Time	Speaker	Dialogue
03 57 00	P	Hello, Muchea Cap Com, Aurora Seven. Loud and clear. How me?
03 57 06.5	CC	Coming in loud and clear.
03 57 08	P	Roger. Deke, my control mode is manual; gyros are caged; the maneuver switch is off. My fuel reads 45 and 42 [percent]; the oxygen is reading 76 and 100 [percent]; steam vent temperatures are 68 [degrees] on the suit and I just got excess cabin water light; the needle dropped down to 20. Reset cabin water at about 6 and in this capsule it seems optimum settings are right between 6 and 7. Outside of that, all things, all systems are good. And blood pressure is starting now
03 58 01.5	CC	Roger. Okay, starting blood pressure.
03 58 04.5	P	The v visor has been open for some time, I've been taking some readings on stars through the haze layer with the photometer. The visor is coming closed now.
03 58 16.5	CC	Roger. Understand visor coming closed.
03 58 20	CC	I'll give you retro time for end of mission and would like to have you set the clock to this at this time.
03 58 26.5	P	Roger.
03 58 28.5	CC	32 34
03 58 31	P	Understand, 04 32 34.
03 58 35	CC	Good.
03 58 35.5	P	Okay. It's going into the clock now-whoop.
03 58 46.5	CC	We indicate 35.
03 58 49	P	I do, too I overshot. Stand by.
03 59 00.5	CC	That's probably close enough for government work.
03 59 07.5	P	For you, to the second.
03 59 15.5	CC	Roger. Still you indicate 1 second slow on g.e.t.; we indicate you on, on retrotime.
03 59 20.5	P	Roger. I am reading 04 32 34.
03 59 24.5	CC	Would you please exercise prior to your second blood pressure.
03 59 29	P	Roger. I'll give you the calibrated exercise at this time
03 59 35.5	CC	Roger.
03 59 38.5	P	Exercise start, now.
04 00 11.5	p	Okay, blood pressure start, now That was 60 cycles in 30 seconds on the exerciser.
04 00 19.5	CC	60 cycles in 30 seconds.
04 00 25	CC	Did you by any chance try T/M keying over the Cape on your last pass?
04 00 31.5	P	I think I may have to mark time for tensiometer reading on the balloon.
04 00 40.5	CC	Very good.
04 00 43	CC	Understand you still have the balloon with you. It's possible if you go to deploy position and back to release, you can-
04 00 51.5	P	Roger. I've tried that a number of times, Deke I just can't get rid of it.
04 00 57	CC	Okay. Well, she'll probably come into your face on retrofire; but I'm sure you'll lose it shortly after that.
04 01 02	P	Yeah, I figure. I hope so.
04 01 06	CC	Okay, for your information, cloud-is five-tenths and it's only one-eighth to the north over Port Moresby; so if you see some lights up in that area, we'd like to know about it.
04 01 08	P	Roger, I'll let you know.
04 01 24	CC	Could you give us a c.e.t. hack, please.
04 01 27	P	Roger. C.e.t. on my mark will be 4 hours 1 minute, 35 seconds, stand by. MARK, 4 01 35.
04 01 39	CC	Roger. Still one second off; that's fine.
04 01 45.5	CC	The flight plan calls for you to have a drink of water over here. Do you feel like you need one .
04 01 51	P	Roger. I just, I have had three long drinks of water. The last one was, I think, about 10 minutes ago, Deke.
04 02 00	CC	You're probably loaded for bear, then.
04 02 01.5	P	Roger.
04 02 14	CC	-?
04 02 17	P	Roger. Deke, the haze layer is very bright. I would say 8 to 10 degrees above the real horizon. And I would say that the haze layer is about twice as high above the horizon as the- the bright blue band at sunset is; it's twice as thick. A star, stars are occluded as we pass through this haze layer. I have a good set of stars to watch going through at this time. I'll try and get some photometer readings.
04 03 12.5	CC	Roger. I Understand. It's twice as-sunset.
04 03 14.5	P	It is not twice as thick. It's thinner, but it is located at a distance about twice as far away as the top of the-the band at sunset.
04 03 29	CC	Understand.
