Spacelog Mercury 4

Lift-off.

Loud and clear.

Loud and clear. José, don't cry too much.

Okey doke.

OK, it's a nice ride up to now.

Loud and clear.

Roger.

OK. The fuel is go; about 1 ½ g's; cabin pressure is just coming off the peg; the O₂ is go; we have 26 amps.

Roger. Pitch 88, the trajectory is good.

Roger, looks good here.

OK, there. We're starting to pick up a little bit of the noise and vibration; not bad, though, at all. 50 secs., more vibration.

OK. The fuel is go; 1 ½ g's, cabin is 8, the O₂ is go, 27 amps.

And …

Pitch is …

4, 5 …

Pitch is 77; trajectory is go.

Roger. Cabin pressure is still about 6 and dropping slightly. Looks like she's going to hold at about 5.5.

Eh …

Cabin …

Believe me, O₂ is go.

Cabin pressure holding 5.5.

Roger, roger.

This is Liberty Bell 7. Fuel is go, 2 ½ g's; cabin pressure 5.5; O₂ is go; main 25, isolated – ah, isolated is 28. We are go.

Roger. Pitch is 62; trajectory is good.

Roger. It looks good in here.

Everything is good; cabin pressure is holding; suit pressure is OK; 2 minutes and we got 4 g's; fuel is go; ah, feel the hand controller move just a hair there; cabin pressure is holding; O₂ is go; 25 amps.

Roger, we have go here.

And I see a star!

Stand by for cutoff.

There went the tower.

Roger, there went the tower, affirmative Chase.

Roger, squibs are off.

Roger, cap sep is green, turnaround started, manual handle out.

Oh boy! Manual handle is out; the sky is very, very black; the capsule is coming around into orbit attitude; the roll is a little bit slow.

Roger.

I haven't seen a booster anyplace. OK, rate command is coming on. I'm in orbit attitude, I'm pitching up. OK, 40 … Wait, I've lost some roll here someplace.

Roger, rate command is coming on. You're trying manual pitch.

OK, I got roll back. OK, I'm at 24 in pitch.

Roger, your IP is right on, Gus, right on.

OK. I'm having a little trouble with rate, ah, with the manual control.

Roger.

If I can get her stabilized here, all axes are working all right.

Roger. Understand manual control is good.

Roger, it's – it's sort of sluggish, more than I expected.

OK, I'm yawing.

Roger, yaw.

Left, ah.

OK, coming back in yaw. I'm a little bit late there.

Roger. Reading you loud and clear, Gus.

Lot of stuff – there's a lot of stuff floating around up here.

OK, I'm going to skip the yaw, ah, or roll because I'm a little bit late and I'm going to try this rough yaw maneuver. About all I can really see is clouds. I haven't seen any land anyplace yet.

Roger, you're on the window. Are you trying a yaw maneuver?

I'm trying the yaw maneuver and I'm on the window. It's such a fascinating view out the window you just can't help but look out that way.

I understand.

You su-, ah, really. There I see the coast, I see.

4 plus 30 Gus.

4 plus 30, he's looking out the window. A-OK.

I can see the coast but I can't identify anything.

Roger, 4 plus 30 Gus.

OK, let me get back here to retro attitude, retro sequence has started.

Roger, retro sequence has started. Go to retro attitude.

Right, we'll see if I'm bad, not in very good shape here.

Got 15 seconds, plenty of time, I'll give you a mark at 5:10.

OK, retro attitude is still green.

Retros on my mark, 3, 2, 1, mark.

He's in limits.

OK, there's 1 firing, there's 1 firing.

Retro 1 (Cuts off Bell 7).

Roger, retro 1.

There's 2 firing, nice little boost. There went 3.

Roger, 3, all retros are fired.

Roger, roger.

OK, yeah, they're fired out right there.

Roger, retrojettison armed.

Retrojettison is armed, retrojettison is armed, going to rate command.

OK, I'm going to switch.

Roger, understand manual fuel handle is in.

Manual fuel handle is in, mark, going to HF.

Roger, HF.

Liberty Bell 7, this is Cap Com on HF, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. How do you read 7?

I got you.