Spacelog Mercury 8

Real good. How about you?

Oh, fine. I'm not bored up here. I just flew over Midway a while ago. Got a good look at that. I'm steaming up towards you-all now, of course, north of you. I gave Gene Duret my intermediate report—if he could pick me up on HF. Actually . . ..

Go ahead with your report.

Okay, as you know, the control mode is set up for drifting. The mode selected is normal, auto, gyros caged. I've selected reentry attitude. I'm of course in fly-by-wire low. The maneuver switch is off. I'll give you the fuel quantities and oxygen. Just to check yours against mine. I still have 89 (percent) auto and 90 (percent) manual.

Roger. Was that 89-90?

That's affirmative 89-90.

Roger

Oxygen, I have 55 and 75 (psi, in hundreds).

Roger.

At 05 hours no minutes no seconds, I have 56 (psi, in hundreds) on the oxygen and 75. There is practically no change on it.

Roger.

Suit inlet temperature is still about 61 to 62 (degrees). The dome is about 72. It's about as cool as I want it. It's just beautiful.

Roger. We confirm those quantities, Wally. Looks like you're in good shape. Did you get the message to go to UHF prior to elapsed time of 6 18.

Right, I have that on my card, also Watertown got it to me on HF. But neither Watertown nor you could hear me. I heard you loud and clear.

Were you reading me through relay?

That's affirmative, so I would suggest to you, broadcast in the blind if you have something hot for me.

Roger. I'll do that anyway, and I'm glad to hear that you got us at least.

Right, I heard you way back and, I'd say at about 5 hours and 53 minutes.

Say that time again.

Five hours and 53 minutes.

Repeat the whole time. I missed it.

Roger.

Sure breaking tradition on this pass.

Roger, how do you like drifting flight?

Great sport. The rates are not consistent. They do change.

Roger, understand. Your rates do change.

That's affirmative. I've never had more than about, of, I would say about 3/4 of a degree per second in any one direction.

Wally, you're cutting in and out on voice. Possibly we're losing it.

At 6 hours and 4 minutes—we have a 1 degree per second right yaw rate. 0 degree per second pitch, and 3/4 of a degree per second left roll. No change in fuel quantity. No detectible thruster action. We are swinging around and acquiring the horizon at this point.

California Cap Com, this is Sigma Seven, over.

Hello Sigma Seven, this is Cal Cap Com. How do you feel, over.

Read you loud and clear, John. How me?

You're loud and clear. Everything's solid down here. I guess you got the word on the 6 08 bit. Is that affirm?

That's affirmative. You have T/M on me now? I'll power up before all that jazz.

Okay, Roger. T/M is solid.

Okay. I have gyros normal, auto, gyros caged. I am going to power up and then go—correction—gonna power up and fly-by-wire. Monitoring the a-c bus at this time. She comes up to 115 (volts). I have 25 amps, in good shape.

Roger. We confirm.

I'll hold off on my beacon. Clock's at 6 06 approximately I guess, when I powered up, so that it would be good at about 6 11. I have no change in consumables, John. It looks real good here.

Roger. Everything's looking fine here. We have T/M solid and we confirm your actions here.

Roger. I got a real weird attitude at this point I'll clue you. Ha, ha, I'm looking down at the earth. I'm sort of coming toward you head first, inverted.

Roger. You can pick your own up from that standpoint.

Yeah. You really get the illusion you're ready for a split S every once in a while, don't you?

Right.

Wally, I'll give you a count to the 6 08 here so we . . . start in. They're going to have it on for 2 minutes beginning at 6 08. That's about 20 seconds, here.

Okay, John, sounds like fun.

Okay, Sigma Seven. This is Cal Cap Com. You're at 6 08. Two minutes on live TV. Go ahead, Wally.

Roger, John. Just came out of the powered down configuration where we had the ASCS inverter off. It came up in good shape and will stay on now for the rest of the flight. The amps and volts are reading properly. The amps are now down to about 19 amps, after we powered up. They were up to 25 at first. I'm coming toward you inverted this time, which is an unusual way for any of us to approach California, I'll admit.

Roger, Wally, you got anything to say to everyone, watching you across country on this thing. We're going out live on this.