Phase 5: Fourth orbit

Wally Schirra

Roger. Standby 1 second Deke.

Wally Schirra

Roger. Made a dosimeter check, and it is still less than the last reading.

Wally Schirra

Cape Cap Com, Sigma Seven in UHF-hi. Go ahead.

Wally Schirra

Cape Cap Com, this is Sigma Seven, UHF-hi. Go ahead.

Deke Slayton (CAPCOM)

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

Wally Schirra

Cape Cap Com, Sigma Seven UHF-hi. How do you read? Over.

Deke Slayton (CAPCOM)

You are now coming in about 4 by.

Wally Schirra

Roger. I am in drifting mode, everything is working beautifully.

Wally Schirra

You are coming in garbled Deke.

Deke Slayton (CAPCOM)

Here are your retro times, if you are ready.

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Spoken on Oct. 3, 1962, 4:56 p.m. UTC (63 years, 4 months ago). Link to this transcript range is: Tweet

Wally Schirra

Roger. I think I will be through in a second. I will take them.

Wally Schirra

Do that one over again and I will be right on. You're in clear now.

Deke Slayton (CAPCOM)

Right. (recovery area) 6-1 is 08 51 24.

Deke Slayton (CAPCOM)

(Contingency recovery areas) A and B are nominal and I'd like to give you a GMT hack and see what your clock is doing now. Give you one at 16 57 35. MARK.T

Wally Schirra

Roger. I'm reading 55 45.

Wally Schirra

Let's check the backup clock and we will hack that.

Deke Slayton (CAPCOM)

For your information, we are going to start calling you Venus. IOS visually sighted you on the last pass.

Deke Slayton (CAPCOM)

Did you have your steak?

Deke Slayton (CAPCOM)

Yeah. It was okay. Did you eat it?

Wally Schirra

Would you do me a time hack again on GMT?

Deke Slayton (CAPCOM)

Okay, GMT. 16 58 15. MARK.T

Wally Schirra

15 okay. I'm 15—that was just about 3 seconds slow on my backup clock.

Deke Slayton (CAPCOM)

Very good. Flight would like to talk to you now.

Chris Kraft (FLIGHT)

Wally, we have some Echo sighting data. You prepared to copy?

Wally Schirra

Just get my pencil out. Standby. Okay, go Chris.

Chris Kraft (FLIGHT)

00 17 30 is contact time for 4 minutes. Azimuth 99.5 (degrees), elevation 90 (degrees). Echo will be in the light, the capsule in the dark.

Wally Schirra

That should be fun, shouldn't it?

Chris Kraft (FLIGHT)

Roger. Been a real good show up there. I think we are proving our point old buddy.

Wally Schirra

I hope so Chris. I am enjoying it.

Deke Slayton (CAPCOM)

Sigma Seven . . . standing by.

Chris Kraft (FLIGHT)

Sigma Seven, Cape Flight.

Chris Kraft (FLIGHT)

We are ready to go into fast time if you are.

Wally Schirra

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha! That's a good one. Very good.