Exploring the Unknown: Selected Documents in ... - The Black Vault

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First Steps into Space: Projects Mercury and Gemini
the feeling somehow that maybe I would’ve liked a little more over RF
with respect to the booster countdown steps. I remember hearing firing
command, but it may very well be that although Deke 4 was giving me other
sequences over RF prior to main stage and lift-off, I did not hear them. I
may have been just a little bit too excited. I do remember being fairly calm
at this point and getting my hand up to start the watch when I received
the lift-off from the Control Center on RF. The time-zero relays closed
properly, the onboard clock started properly, and I must say the lift-off was
a whole lot smoother than I expected. I really expected to have to use full
volume control on UHF and HF to be able to receive. I did not have to – I
think I was legible to Tel 3 5 because all of my transmissions over UHF were
immediately acknowledged without any repeats being requested.
14. “Again, insofar as the mission itself is concerned, lift-off was very
smooth. I noticed no vibrations of any consequence at all during the
period of about the first 30-45 seconds (I would say as a guess). [Page
A14-17] I got an extra transmission in primarily to insure myself of a
good voice link and also to let the people on the ground know I was in
good shape. The 30-second scheduled transmission went according to
schedule, right on time. I did start that a little bit early, I remember, as I
wanted to again let people know that I was in good shape. It seemed to me
then that somewhere about 45 seconds to a minute after lift-off, I started
noticing an increase in vibrations at the couch. It was a gradual increase;
there was not any concern. As a matter of fact I’d really been looking for
an increase in sound levels and roughness just after one minute because,
of course, going transonic, and because of the max q point, so I wasn’t
too upset by this. I think maybe if we look back at film (the pilot coverage
film) we’ll be able to see my helmet bouncing around vibrating. Actually
there was [sic] vibrations there to the degree where it distorted some of
the reading of the instruments. I made the voice report at one minute
on schedule and from there on up to max q noticed the increase in the
sound level and increase in vibrations.
15. “The cabin pressure, as we know, sealed properly at 5.5. It seemed to slow
down a little bit at 6. As a matter of fact, I almost reported it as being sealed
at 6, but it gradually came down to 5.5. A quick glance at the suit circuit
absolute-pressure gauge confirmed this. After this, things really started to
smooth out. The booster noises seemed to fade away, and booster vibrations
got a lot smoother. As a matter of fact, I mentioned that over RF, so we’ll have
that on the record. There was a very definite transition in vibration, not a
sharp one, but a gradual one, nonetheless noticeable. The report at 1 minute
and 30 seconds was made on schedule. We, of course, included the main-bus
and isolated-battery voltage at that time. I found that my scan pattern was not
as good as it might have been, and I don’t remember looking at the electrical
panel as much I probably should have, paying more attention, of course, to
the oxygen panel and the fuel panel.
4. Capsule Communicator in Mercury Control Center. [Astronaut Deke Slayton]
5. Mercury Control Center