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

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First Steps into Space: Projects Mercury and Gemini
b. Launch and powered flight
c. Zero G phase
d. Reentry
e. Landing
f. Recovery
3. Miscellaneous questions covering the pilot’s evaluation of
capsule systems.
4. Description by John Glenn of the special astronomical,
meteorological and terrestrial observations.
5. Discussion of the predominant sensations during launch and
powered flight.
6. Miscellaneous discussion of flight activities by the astronaut.
(This section was taken from recordings of several hours of
discussion with personnel at Grand Turk. Time has not permitted
organizing this material under appropriate headings.
[Signed]
R.B. Voas
[2]
Brief Summary of MA-6 Orbital Flight*
By John H. Glenn, Jr
[*Based on recorded debriefing onboard the destroyer Noa shortly after the MA-
6 mission on February 10, 1962.]
There are many things that are so impressive, it’s almost impossible to try
and describe the sensations that I had during the flight. I think the thing that
stands out more particularly than anything else right at the moment is the fireball
during the reentry. I left the shutters open specifically so I could watch it. It got
a brilliant orange color; it was never too blinding. The retropack was still aboard
and shortly after reentry began, it started to break up in big chunks. One of the
straps came off and came around across the window. There were large flaming
pieces of the retropack – I assume that’s what they were – that broke off and came
tumbling around the sides of the capsule. I could see them going on back behind
me then making little smoke trails. I could also see a long trail of what probably
was ablation material ending in a small bright spot similar to that in the pictures
out of the window taken during the MA-5 flight. I saw the same spot back there