The following table gives a verbatim transcription of the communications between the spacecraft and the ground during the MR-4 flight. The call sign signs listed in the first column identify different elements of the mission. The spacecraft is identified as Bell 7 for Liberty Bell 7. The astronaut communicator in the Blockhouse is identified as Stony. Cap Com is the astronaut communicator in the Mercury Control Center. Chase is an astronaut in an F-106 airplane. ATS stands for the "Atlantic Ocean Ship," a Mercury range station aboard a ship which has been moved in close to the landing area for this flight. Hunt Club is the designation given to the recovery helicopters. Card File is the designation of a radio-relay airplane which relayed the spacecraft communications to the Mercury Control Center. Communications of unknown origin are denoted with [*], and [...] denotes an undecipherable transmission.
Communicator MET Duration Communication Stony 0:01 1 Lift-off. Bell 7 0:03 4.5 Ah, roger. This is Liberty Bell 7. The Clock is operating. Cap Com 0:08 8 Loud and clear, Jose', don't cry too much. Bell 7 0:11 1.5 Oke-doke. 0:18 2.5 OK, it's a nice ride up to now. Cap Com 0:20 1 Loud and clear. Bell 7 0:21.5 1.5 Roger. 0:28 8.5 OK. The fuel is go; about 1 1/2 G's; cabin pressure is just coming off the peg; the O2 is go; we have 26 amps. Cap Com 0:36.5 2.5 Roger. Pitch 88 [degrees], the trajectory is good. Bell 7 0:39 2 Roger, looks good here. 0:54 6.5 OK, there. We're starting to pick up a little bit of the noise and vibration; not bad, though, at all. 50 seconds, more vibration. 1:01.5 6.5 OK. Fuel is go; 1 1/2 G's; cabin is 8 [psi]; the O2 is go; 27 amps. 1:08.6 0.5 And [...] Cap Com 1:09 1 Pitch is [...] Bell 7 1:10 0.5 4[G], 5[G] [...] Cap Com 1:11 2 Pitch is 77 [degrees]; trajectory is go. Bell 7 1:13 9.5 Roger. Cabin pressure is still about 6 [psi] and dropping slightly. Looks like she's going to hold at about 5.5 [psi]. 1:23 0.5 Eh [...] Cap Com 1:23.5 0.5 Cabin [...] Bell 7 1:24 1.5 Believe me, O2 is go. Cap Com 1:26 3 Cabin pressure holding 5.5 [psi]. Bell 7 1:29 1.5 Roger, roger. 1:31 15.5 This is Liberty Bell 7. Fuel is go; 2 1/2 G's; cabin pressure is 5.5 [psi]; O2 is go; main [bus] 25 [volts], isolated, ah, isolated [bus] is 28 [volts]. We are go. Cap Com 1:46.5 3 Roger. Pitch is 62 [degrees]; trajectory is go. Bell 7 1:49.5 3 Roger. It looks good in here. 1:56 18.5 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. Cap Com 2:15 1.5 Roger, we have a go here. Bell 7 2:16.5 0.5 And I see a star! Cap Com 2:17 1.5 Standby for cutoff. Bell 7 2:23 2 There went the tower. Chase 1 2:24.5 1.5 Roger, there went the tower, affirmative Chase. Bell 7 2:26 4 Roger, the squibs are off. Cap Com 2:31.5 0.5 Roger. Bell 7 2:33 9.5 There went the posigrades, the capsule has separated. We are at zero G and turning around and the sun is really bright. Cap Com 2:42.5 4.5 Roger, cap sep [capsule separation light] is green; turnaround has started, manual handle out. Bell 7 2:47 13.5 Oh Boy! Manual handle is out; the sky is very black; the capsule is coming around to orbit attitude; the roll is a little bit slow. Cap Com 3:01 0.5 Roger. Bell 7 3:02 8 I haven't seen a booster any place. 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. Cap Com 3:10.5 3.5 Roger, rate command is coming on. You're trying manual pitch. Bell 7 3:15.5 3 OK, I got roll back. OK, I'm at 24 [degrees] in pitch. Cap Com 3:20.5 4 Roger, your IP [impact point] is right on, Gus, right on. Bell 7 3:24.5 3 OK. I'm having a little trouble with rate, ah with the manual control. Cap Com 3:28 0.5 Roger. Bell 7 3:31 4 If I can get her stabilized here, all axes are working all right. Cap Com 3:36 3 Roger. Understand manual control is good. Bell 7 3:40.5 3 Roger, it's-it's sort of sluggish, more than I expected. 