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

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First Steps into Space: Projects Mercury and Gemini
CONTROL SYSTEM, AND IN THE LANDING BAG DEPLOYMENT SYSTEM.
CONFIRMATION OF THE EXISTENCE AND NATURE OF THESE INDICATED
MALFUNCTIONS WILL REQUIRE A THOROUGH EVALUATION OF DATA.
THE LANDING BAG PROBLEM RESULTED IN A DECISION TO REENTER
WITHOUT JETTISONING THE RETROPACK. THE LANDING OCCURRED
WITHIN VISUAL RANGE OF THE DESTROYER NOA STATIONED
APPROXIMATELY 45 NAUTICAL MILES UP RANGE OF THE CENTER
OF THE THIRD ORBIT LANDING AREA. LANDING OCCURRED AT
APPROXIMATELY 1943Z AND THE SHIP WAS ALONGSIDE FOR RETRIEVAL
AT APPROXIMATELY 1959Z. MERCURY NETWORK OPERATION WAS
HIGHLY SATISFACTORY FOR THE MISSION. THE ONLY MAJOR PROBLEM
OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY T-12 MINUTES AS A RESULT OF POWER
SOURCE FAILURE AT THE BERMUDA COMPUTER.
2.0 MAJOR TEST OBJECTIVES.-
(A) EVALUATE THE PERFORMANCE OF A MAN-SPACECRAFT
SYSTEM IN THREE-ORBIT MISSION.
(B) EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF SPACE FLIGHT ON THE
ASTRONAUT.
(C) OBTAIN THE ASTRONAUT’S OPINIONS ON THE OPERATIONAL
SUITABILITY OF THE SPACECRAFT AND SUPPORTING SYSTEMS
FOR MANNED SPACE FLIGHT.
3.0 LAUNCH OPERATIONS
THE 390 MINUTE COMBINED COUNT BEGAN AT 23:30 EST, [3] FEB.
19, 1962. A TOTAL HOLD TIME OF 227 MINUTES WAS USED DURING THE
COUNT. THE INDIVIDUAL HOLDS WERE AS FOLLOWS: