

CAPCOM

We are recommending that the retropackage not, I say again, not be jettisoned. This means that you will have to override the 0.05g switch which is expected to occur at 04 43 53. This is approximately 4¼ minutes from now. This also means that you will have to retract the scope manually. Do you understand?

John Glenn

Roger, understand. I will have to make a manual 0.05g entry when it occurs, and bring the scope in manually. Is that affirm?

CAPCOM

That is affirmative, Friendship Seven.

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven, going to reentry attitude, then, in that case.

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven, Cape flight will give you the reasons for this action when you are in view.

John Glenn

Roger. Roger. Friendship Seven.

CAPCOM

Everything down here on the ground looks okay.

John Glenn

Roger. This is Friendship Seven.

CAPCOM

Confirm your attitudes.

CAPCOM

Friendship Seven, this is Cape. Over.

John Glenn

Go ahead, Cape. Friendship Seven.

CAPCOM

Recommend you go to reentry attitude and retract the scope manually at this time.

John Glenn

Roger, retracting scope manually.

CAPCOM

While you're doing that, we are not sure whether or not your landing bag has deployed. We feel it is possible to reenter with the retropackage on. We see no difficulty at this time in that type of reentry. Over.

John Glenn

Roger, understand.

CAPCOM

Seven, this is Cape. Over.

John Glenn

Go ahead, Cape. Friendship Seven.

CAPCOM

Estimating 0.05g at 04 44.

CAPCOM

You override 0.05g at that time.

John Glenn

Roger. Friendship Seven.

John Glenn

This is Friendship Seven. I'm on straight manual control at present time. This was, still kicking in and out of orientation mode, mainly in yaw following retorfire, so I am on straight manual now. I'll back it up. …

CAPCOM

… on reentry.