04 03 33	P	It's very narrow, and as bright as the horizon of the earth itself.
04 03 41	CC	Rog.
04 03 59.5	P	This is a reading on Phecda in-in the Big Dipper prior to entry in the, the, into the haze layer. It occludes-it is extinct at roughly 2.5. The reticle extinct s at 5.5. TM mark for the time in the middle of the haze layer. Spica- stand by.

Time	Speaker	Dialogue
04 05 02	CC	Aurora Seven, Aurora Seven, this Woomera Cap Com. How do you read? Over.
04 05 05.5	P	Roger. Stand by, Woomera.
04 05 08.5	CC	Roger. Standing by.
04 05 15.5	P	In the middle of the haze layer, Phecda will not-I can't even get a reading on it through the photometer. Phecda is now below the horizon, or below and mark about 5 seconds ago, now it emerged from the brightest part of the haze layer. It is now clearly visible. Woomera, my status is very good, fuel is 45 and 42 [percent]. Standby, I'll give you a full report very shortly.
04 05 55.5	CC	Roger. Standing by.
04 06 01.5	P	Visor coming open.
04 06 03.5	CC	Roger. Visor open.
04 06 27.5	CC	Aurora Seven, this is Woomera. Do you read? Over.
04 06 29.5	P	Roger, Woomera, loud and clear.
04 06 32.5	CC	You say visor is open?
04 06 35.5	P	That's negative. I did not open it. I won't open it until I get through with these readings. Phecda now extincts at 1.7 in the mid, in mid position between the haze layer and the earth. Okay, Woomera, my-my status is very good. The suit temperature is coming down substantially. Steam vent temperature is not down much, but the suit environment temperature is 60 [degrees]. I'm quite comfortable. Cabin temperature is 101 [degrees]; cabin is holding an indicated 4.8; oxygen is 75-100 [percent], all d-c power continues to be good, 20 Amps; both a-e busses are good; fuel reads 46 and 40 [percent].]. I am in drifting flight. I have had plenty of water to drink. The visor is coming open now. And blood pressure is coming your way at this time.
04 08 00.5	P	Hello, Woomera, Woomera Cap Com, this is Aurora Seven. Did you copy my last? Over.
04 09 27.5	P	Cabin temperature, cabin water flow is all the way off and reducing back to about 7.5 now a little bit less. At this time cabin steam vent going to record only.
04 09 52.5	P	Cabin steam vent is 10; suit steam vent is 62. I would like to have a little bit more pad on the temperature, but I can't seem to get it. The suit temperature is 60 [degrees]; the cabin temperature continues at 102 [degrees]. I have 22 minutes and 20 seconds left for retrofire. I think that I will try to get some of this equipment stowed at this time.
04 11 07.5	P	There is the moon.
04 11 31.5	P	Looks no different-here than it does on the ground.
04 11 51	P	Visor is open and the visor is coming closed now at this time.
04 12 28	P	I have put the moon-in the center of the window and it just drifts very, very little.
04 12 49.5	P	There seems to be a stagnant place in the, my helmet. The suit is cool, but along my face it's warm.
04 13 51	P	And there is Scorpio.
04 14 46.5	P	All right, let's see.
04 15 04	P	It's very interesting to remark that my attitude and the-is roughly pitchup plus 30 degrees], roll right 130 [degrees], and yaw left 20 [degrees]. The balloon at this time is moving right along with me. It's keeping a constant bearing at all times. There is the horizon band again; this time from the moonlit side. Let me see, with the airglow filter, it s very difficult to do this because of the lights from that time correlation clock. Visor coming open now. It's impossible to get dark-adapted in here, with that light the way it is.
04 17 23.5	P	All right for the record. Interesting, I believe. This haze layer is very bright through the airglow filter. Very bright. The time now is 4 17 44.
04 18 00.5	P	Now, let me see, I'll get an accurate band width.
04 18 21	P	That's very handy, because the band width-there is the sun. The horizon band width is exactly equal to the X. I can't explain it; I'll have to, to-
04 19 22.5	P	Sunrise. Ahhhhh! Beautiful lighted fireflies that time. It was luminous that time. But it's only, okay, they-all right, I have-if anybody reads, I have the fireflies. They are very bright. They are capsule emanating. I can rap the hatch and stir off hundreds of them. Rap the side of the capsule; huge streams come out. They-some appear to glow. Let me yaw around the other way.
