(Music)
NASA Commentator: These are John Glenn's ground-based co-pilots. Men he knows well, with whom he's
trained, and whose judgment his life has been trusted this day.
They are the flight controllers and from the
Mercury Control Center, within view of the launch complex, they make the decisions, issue the commands
that will govern the course of the mission. To these men throughout the flight will
plug the facts needed for decision. The scope of their
responsibility, of the entire operation defies comprehension. Now, this very instant, the countdown for
flight continues around the world, on three continents, on islands, in ships and planes,
in lands where it's summer and tomorrow is near, in lands where it's winter,
and this day is just beginning.
Mercury Mission Control: Roger, how about you recovery?
U.S. Destroyer Noah: Recovery is 'go.'
Mercury Mission Control: Roger, recovery. Roger, CTC, Mercury Control Center is 'go.'
NASA Launch Commentator: With Godspeed, John Glenn. Ten... nine... eight... seven... six... five...
four... three... two... one... zero... and liftoff.
(Roaring)
Mercury Mission Control: Roger. Backup clock is started.
John Glenn/Mercury Astronaut: Fuel 102, 101, oxygen 78, 127.
Mercury Mission Control: Roger, loud and clear. Flight path is good, 69.
(Cheering)
NASA Commentator: Across Africa, races Friendship 7 at 17,545 miles an hour, 300 miles a minute, four
miles for every heartbeat of John Glenn. The first hint of potential disaster: it came when astronaut
Cooper relayed a request from Mercury control, asking Glenn to check the status
lights for the capsule's landing impact bag. Glenn reports status normal,
but ground stations are now receiving an ominous, chilling signal: an indication
that the heat shield on Friendship 7 seems to have come loose.
In Mercury control at Cape Canaveral, a decision must be made and soon.
The signal pulsing down from Friendship 7 indicates still that the heat shield is loose.
Could the signal be erroneous? There is no way to tell.
But if it's true, then John Glenn could perish in a searing inferno when he
plunges back into the atmosphere. The retro-rockets that slow the spacecraft and
head it back toward Earth are strapped over the shield. If they were left on after retro-fire,
instead of being jettisoned as in normal re-entry,
then their straps might hold the shield in place before they burn off.
They might possibly save Glenn from the 3,000 degrees of re-entry heat until he's
deep enough into the atmosphere for its force to hold
the shield in place. But the decision must be made soon.
CAPCOM: We'll give you the countdown for retro-sequence time, John. You're looking good.
John Glenn/Mercury Astronaut: Roger, we only have 50 seconds to retro-grade, over.
CAPCOM: That's affirm. I'll give you a mark. Forty-five mark.
Cape Flight Control: California, California, this is Cape flight.
CAPCOM: Go ahead, Cape flight.
Cape Flight Control: We'd like to leave the package on at least through Texas.
So keep, tell him to keep his retro-jettison switch off.
CAPCOM: John, leave your retro-pack on through your pass over Texas.
Mercury Mission Control: Twenty seconds.
John Glenn/Mercury Astronaut: Roger.
Mercury Mission Control: Five... four... three... two... one... fire...
John Glenn/Mercury Astronaut: Roger, retros are firing.
Mercury Mission Control: Roger.
John Glenn/Mercury Astronaut: Are they ever. It feels like I'm going back toward Hawaii.
Cape Flight Control: Texas, CAPCOM, Cape flight.
CAPCOM: Go ahead, Cape flight, go ahead.
Cape Flight Control: We have decided to re-enter with the pack on.
CAPCOM: CAPCOM, Friendship 7, we are recommending that you leave the retro-package
on through the entire re-entry.
John Glenn/Mercury Astronaut: This is Friendship 7, what is the reason for this?
Do you have any reason, over?
Cape Flight Control: We're not sure whether or not your landing bag has deployed.
We feel it's far safer to re-enter with the retro-package on.
We see no difficulty at this time in that type of re-entry, over.
John Glenn/Mercury Astronaut: Roger, understand.
Cape Flight Control: Seven, this is Cape, transmitting blind.
NASA Commentator: Suddenly, all contact with John Glenn and Friendship 7 is lost.
The furnace-like heat of re-entry has created a barrier of ionization around Friendship 7,
halting all voice communication.
Cape Flight Control: Seven, this is Cape transmitting blind.
Your IP is within 1 mile of the up-range destroyer. Voice call is 'Steelhead.'
NASA Commentator: Steelhead is the code name for the destroyer Noah,
waiting to recover Friendship 7. But John Glenn cannot hear the message.
Mercury Mission Control: Right around 443, flight. It's about on time. Keep talking, Al.
Cape Flight Control: Friendship 7, this is Cape, over. Friendship 7,
this is Cape, how do you read, over?
John Glenn: (Inaudible)
Cape Flight Control: Roger, reading you loud and clear. How you doing?
John Glenn/Mercury Astronaut: My condition is good. But that was a real fireball, boy.
I had great chunks of that retro-pack breaking off all the way through.
John Glenn/Mercury Astronaut: The chute is on green.
The chute is out at great condition at 10,800 feet, and beautiful chute.
Chute looks good.
John Glenn/Mercury Astronaut: Hello, Mercury, recovery, this is Friendship 7,
do you receive? U.S. Destroyer Noah: Mercury, this is Friendship 7, this is steelhead loud and clear. Over.
John Glenn/Mercury Astronaut: Roger, Steelhead. Friendship 7, the chute looks very good, over.
NASA Commentator: Home is the voyager. At 3:04 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Friendship 7
comes to rest aboard the United States destroyer Noah.
Today, John Glenn and the Mercury team challenged space and they won.
(Music)