Spacelog Mercury 8

Sigma Seven, Cape Cap Com. How do you read?

Hi, Deke, I read you loud and clear. How me?

You're coming in fairly good.

This reticle is working very well for yaw, as well as for almost any other attitude.

Sigma Seven, Sigma Seven, this is Cape Cap Com.

Go ahead, Cape.

Cape Cap Com, go ahead. Cape Cap Com this is Sigma Seven. I read you loud and clear. How me?

Sigma Seven, Sigma Seven, Cape Cap Com.

This is Sigma Seven. Go ahead, Cape, I read you loud and clear.

You are coming in about 3 by.

Okay.

I'm okay. Standby, I'm going back to ASCS. It's gotta hold me up (delay me.) The capsule—I'd like to straighten out this problem that you are—obviously have seen on the suit circuit. I have had very little luck in bringing it down. I'm going to increase the setting to 8 at this time. I am on 8 now—the suit dome is now about 81 (degrees). It has dropped about a degree. Do you understand?

Understand suit dome is 81 (degrees). .

That is correct. Suit dome is 81(degrees). The suit inlet is about 76(degrees). I'm making a little ground on it.

That sounds promising.

Yeah, I think it is. I didn't want to rush into it, and I didn't get too hot. I know you are concerned. I'd rather come up on the right setting than dicker around going back and forth.

Roger.

Now all the systems are working very well. I'd like to give you a rundown on the control systems. My fly-by-wire is excellent. Manual was slightly sluggish but very good. The capsule at this time is in auto mode, maneuver off, gyros normal. T_s+5 did check out very well. The fuel is holding up as you can see, as well as the oxygen.

Okay, sounds good.

Okay. I'm going to continue with my day yaw checks now.

Next transmission will be on emergency voice.

Roger.

Sigma Seven, Cape Cap Com, transmitting emergency voice. Over.

Roger. I read you loud and clear. I'm going to send you another …(blood pressure) here, because I moved too much on the last one.

Roger.

Seven, Cap Com.

Go ahead, Deke.

Your (contingency recovery area)2 Bravo retro.

Standby 'till I finish my blood here. Okay, I'm done. Okay, go ahead with your 2 Bravo.

2 Bravo, 01 48 32.

48 32. Is that correct?

01 48 32.

32 Roger. Understand. 01 48 32, 2 Bravo.

We suggest you have a drink of water if you haven't had one recently.

No, I haven't. I've tried not to open the visor. I want to get the circuit going down. I think we might have a chance to take a quick one. I'll get ready for one.

Okay. If you're reading this, I want to clear you on one item.

Okay.

You indicated high thruster action at Bermuda and Muchea on switch over from ASCS to fly-by-wire. Has this been apparent to you?

Negative. It has not. I have one case where I went into reeentry attitude after—correction, before—Canton but this was to check the stars at night after Woomera. And I got a twitch then, which I think was a high thruster.

Otherwise, it dropped in beautifully on transition from control mode to control mode.

You're pretty poor transmitting, let's try UHF once.

Okay. Standby, VOX off.

Seven, Cap Com, UHF. How do you read?

Deke. I read you loud and clear. How me?

How you reading now?

I read you fine. I just had some water and it does feel kinda good.

Roger, loud and clear.

Say again.

Looks more readable on UHF.

Yeah, I'd like to hear about it.

In the second orbit over Zanzibar, time 15 23 Zulu. Azimuth should be 2.30 (degrees), elevation 83.25 (degrees).

Roger, we'll see if we can take a peek at it.

Our recommendation is that you decrease suit valve to position 3 and observe dome temperature for 15 minutes. If this doesn't help, then go back to 7.

Deke, I finally got a grasp on this thing. I'm beginning to feel a little cooler. And the suit inlet temperature is now down to 76 (degrees). Over.

Roger, understand you would prefer to maintain a status quo, is that correct?

No, I've been sneaking up on this thing for almost a whole orbit.

Roger.

Do you understand?

Roger.

Cape Cap Com, Sigma Seven.

Go ahead.

I really do feel I am getting cooler. The suit inlet is now about 75 to 76 (degrees), so I am making progress. Over.

Roger, understand. You are getting a slight decrease.

That is affirmative. I would rather not throw in the sponge on the settings I have so far.

Roger, understand. You would prefer to let it stabilize a while longer.

Right. I'm going to go back to some more yaw checks.

Going to fly-by-wire low.

Fly-by-wire low.

Roger.

Sigma Seven, Cap Com.

Go ahead, Deke.

Bermuda again shows high thruster action on switch over to fly-by-wire.

I'm positive I'm not getting it, because if—I'd be leaping all over—I'd be leaping all over the sky if I were getting highs at this point. I haven't used more than, oh, 1/2 degree per second.

Sigma Seven, Cap Com.

Go ahead Deke.

Go ahead Cape Cap Com.

Roger, you are fading. We are about at LOS. Flight would still prefer that you consider going to position 3 after evaluating 8 a while longer.

Roger. Understand.

Roger. I'm now getting into attitude. Standby for 0 (degrees) yaw, and pitch and roll. This will be—.

Yaw is now approximately 0 at this time—MARK. ^T. I will look—about 4 degrees left. Correcting in pitch, yaw is okay, going to go back to ASCS to get gyros straightened out, gyros are normal at this time. I'm setting up into the tight pattern.

Sigma Seven this is Canary Com Tech, transmitting UHF/HF. Do you read? Over.

Hello, Canary Com Tech, this is Sigma Seven. I read you loud and clear. How me? Over.

Roger, Sigma Seven, this is Canary Cap Com, reading you loud and clear. We'd like to get some temperature readings from you. Cabin suit and cabin dome and suit dome. Over.

Okay, I'll give you a readout. Suit dome is 80 (degrees), suit inlet temperature is 75 (degrees), cabin dome is 41 (degrees), cabin temperature is 97 (degrees), suit coolant setting is 8, cabin is 3. I will follow . . ..

Do you feel that these settings now are giving you adequate cooling.

I am going to take Flight's suggestion, and reduce my setting to unit 3 for a few minutes, and then try back at 7 if this does not work. Over.

Roger. I copied.

I am now going to setting number 3 on the suit temperature control.

Roger.

At 1 hour and 50 minutes.

Roger. What is your present control mode?

I am in ASCS.I have completed yaw checks with the window, I am going to try some yaw checks with the periscope at this time.

Roger.

Switching to fly-by-wire low, gyros free.

I can definitely see a yaw pattern in the window, in the periscope, in the reticle. The window itself is satisfactory at (-) 34 degrees, I've covered the gyro and am now coming back to the left to remove yaw.

Roger. Did you, how far did you have to come back on yaw?