04 20 25	P	Some appear to glow but I don't believe they really do; it's just the light of the sun. I'll try to get a picture of it. They're brilliant. I think they would really shine through 9 on the photometer. I'll rap. Let's see
04 21 39.5	P	Taking some pictures at F 2.8 and bulb. The pictures now, here, one of the balloon. The sun is too bright now. That's where they come from. They are little tiny white pieces of frost. I judge from this that the whole side of the capsule must have frost on it.

Time	Speaker	Dialogue
04 22 07	CT	Aurora Seven, this is Hawaii Com Tech, how do you read?
04 22 10	P	Hello, Hawaii, loud and clear. How me?
04 22 19	P	Hawaii Com Tech.
04 22 21	CT	Seven, Hawaii Com Tech, I read you momentarily on UHF. How do you read? Over.
04 22 26	P	Roger, reading you loud and clear Hawaii. How me?
04 22 31.5	CC	Aurora Seven, Hawaii Cap Com. How do you read me?
04 22 35	P	Roger, Do you read me or do you not, James?
04 22 39.5	CC	Gee, you are weak; but I read you. You are readable. Are you on UHF-Hi?
04 22 44.5	P	Roger, UHF-Hi.
04 22 47.5	CC	Roger, Orientate the spacecraft and go to the ASCS.
04 22 53.5	P	Roger, Will do.
04 22 59	P	Roger, Copied, Going into orbit attitude at this time.
04 23 13	CC	Aurora Seven, Aurora Seven, do you copy? Over.
04 23 16	P	Roger. Copy. Going into orbit attitude at this time.
04 23 24	CC	Roger.
04 24 11	CC	Aurora Seven, Hawaii Cap Com. Do you read me? Over.
04 24 14	P	Roger. Go ahead, Hawaii..
04 24 15	CC	Is your maneuver switch off?
04 24 18	P	The maneuver switch is off.
04 24 20	CC	Roger. Are you ready to start your pre-retrosequence checklist?
04 24 23.5	P	Roger. One moment.
04 24 36	P	I'm alining my attitudes. Everything is fine. I have part of the stowage checklist taken care of at this time.
04 24 47	CC	Roger.
04 25 11.5	CC	Aurora Seven, do you wish me to read out any of the checklist to you?
04 25 17	P	Roger. Let me get the stowage and then you can help me with the pre-retrograde.
04 25 24	CC	Roger. Standing by.
04 25 55	CC	Aurora Seven, can we get on with the checklist? We have approximately 3 minutes left of contact.
04 26 00	P	Roger. Co ahead with the checklist. I'm coming to retroattitude now and my control mode is automatic and my attitudes-standby. Wait a minute, I have a problem in.
04 26 33.5	P	I have an ASCS problem here. I think ASCS is not operating properly. Let me . Emergency retrosequence is armed and retro manual is armed. I've got to evaluate this retro- this ASCS problem, Jim, before we go any further.
04 27 04	CC	Roger. Standing by. Make sure your emergency drogue deploy and emergency main fuses are off.
04 27 13.5	P	Roger. They are. Okay, I'm going now to fly-by-wire, to Aux Damp, and now-attitudes do not agree. Five minutes to retrograde; light is on. I have a rate of descent, too, of about 10, 12 feet per second.
04 27 46.5	CC	Say again, say again.
04 27 49	P	I have a rate of descent of about 12 feet per second.
04 27 54	CC	What light was on?
04 27 56.5	P	Yes, I am back on fly-by-wire, trying to orient.
04 28 06	CC	Scott, let's try and get some of this retrosequence list checked off before you get to California.
04 28 12.5	P	Okay. Go through it, Jim.
04 28 26.5	P	Roger. Jim, go through the checklist for me.
04 28 29.5	CC	Roger. Squib switch armed; auto retrojettison switch off; gyros normal; manual handle out; roll, yaw and pitch handles in.
04 28 42.5	P	Roll, yaw, and pitch are in.
