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

Exploring the Unknown 217
04:00 EST – T-120 90 MINUTES PLANNED HOLD.
05:30 EST – T-120 55 MINUTES TO CHANGE GE
RATE BEACON.
07:25 EST – T-60 40 MINUTES TO REMOVE AND REPLACE A
CAPSULE HATCH BOLT.
08:20 EST – T-45 15 MINUTES TO TOP OFF THE FUEL TANK
AND MOVE THE SERVICE TOWER.
08:58 EST – T-22 25 MINUTES TO COMLETE LOX TANKING.
A MAIN LOX PUMP FOILED AND TANKING
WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH THE TOPPING
PUMP.
09:39 EST – T-6:30 2 MINUTES TO VERIFY MERCURY COMPUT-
ER IN BERMUDA.
4.0 WEATHER. –
WEATHER IN THE LAUNCH AREA WAS INITIALLY UNSATISFACTORY
FOR REQUIRED CAMERA COVERAGE BECAUSE OF LOW OVERCAST. BY
APPROXIMATELY 09:00 EST, A CLEARING TREND WAS EVIDENT AND
BY LAUNCH TIME CONDITIONS WERE ENTIRELY STATISFACTORY AS
FOLLOWS:
CLOUDS – 2/10 ALTO CUMULUS
WIND – 18 KNOTS FROM 360 DEGREES WITH GUSTS TO 25 KNOTS
VISIBILITY – 10 MILES
TEMPERATURE – 70 DEG. F.
WEATHER AND SEA CONDITIONS IN ALL ATLANTIC RECOVERY
AREAS WERE REPORTED SATISFACTORY PRIOR TO LAUNCH. THE
CONDITIONS REPORTED BY THE RANDOLF IN THE THIRD ORBIT LAND
AREA JUST PRIOR TO CAPSULE LANDING AREA AS FOLLOWS: [4]
CLOUDS – 2/10
WINDS – 14 KNOTS FROM 119 DEGREES