Phase 5: Reentry

John Young

TR-30.

RKV CapCom

Roger.

John Young

Arm auto-retro.

Gus Grissom

Auto-retro armed. Squibs armed.

RKV CapCom

Roger, Molly Brown.

Gus Grissom

16 seconds, 15 seconds.

RKV CapCom

10—9—8—7—6—5—4—3—2—1—Retrofire.

RKV CapCom

Manual retro.

RKV CapCom

Rocket 3.

RKV CapCom

Rocket 2.

Gus Grissom

Three of them.

RKV CapCom

Rocket 4.

RKV CapCom

Molly Brown, do you confirm all rockets firing normally?

Gus Grissom

All rockets fired normally and attitudes were right in the center.

RKV CapCom

Roger. Pass your IVI readouts on to Guaymas. RKV out.

Guaymas CapCom

Molly Brown, Guaymas CAP COM. Do you copy?

John Young

Roger, Guaymas. The IVI's readings were 331 Aft, 105 Right, and 4 Up. Right in the center. An automatic superfine retrofire down the line.

Guaymas CapCom

Roger. I copy. 331 Aft, Right 105, Down 04.

John Young

Roger, and retropack has jettisoned.

Guaymas CapCom

Roger.

Guaymas CapCom

Molly Brown, Guaymas CAP COM.

Guaymas CapCom

I'm prepared to give you a TR + 3 minute time hack if you need it?

John Young

That would be good.

Guaymas CapCom

Okay, and I have some event times for reentry: 400K feet 19 10 29 — stand by, Molly Brown.

Guaymas CapCom

Molly ?Brown, correct that 400K feet. That's 19 01 29.

Guaymas CapCom

Molly Brown, I'll give you a time hack in approximately 30 seconds.

Guaymas CapCom

Molly Brown, Guaymas. Stand by for a TR + 3 minute time hack.

Guaymas CapCom

5—4—3—2—1 -

Guaymas CapCom

MARK!

Guaymas CapCom

Do you copy?

Gus Grissom

Roger. We got it.

Guaymas CapCom

Molly Brown, stand by for Texas.

Gordon Cooper (CapCom)

Roger. I'm getting your bank angle times momentarily. Your start of Communications Experiment is 19 05 14.

Gus Grissom

Roger. I have steering on the computer.

Gordon Cooper (CapCom)

I didn't read you on that.

Gus Grissom

I'm getting initial bank angle commands from the computer.

Gordon Cooper (CapCom)

Molly Brown, I have your backup times on the bank angles and time to reverse bank angle.

Gordon Cooper (CapCom)

Bank left 45°. Bank right 55°. Time to reverse bank angle 19 08 17.

Gus Grissom

Give me an elapsed time after retro.

Gus Grissom

I'm rolling to 60° left now.

Gordon Cooper (CapCom)

Roger, bank left 45.

Expand selection down Contract selection up

Spoken on March 23, 1965, 7:03 p.m. UTC (59 years ago). Link to this transcript range is: Tweet

Gordon Cooper (CapCom)

10 + 54 after retro is reverse bank angle.

Gus Grissom

Say again, Gordo.

Gus Grissom

What did you say, Gordo?

Gordon Cooper (CapCom)

Time from retro fire to reverse bank angle is 10:54. Ten minutes, 54 seconds.

Gordon Cooper (CapCom)

Molly Brown, Cape CAP COM. Transmitting to you in blackout for Communications Experiment. Over.

Gordon Cooper (CapCom)

Molly Brown, Cape CAP COM. Transmitting to you for communications test. Over.

Gordon Cooper (CapCom)

Molly Brown, Cape CAP COM. Transmitting on Communications Experiment. Over.

Gordon Cooper (CapCom)

Molly Brown, Cape CAP COM with a 1—2—3—4—5—4—3—2—1. Over.

Gordon Cooper (CapCom)

Molly Brown, Cape CAP COM with a 1—2—3—4—5—4—3—2—1.

Gordon Cooper (CapCom)

Molly Brown, Cape CAP COM with a 1—2—3—4—5—4—3—2—1.

Gordon Cooper (CapCom)

Molly Brown, Cape CAP COM with a 1—2—3—4—5—4—3—2—1.

Gordon Cooper (CapCom)

This is Cape CAP COM transmitting for Communications Experiment 1—2—3—4—5—4—3—2—1. Over.

Gordon Cooper (CapCom)

Molly Brown, Cape CAP COM with a 1—2—3—4—5—4—3—2—1.

John Young

…end of that.

Gordon Cooper (CapCom)

Molly Brown, are you reading Cape CAP COM now? Over.

Gus Grissom

Roger. We're down to 80 000 feet. My needles show us about 25 miles short.

Gordon Cooper (CapCom)

Roger, indicating about 25 miles short on your computer. Very good.

Gordon Cooper (CapCom)

I have a drogue time 19 10 42. What is your altimeter reading?

Gus Grissom

There goes the drogue.

Gus Grissom

Okay, we have a drogue.

Gordon Cooper (CapCom)

Looks pretty good, doesn't it?

Gus Grissom

Our propellant valves are shut off. We've got a 40K light. Really oscillating.

Gus Grissom

Passing through 30 000 feet.

Gordon Cooper (CapCom)

Approximately one minute to the main.

Gordon Cooper (CapCom)

Molly Brown, Cape CAP COM. How is your main?

Gus Grissom

We don't have a main yet. Passing through 13 000.

Gus Grissom

Key moment In going to landing attitude, the change is so sudden that Gus Grissom cracks his helmet faceplate: Okay. We have a good stable chute. Going to landing attitude.

John Young

Oh, man! That was the roughest one of the whole bunch, wasn't it!?