04 28 46.5	CC	Retroattitude auto; retract scope auto; maneuver switch off; periscope lever up; UHF-Hi power; transmit on UHF; beacon continuous; VOX power on transmit and record; all batteries checked. Do you copy?
04 29 10	P	Roger. It's complete.
04 29 15.5	CC	Transmitting in the blind. We have LOS. Ground elapsed time is on my mark, 4 hours 29 minutes and 30 seconds. Transmitting in the blind to Aurora Seven. Make sure all your tone switches are on; your warning lights are bright; the retro manual fuse switch is on; the retrojettison fuse switch is off. Cheek your faceplate and make sure that it is closed.
04 29 59	CC	Aurora Seven. Did you copy?
04 30 00.5	P	Roger. Copied all; I think we're in good shape. I'm not sure just what the status of the ASCS is at this time.

Time	Speaker	Dialogue
04 31 36	CT	Aurora Seven, Aurora Seven, this is California Com Tech, California Com Tech. Do you hear? Over.
04 31 42	P	Hello, California Com Tech. Loud and clear. How me?
04 31 45.5	CT	I'm reading you loud and clear also. Stand by for Cap Com.
04 31 50	CC	Seven, this is Cap Com. Are you in retroattitude?
04 31 53	P	Yes, I don't have agreement with ASCS in the window, Al. I think I'm going to have to go to fly-by-wire and use the window and the scope. ASCS is bad. I'm on fly-by-wire and manual.
04 32 06	CC	Roger. We concur. About 30 seconds to go.
04 32 21	CC	About 10 seconds on my mark.
04 32 23.5	P	Roger.
04 32 28	CC	6,5,4,3,2, 1.
04 32 36	P	Retrosequence is green.
04 32 40	CC	Roger. Check ASCS quickly to see if orientation mode will hold.
04 32 47	CC	If your gyros are off, you'll have to use attitude bypass.
04 32 51	P	Gyros are off.
04 32 54.5	CC	But you'll have to use attitude bypass and manual override.
04 32 58.5	P	Roger.
04 33 00	CC	4, 3, 2, 1, 0.
04 33 14.5	P	Okay. Fire 1, fire 2, and fire 3. I had to punch off manually. I have a little bit of smoke in the capsule.
04 33 30	CC	Attitudes hold, Scotty.
04 33 31.5	P	Okay, I think they held well, Al.. The I think they were good. I can't tell you what was wrong about them because the gyros were not quite right. But retrojettison-3 fuse switches are on.
04 33 51.5	CC	Roger. We should have retrojettison in about 10 seconds.
04 33 55	P	Roger.
04 33 56.5	P	That was a nice gentle bump. All three have fired. Retroattitude was red.
04 34 05.5	CC	Roger. Should have retrojettison now.
04 34 10	P	Ah, right then at 34 10, on time.
04 34 15	CC	Roger. How much fuel do you have left both tanks?
04 34 19	P	I have 20 and 5 [percent].
04 34 23.5	CC	Roger. I guess we'd better use-
04 34 26	P	I'll use manual.
04 34 27.5	CC	-on reentry, unless ASCS holds you in reentry attitude.
04 34 31	P	Yes, it can. I'll have to do it with manual.
04 34 39	CC	Roger. Recommend you try Aux Damp first; if it's not working, then go to fly-by-wire.
04 34 45	P	Okay, I'll have to do that.
04 34 53	P	The balloon is gone [out of sight]. I am apparently out of manual fuel. I have to go to fly-by-wire to stop this tumbling.6
04 35 13.5	CC	Roger. Using fly-by-wire to stop tumbling.
04 35 24.5	CC	Aurora Seven. Understand RSCS did not work.
04 35 27.5	P	I am out of manual fuel, Al.
04 35 31	CC	Roger.
04 35 34.5	P	.05 g should be when?
04 35 37.5	CC	Oh, you have plenty of time. It should be 04 44 elapsed time
04 35 45	P	Roger.
04 35 46	CC	You have plenty of time. Take your time on fly-by-wire to get into reentry attitude.
04 35 50.5	P	Roger.