3:45 1.5 OK, I'm yawing. Cap Com 3:47.5 1.5 Roger, yaw. Bell 7 3:50 1 Left, ah. 3:51.5 4 OK, coming back in yaw. I'm a little bit late there. Cap Com 3:57.5 2 Roger. Reading you loud and clear, Gus. Bell 7 3:59.5 2 Lot of stuff - there's a lot of stuff floating around up here. 4:02 12 OK, I'm going to skip the yaw [maneuver], ah, or [rather the] roll [maneuver] 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 any place yet. Cap Com 4:15 3.5 Roger, you're on the window. Are you trying a yaw maneuver? Bell 7 4:18.5 5.5 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. Cap Com 4:25 1.5 I understand. Bell 7 4:29.5 1 You su, ah, really. There I see the coast, I see. Cap Com 4:30.5 1.5 4+30 [MET] Gus. [*] 4:33 4.5 4+30 [MET] he's looking out the window, A-OK. Bell 7 4:37.5 3.5 I can see the coast but I can't identify anything. Cap Com 4:42 2 Roger, 4+30 [MET] Gus. Bell 7 4:44 4 OK, let me get back here to retro attitude, retro sequence has started. Cap Com 4:48 3.5 Roger, retro sequence has started. Go to retro attitude. Bell 7 4:52 4 Right, we'll see if I'm in bad, not in very good shape here. Cap Com 4:57 3.5 Got 15 seconds, plenty of time, I'll give you a mark at 5:10 [MET]. Bell 7 5:01.5 2.5 OK, retro attitude [light] is still green. Cap Com 5:05 6 Retros on my mark, 3, 2, 1, mark. [*] He's in limits. [Falls in middle of last Cap Com communication.] Bell 7 5:11.5 OK, there's 1 firing, there's 1 firing. [*] 5:12 1 Retro 1. Cap Com 5:13.5 1 Roger, retro 1. Bell 7 5:19 2 There's 2 firing, nice little boost. There went 3. Cap Com 5:21 2.5 Roger, 3, all retros are fired. Bell 7 5:23.5 1 Roger, roger. 5:25.5 2.5 OK, yeh, they've fired right out there. Cap Com 5:29 3 Roger, retrojettison armed. Bell 7 5:33.5 2.5 Retrojettison is armed, retrojettision is armed, going to rate command. 5:36 1.5 OK, I'm going to switch. Cap Com 5:38 3 Roger, Understand manual fuel handle is in. Bell 7 5:41 3 Manual fuel handle is in, going to HF. Cap Com 5:44.5 1.5 Roger, HF. 5:52 6.5 Liberty Bell 7, this is Cap Com on HF, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. How do you read [Bell] 7? [*] I got you. Bell 7 6:08 18 [...] here, do you read me, do you read me on HF? Going back to U [UHF] [received by ATS ship] Boy is that [...] Retro, I'm back on UHF and, ah, and the jett-the retros have jettisoned. Now I can see the Cape oh boy, that's some sight. I can't see too much. Cap Com 6:05 6 This is Cap Com on HF, 1, 2, 4, 5. How do you read [Bell] 7? Bell 7 6:34 3.5 Roger, I am on UHF hight, do you read me? Cap Com 6:38 4.5 Roger, reading you loud and clear UHF high, can you confirm retrojettison? Bell 7 6:41 3.5 OK, periscope is retracting, going to reentry attitude. Cap Com 6:47 4.5 Roger. Retros have jettisoned, scope has retracted, you're going to reentry attitude. Bell 7 6:51.5 1 Affirmative. Cap Com 6:56.5 3.5 Bell 7 from Cap Com, your IP [impact point] is right on. Bell 7 7:00.5 3 Roger. I'm in reentry attitude. 7:05.5 0.5 Ah. Cap Com 7:07 2.5 Roger, how does it look outside the window now? Bell 7 7:09.5 4 Ah, the sun is coming in and so all I can really see is just, ah, just darkness, the sky is very black. Cap Com 7:14.5 3 Roger, you have more time to look if you like. 7:27 2.5 [Bell] 7 from Cap Com, how do you feel up there? Bell 7 7:30 3.5 I feel very good, auto fuel is 90 [percent], manual is 50 [percent]. Cap Com 7:33.5 3 Roger, 0.05G in 10 [seconds]. Bell 7 7:37 2 OK. 7:50.5 3 OK, everything is very good, ah. 7:54 2.5 I got 0.05G [light] and roll rate has started. Cap Com 7:57 1 Roger. Bell 7 8:03.5 5 Got a pitch rate in here, OK, G's are starting to build. Cap Com 8:09 1.5 Roger, reading you loud and clear. Bell 7 8:11 5 Roger, G's are building, we're up to 6 [G]. 8:17 1.5 There's 9 [G]. 8:19 11.5 There's about 10 [G]; the handle is out from under it; here I got a little pitch rate coming back down through 7 [G]. Cap Com 8:32 2 Roger, still sound good. Bell 7 8:34.5 3 OK, the altimeter is active at 65 [thousand feet]. Cap Com 8:38.5 1.5 Roger, 65,000. Bell 7 8:42 7.5 OK, I'm getting some contrails, evidently shock wave, 50,000 feet; I'm feeling good. I'm very good, everything is fine. Cap Com 8:49.5 2.5 Roger, 50,000. Bell 7 8:52 1.5 45,000, do you still read? Cap Com 8:54 2.5 Affirmative. Still reading you. You sound good. Bell 7 9:00.5 3 OK, 40,000 feet, do you read? 9:07 2 35,000 feet, if you read me? 9:19 7 30,000 feet, everything is good, everything is good. Cap Com 9:24 2.5 Bell 7, this is Cap Com. How [...] [*] Cape, do you read? Bell 7 9:28 2 25,000 feet. 9:36.5 2.5 Approaching drogue chute altitude. 9:41.5 4.5 There's the drogue chute. The periscope has extended. Cap Com 9:45 4 This is [...] we have a green drogue [light] here, 7 how do you read? Bell 7 9:49.5 13.5 OK, we're coming down to 15,000 feet, if anyone reads. We're on emergency flow rate, can see out the periscope OK. The drogue chute is good. Cap Com Roger, understand drogue is good, the periscope is out. Bell 7 10:05.5 2 There's 13,000 feet. Cap Com Roger. Bell 7 10:14 25 There goes the main chute; it's reefed; main chute is good, rate of descent coming down, coming down to - there's 40 feet per second, 30 feet per, 32 feet per second on the main chute, and the landing bag [light] is out green. [*] Ah, it's better than it was, Chuck. Bell 7 10:40 3 Hello, does anybody read Liberty Bell, main chute is good, landing bag [light] is on green. Cap Com And the landing bag [light] is on green. ATS Liberty Bell 7, Liberty Bell 7, this Atlantic Ship Cap Com. Read you loud and clear. Our telemetry confirms your events. Over. Bell 7 Ah, roger, is anyone reading Liberty Bell 7? Over. Card File 23 Roger, Liberty Bell 7, reading you loud and clear. This is Card File 23. Over. Bell 7 10:52 4 Atlantic Ship Cap Com, this is Liberty Bell 7, how do you read me? Over. ATS Read you loud and clear, loud and clear. Over. Liberty Bell 7, Liberty Bell 7, this Atlantic Ship Cap Com. How do you read me? Over. Bell 7 11:12 8 Atlantic Ship Cap Com, this is Liberty Bell 7, I read you loud and clear. How, me? Over. ATS Roger, Bell 7, read you loud and clear, your status looks good, you systems look good, we confirm your event. Over. Bell 7 11:28 4 Ah, roger, and confirm the fuel has dumped. Over. ATS Roger, confirm again, confirm again, has your auto fuel dumped? Over. Bell 7 11:42.5 2.5 Auto fuel and manual fuel has dumped. ATS Roger, roger. Bell 7 11:47.5 3 And I'm in the process of putting the pins back in the door at this time. 12:04 5 OK, I'm passing down through 6,000 feet, everthing is good, ah. 12:15 1.5 I'm going to open my face plate. 12:35 16 Hello, I can't get one; I can't get one door pin back in. I've tried and tried and I can't get it back in. And I'm coming, ATS, I'm passing through 5,000 feet and I don't think I have one of these door pins in. ATS Roger, Bell 7, roger. Bell 7 13:04 2 Do you have any word from the recovery troops? Card File 23 Liberty Bell7, this is Card File 23; we are heading directly toward you. Bell 7 13:18 4 ATS, this is Cap - This is Liberty Bell 7. Do you have any word from the recovery troops? ATS Negative, Bell 7, negative. Do you have any transmission to MCC [Mercury Control Center]? Over. Bell 7 13:33 13 Ah, roger, you might make a note that there is one small hole in my chute. It looks like it's about 6 inches by 6 inches - it's a sort of a - actually, it's a triangular rip, I guess. ATS Ah, roger, roger. Bell 7 13:49 45 I'm passing through 3,000 feet, an all the fuses are in flight conditions; ASCS is normal, auto; we're on rate command; gyros are normal; auto retrojettison is armed; squibs are armed, also. Four fuel handles are in; decompress and recompress are in; retro delay is normal; retro heat is off, cabin lights are both. TM [telemetry] is on. Rescue aids is auto; landing bag is auto; retract scope is auto; retroattitude is auto. All the three, five pull rings are in. Going down through some clouds to 2,000 feet. ATS, I'm at 2,000 feet; everything is normal. ATS Roger, Bell 7, what is your rate of descent again? Over. Bell 7 14:39 5 The rate of descent is varying between 28 and 30 feet per second. ATS Ah, roger, roger, and once again verify that your fuel has dumped. Over. [*] Seven ahead at bearing 020. Over. Bell 7 14:54 33 OK. My max G was about 10.2; altimeter is 1,000 [feet]; cabin pressure is coming towards 15 [psi]. [*] We'll make up. Bell 7 Temperature is 90 [°F]. [*] We'll make up and eye rep. Bell 7 Coolant quantity is 30 [percent]; temperature is 68 [°F]; pressure is 14 [psi]; main O2 is 60 [percent]; normal is, main is 60 [percent]; emergency is 100 [percent]; suit fan is normal; cabin fan is normal. We have 21 amps, and I'm getting ready for impact here. Bell 7 Can see the water coming right up. ATS Liberty Bell 7, Liberty Bell 7, this is Atlantic Cap Com, do you read me? Over. Bell 7 3 OK, does anyone read Liberty Bell 7? Over. Hunt Club 1 Liberty Bell 7, Hunt Club 1 is now 2 miles southwest you. Card File 9 Liberty Bell 7, this 9 Card File. We have your entry into the water. Will be over you in just about 30 seconds. Bell 7 16:35 15 My condition is good; OK, the capsule is floating, slowly coming vertical, have actuated the rescue aids. The reserve chute has jettisoned, in fact I can see it in the water, and the whip antenna should be up. [*] Hunt Club, did you copy? [*] OK, Hunt Club, this is [...] Don't forget the antenna. Hunt Club 1 This is Hunt Club 1, say again. Bell 7 18:07 4 Hunt Club, this is Liberty Bell 7. My antenna should be up. Hunt Club 1 This is Hunt Club 1, your antenna is erected. Bell 7 18:16 1 Ah, roger. 18:23 3 OK, give me how much longer it'll be before you get here. Hunt Club 1 This is Hunt Club 1, we are in orbit now at this time, around the capsule. Bell 7 18:32.5 8.5 Roger, give me about another 5 minutes here, to mark these switch positions here, before I give you a call to come in and hook on. Are you ready to come in and hook on anytime.? Hunt Club 1 Hunt Club 1, roger we are ready anytime you are. Bell 7 18:44 5 OK, give me about another 3 or 4 minutes here to take these switch positions, then I'll be ready for you. Hunt Club 1 1, wilco. Card File 9 Hey Hunt Clubs, Card File, Card File 9, I'll stand by to escort you back as soon as you lift out. I will keep other aircraft at at least 2,000 feet. Hunt Club 1 Ah, Bell 7, this is Hunt Club 1. Bell 7 20:15 1.5 Go, go ahead, Hunt Club 1. Hunt Club 1 Roger, this is 1. observe something, possibly the canister in the water along side capsule. Will we be interfering with any TM [telemetry] if we come down and take a look at it? Bell 7 20:26 7.5 Negative, not at all, I'm just going to put the rest of this stuff on tape and then I'll be ready for you, in just about 2 more minutes, I would say. Hunt Club 1 1, roger. Cap Com Liberty Bell 7, Cap Com at the Cape on a test count. Over. Cap Com Liberty Bell 7, Cape Cap Com on a test count. Over. Card File 9 Any Hunt Club, this i 9 Card File. Hunt Club 1 Station calling Hunt Club, say again. Card File 9 24:03 22 This is Niner Card File, there's an object on a line in the water, ah, just about 160 degrees. The NASA people suspect it's the dye marker that didn't activate; ah, say it's about, ah, 3/4 of a mile out from the capsule. Ah, after the lift out, will you take a check on it? Over. Hunt Club 1 Ah, this is Hunt Club 1, roger, will have Hunt Club 3 check at this time, you copy 3? Hunt Club 3 Hunt Club 1, believe he said 3/4 of a mile? Hunt Club 1 This is 9 Card, that is affirmative. Bell 7 25:19.5 5.5 OK, Hunt Club. This is Liberty Bell 7. Are you ready for the pickup? Hunt Club 1 This is Hunt Club 1; this is affirmative. Bell 7 25:30 5 OK, latch on, then give me a call and I'll power down and blow the hatch, OK? Hunt Club 1 This is Hunt Club 1, roger, will give you a call when we're ready for you to blow. Bell 7 25:42 3 Roger, I've unplugged my suit so I'm kinda warm now so. Hunt Club 1 1, roger. Bell 7 25:52.5 5 Now if you tell me to, ah, you're ready for me to blow, I'll have to take my helmet off, power down, and then blow the hatch. Hunt Club 1 1, roger, and when you blow the hatch, the collar will already be down their waiting for you, and we're turning base at this time. Bell 7 26:09 1 Ah, roger.No further communications were received as a result of the emergency egress required by the failure of the side hatch.
