Spacelog Mercury 8

Sigma Seven. Say again cabin pressure. Did not read you.

Cabin pressure is 5., 5.0 (psi).

Roger.

I am warming up gyros although they should have a bypass anyway.

Sigma Seven. Everything looks good. IOS standing by.

Roger, IOS. It looks good here.

Sigma Seven. We have 1 minute to LOS.

Roger, I am completely secure here and ready for retrofire on command.

Roger.

All attitudes check out perfectly here. How do they check with you there?

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At this time, I have completed the high thruster checks. A delayed report. Each axis worked beautifully. I now have 75 (percent) auto (fuel) and 75 (percent) manual (fuel).

All attitudes are responding very nicely. Suit heat dome is about 72 (degrees), suit inlet is about 63 (degrees), coming down just a tad. Definitely it—optimum flight setting of about 7½ to 8 for this vehicle. I will crack it up another notch to 8. I have set the—suit regulator for the coolant quantity to position 8, at CET 08 36 23.

Cabin, at this time, is monitoring at about 4.8 (psi). The suit apparently about 4 (psi), and the suit pressure gage is reading 4.9 (psi). This is the suit pressure gage on the suit.

The index finger—finger-tip light left hand finally failed. They really do not have the long-time durability that we're looking for.

The horizon is very clear. Roll and pitch look very good. Yaw looks good. I believe we've got a medley of stars coming into sight now to give us a fix.

One gets the illusion that you're on a train or some other vehicle, due to the humming, and you feel that you should be on a track of some kind and you're driving down. Much like the sound of the ship when you're under way at sea. The blower noise, I assume, and the inverters give you the same illusions

Okay. We got Grus, and we got Jupiter in the right position. So our yaw reference is right on the money. No problem with that. When I lean way down I can pick up Jupiter, and Formalhaut should come down very shortly after.

Have a slight roll to the right, which is indicated by the gyro as well. Coming on 8 minutes and 50 seconds.

T_r-10 relay must have set in, although I have no clues—other than the ASCS rate gyros coming up and I can't bet on those since they're in anyway by the switch being selected to T_r-10 bypass.

Gyros normal. Attitude—fly-by-wire. Retrofire armed, the 3 fuses are armed. We are fat!

There is Jupiter,and there is Formalhaut in the middle of the window, this time around. Attitude is real stiff now. Just by chance, I assume. Roll is right on, yaw is right on.

Cabin PO₂ at this time is about 3.9 to 4.0 (psi). Cabin heat exchanger is about 50 (degrees), at this time. Dome just happens to be on an upswing now.

Dome, cabin dome is about 57 (degrees). Cabin temperature is 90 (degrees). Suit inlet is 62 (degrees). Oxygen remaining 50 (psi, in hundreds) primary, 75 (psi, in hundreds) secondary. All electrical looks good. Fuel remaining, still is, 78, 78 (percent).

Coming up on the 5 minute to go to retrograde light.

Five minute to go retrograde light is on.

Attitude looks very good, nice and stiff. Pressure is holding very well. Vehicle looks very good.

Roll left, not so good. Let's see what we have. Five degrees roll shows up very readily.

Checking over the other systems. They all seem to be fairly constant. Suit dome is still about 71 (degrees), suit inlet is 62 (degrees), which this time is comfortable. Cabin pressure and suit pressure and suit pressure gauge all match within about 1/10 of a psi. Getting some light in the periscope at this time.

About 2 minutes to go to retrofire. I'm in UHF-hi, transmit and record, R/T. All fuse switches are in the proper position but for the landing switch fuses.

Sigma Seven this is Pacific Command Ship. Do you read? Over.

Affirmative, Seven. Are you reading me?

Roger, Al. Read you loud and clear.

Understand you're ready to go home, Wally.

Roger. I've got everything all set, Al, except for the squib switch, which I'll put on your count.

Very good. You're going to use ASCS retro, and manual proportional standby.

That is affirmative. The handle is sitting in at this time; I'll pull it out.

Okay. Your attitudes look very good, Wally, and your clock is 5 seconds fast.—So with the present setting, we should time out right on time.

Roger, Al. I've got—I'm coming up on 30 seconds to go. I'll give you my light.

Okay.

I've got the 5 minute light on. This is the 30 second light—5, 4, 3, 2, 1, LIGHT^T There it is. I've got a light and a tone. Tone is out.

Very good. The timing is right on, Wally. I'll count down to retrosequence, and you'll arm the squibs at 5.

That's correct.

Here we go at 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5.

Squib arm.

3, 2, 1. SEQUENCE^T.

I have sequence, and capsule is nice and tight. Got attitude green. She sitting here like a tight rock, Al.

Roger, attitude looks very good from here, Wally.

Yeah. They looked beautiful here, too. Oh boy! She's a good little capsule, I'll clue you.

Here you go.

Roger.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.^T

I've got (retro rocket number) 1, and she's holding real tight. Very tight. I got 2, my attitudes are right on the money. I've got 3.

Very good. We confirm on T/M. Retros 1, 2, and 3. Attitudes holding very well. Retro jettison switch to arm.

Roger.

Emergency retro jettison fuse switch is on.

Roger. They are all on. Retro jet is armed. Got sunlight. Everybody's very happy. I'm going to fly-by-wire, Al, to pitch to reentry attitude. Manual is going in.

And we show you have about 68 percent auto and 84 percent manual fuel left. I think our readings are probably a little closer than yours.

I've got 68 (percent) auto and 78 (percent) manual.

Roger.

Standing by for retro jett. I have retro jett, and light is green. I could hear it by the way.

Very good. We confirm retro jettison.

Okay. I am using fly-by-wire low to pitch up to reentry attitude.

Okay. We're following you here.

Roger. I am a little sloppy on the roll as you may see. No strain. I'm going to put her right into ASCS when I get up here. Okay. She's in reentry as far as roll goes. Okay. The scope is coming in. I'm on the gyros.

Roger. We confirm scope retract on T/M.

Roger.

And you're very close to reentry attitude.

Roger. I'm in reentry attitude now.

Roger. Understand you will go to RSCS prior to 0.05g, with aux damp as a back up.

That is affirmative. I'm now going to ASCS at this time. And she's tight and holding.

Understand you are in ASCS.

That is correct. I want to see if the reentry logic was in.

Roger. And you will go to RSCS prior to 0.05g.

That is correct, Al. I want to give her a checkout. Those retros were real cute, and right on the money.

Roger.

I'd say attitudes didn't vary 1 degree.

Real tight. Real tight.

Righto. I think they're gonna put me on number 3 elevator.