Spacelog Mercury 4

There went posigrades, capsule has separated. We are at zero g and turning around and the sun is really bright.

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.

… Here, do you read me, do you read me on HF? … Going back to U … Boy is that … Retro, I'm back on UHF, and, ah, the jett … the retros have jettisoned. Now I can see the Cape and, oh boy, that is some sight. I can't see too much.

Roger, I am on UHF high, do you read me?

Roger, reading you loud and clear on UHF high, can you confirm retrojettison?

OK, periscope is retracting, going to reentry attitude.

Roger. Retros are jettisoned, scope has retracted, you're going to reentry attitude.

Affirmative.

Bell 7 from Cap Com, your IP is right on.