04 36 05	CC	I was just looking over your reentry checklist. Looks like you're in pretty good shape. You'll have to manually retract the scope.
04 36 14.5	P	No. I didn't. The scope did come in, Al..
04 36 18.5	CC	Roger. I didn't get that. Very good.
04 36 29.5	CC	How are you doing on reentry attitude? Over.
04 36 62.5	P	Stowing a few things first I don't know yet. Take a while.
04 36 46	CC	Okay.
04 36 54	P	Going to be tight on fuel.
04 37 02.5	CC	Roger. You have plenty of time; you have about 7 minutes before .05 g 60 take . . .
04 37 10	P	Roger.
04 37 28	P	Okay. I can make out very, very small-farm land, pasture land below. I see individual fields, rivers, lakes, roads, I think. I'll get back to reentry attitude.
04 37 39.5	CC	Roger. Seven, recommend you get close to reentry attitude, using as little fuel as possible and stand by on fly-by-wire until rates develop. Over.
04 34 50	P	Roger. Will do.
04 38 03	CC	Seven, this is California. We're losing you now. Stand by for Cape.
04 38 08.5	P	Roger.

Time	Speaker	Dialogue
04 40 50.5	CC	Aurora Seven, Cape Cap Com. Over.
04 40 52.5	P	Hello Cape Cap Com, Aurora Seven. Loud and clear.
04 41 08	CC	Aurora Seven, Cape Cap Com. Over.
04 41 10	P	Hello, Cape Cap Com. Go ahead.
04 41 12.5	CC	Roger. Do you have your face, faceplate closed?
04 41 16	P	Negative. It is now. Thank you.
04 41 18.5	CC	Roger. Give me your fuel, please.
04 41 20	P	Fuel is 15 [percent] auto.I'm indicating 7 [percent] manual, but it is empty and ineffective.
04 41 27	CC	Roger. You have a few minutes to start of blackout.
04 41 33	P	Two minutes, you say?
04 41 49	CC	Aurora Seven, Cap Com.
04 41 50	P	Go ahead, Cap Com.
04 41 52.5	CC	Just wanted to hear from you
04 41 54	P	Roger. It's going to be real tight on fuel, Gus. I've got the horizon in view now. Trying to keep rates very low. I just lost part of the balloon. The string from the balloon.
04 42 10	CC	. . . checklist.
04 42 12	P	Yes. We're in good shape for stowage.
04 42 18.5	CC	Aurora Seven, have you completed your reentry . .
04 42 20.5	P	Roger.
04 42 22	CC	Check.
04 42 28.5	CC	The weather in the recovery area is good. You've got overcast cloud; 3-foot waves; 8 knots of wind; 10 miles visibility; and the cloud bases are at 1,000 feet.
04 42 39	P	Roger.
04 42 45	CC	Will give you some more as soon as we get an IP..
04 42 39	P	Roger.
04 43 05	CC	Aurora Seven, Cap Com. Will you check your glove compartment and make sure it's latched and your
04 43 10.5	P	Roger, it's tight.
04 43 12.5	CC	Rog.
04 43 16	CC	Starting into blackout anytime now.
04 43 48	P	Roger.
04 43 21.5	CC	Roger. We show you still have some manual fuel left.
04 43 24.5	P	Yes, but I can't get anything out of it.
04 43 28.5	CC	Roger.
04 43 40	CC	Aurora Seven, Cap Com. Do you still read?
04 43 42.5	P	Roger. Loud and clear.
04 43 52	P	I don't have a roll rate in vet. I'll put some in when I begin to get the g buildup.
04 44 07.5	P	I only was reading 0.5 g's on the accelerometer. Okay, here come some rates.
04 44 28.5	P	I've got the orange glow. I assume we're in blackout now. Gus, give me a try. There goes something tearing away.
04 44 52.5	P	Okay. I'm setting in a roll rate at this time.
04 45 06	P	Going to Aux Damp.
04 45 13.5	P	I hope we have enough fuel. I get the orange glow at this time.
04 45 30.5	P	Bright orange glow.
04 45 43.5	P	Picking up just a little acceleration now.
04 46 17.5	P	Not much glow: just a little. Reading 0.5 g. Aux Damp seems to be doing w elf. My fuel, I hope, holds out. There is 1 g. Getting a few streamers of smoke out behind. There's some green flashes out there.
04 47 02.5	P	Reentry is going pretty well. Aux Damp seems to be keeping oscillations pretty good. We're at 1 1/2 g's now. There was a large flaming piece coming off. Almost looked like it came off the tower. 7
04 47 36.5	P	Oh, I hope not.
04 47 47	P	Okay. We're reading 3 g's, think we'll have to let the reentry damping check go this time. Reading now 4 8's. The reentry seems to be going okay. The rates there that Aux Damp appears to be handling. I don't think I'm oscillating too much; seem to be rolling right around that glow-the sky behind. Auto fuel still reads 14 (percent) at 6.5 8's. Rates are holding to within 1 1/2 degrees per second indicating about 10 degrees per second roll rate. Still] peaked at 6.8 8's. The orange glow has disappeared now. We're off peak g. Still indicating 14 [percent] auto fuel; back to 5 8's.
04 49 18.5	P	And I'm standing by for altimeter off the peg. Cape, do you read yet? Altimeter is off the peg. 100 [1,000] ft., rate of descent is coming down, cabin pressure is-cabin pressure is holding okay. Still losing a few streaming. No, that's shock waves. Smoke pouring out behind. Getting ready for the drogue at 45 [1,000 ft].
04 49 58	P	Oscillations are pretty good. I think ASCS has given up the ghost at this point. Emergency drogue fuse switch is on.
04 50 20.5	?	. . .
04 50 29.5	P	Roger. Aurora Seven, reading okay. Getting some pretty good oscillations now and we're out of fuel. Looks from the sun like it might be about 45 degrees. Oww, it's coming like-it's really going over.
04 50 51	P	Think I'd better take a try on the drogue. Drogue out manually at 25 [1,000 ft.]. It's holding and it was just in time. Main deploy fuse switch is on now, 21 [1,000 ft.] indicated [altitude].

04 51 12.5	P	Snorkle override now. Emergency flow rate on. Emergency main fuse switch at 15 [1,000 ft.], standing by for the main chute at 10 [1,000 ft.].
04 51 33.5	P	Cabin pressure, cabin altimeter agree on altitude. Should be 13,000 [feet] now.Mark 10; I see the main is out, and reefed, and it looks good to me. The main chute is out. Landing bag goes to auto now. The drogue has fallen away. I see a perfect chute, visor open. Cabin temperature is only 110 [degrees] at this point. Helmet hose is off.
04 52 39.5	P	Does anybody read. Does anybody read Aurora Seven? Over.
04 52 54.5	P	Hello, any Mercury recovery force. Does anyone read Aurora Seven? Over.
04 53 04.5	CC	Aurora Seven, Aurora Seven, Cape Cap Com. Over.
04 53 07.5	P	Roger. Say again. You're very weak.
04 53 13	CC	Aurora Seven, Aurora Seven, Cape Cap Com. Over.
04 53 16	P	Roger. I'm reading you. I'm on the main chute at 5,000 [feet]. Status is good. I am not in contact with any recovery forces. Do you have any information on the recovery time? Over.
04 54 14	P	Hello, any Mercury recovery forces. How do you read Aurora Seven? Over.
04 54 27	CC	Aurora Seven, Cape Cap Com. Over.
04 54 29	P	Roger. Loud and clear. Aurora Seven reading the Cape. Loud and clear. How me, Gus?
04 54 41.5	P	Gus, how do you read?
04 54 56.5	CC	Aurora Seven . . . 95. Your landing point is 200 miles long. We will jump the air rescue people to you.
04 55 06	P	Roger. Understand. I'm reading.
04 55 27	CC	Aurora Seven, Aurora Seven, Cape Cap Com. Be advised your landing point is long. We will jump air rescue people to you in about 1 hour.
04 55 36	P	Roger. Understand 1 hour.

⁶ Tumbling here refers to low rates of all axes; however, the spacecraft was returned to proper attitude by the pilot before it had made 1/4 revolution.

⁷ Tower here refers to cylindrical section of the spacecraft.