Voyage Of Friendship 7

[music] [music] [music] Dawn. Cape Canaveral, Florida. [music] A captain aboard a new kind of ship about to sail on a new kind of ocean. [music] The vast infinite ocean of space. [music] [music] [music] [music] Space. Airless, endless, alien to man. But man is going there. January 27, [music] 1962. In a little while, if all goes well, astronaut John Glenn will be rocketed aloft, born into space on the shoulders of a 20th century Atlas, number 109D. At the base of the giant rocket, and 85 ft above in the green room atop the gantry, engineers and technicians have been busy throughout the [music] night and for many days and nights [music] and weeks and months before. [music] It began the day America decided to put a man into space, created [music] Project Mercury to get him there and safely back. Project Mercury, America's all ahead, all at once, initial step in manned space exploration. [music] October 1958. Project Mercury went to work. [music] Assembled a team of scientists, engineers, and technicians [music] to manage America's manned spaceflight programs, to select and train the men who would be the free world's first space pilots, the seven Mercury [music] astronauts. American industry went to work, too. [music] In January 1959, McDonnell Aircraft was chosen to produce the Mercury spacecraft. To lift it into orbit, Project Mercury selected the Atlas rocket. The task of modifying Atlas from a military missile to a man-rated orbital launch [music] vehicle was assigned to General Dynamics Astronautics. To the 4,000 Mercury contractors [music] and subcontractors, to all America, human life is priceless. Nothing was left to chance. All systems, each tiny component of each subsystem, every switch, every valve would have to function perfectly, would have to be the very best [music] that American scientific and engineering know-how could produce before the Mercury Atlas could be man-rated, before it could carry an American astronaut safely into space. Safety, a Project Mercury byword from the beginning. The life of a human being would be at stake. [music] A positive escape mechanism, an escape rocket. Systems to sustain life in space where there is no life. To provide oxygen where there is no oxygen. Pressure where there is no pressure. And [music] backup systems in case of trouble. Power for the spacecraft with 7 mi of electrical circuits. Power for radio and for telemetry. [music] Power for the in-flight control systems, both automatic and manual. [music] Power to fire the reverse rockets that slow the spacecraft and bring it back from orbit. [music] A shield against the blazing heat of re-entry friction. [music] Astronaut, a new word for a new and demanding profession. [music] Rigorous intensive training in new and strange devices. High acceleration and re-entry G loads in the human centrifuge. [music] [music] Then, the opposite of G loads, no Gs at all or weightlessness. [music] Training in manual control of the spacecraft. [music] Practice roll, pitch, and yaw maneuvers. Survival training. [music] Every conceivable situation, both normal and emergency, was covered. Astronautics, [music] a new science. There were classes for the astronauts in astronomy, meteorology, geophysics, rocketry, astrophysics, celestial navigation, and there was plenty of homework. There was other work, too. The astronauts participated as engineers in every aspect of the program. Each had a special area of responsibility in the development of Project Mercury. There were dozens of flight tests. Tests that confirmed the operation of spacecraft and booster systems in actual flight. And when there were difficulties, no one tried to hide them. Then, when the test indicated that everything was ready, man was added. May 5, 1961. Astronaut Alan B. Shepard became the free world's first space pilot. All right, lift off and the clock Clock had indeed started. Freeman was on his way into space. First with Redstone-powered ballistic flights down range, [music] Shepard in Freedom 7. And on July 25, 1961, astronaut Virgil Gus Grissom in Liberty Bell 7. These Redstone flights paved the way for the Atlas-boosted orbital missions. [music] November 29, 1961. Mercury Atlas flight test number five. A chimpanzee named Enos [music] was orbited, tracked, and recovered unharmed, confirming that the Mercury spacecraft could sustain life in [music] orbit. Proof provided by telemetered data collected at Mercury tracking stations [music] around the world. was recovered, Project Mercury named [music] astronaut John Glenn to pilot America's first manned orbital flight. [music] Pre-launch preparations had already begun. Lengthy, [music] detailed checkouts of the spacecraft systems. Tests of the electrical circuits. Tests and retests of the control system. The life support system. Pressure, oxygen, [music] cooling. Outside on launch pad number 14, the Atlas rocket, Atlas 109D, was raised into position. [music] [music] Launch time drew near. The spacecraft was gently placed atop the rocket. [music] [music] This would be a mission of science, a mission of peace. The name of the spacecraft, Friendship 7. Days and nights and [music] weeks and months drew toward a climax. It was January 27, [music] 1962, and the countdown for Mercury Atlas flight number six, with John Glenn at the controls, [music] was underway. [music] But the weather was marginal. While the world watched [music] and listened, Mercury's operation team made the difficult decision. The flight would not go [music] today because of weather. [music] Five hours in the Mercury spacecraft and it was still no go. [music] But there'd be another day, and there was. February 20, 1962, a day free men will never forget. 2:45 a.m. The countdown was underway again. A feeling of go was in the air. 3:00 a.m. Mercury doctors agreed [music] the astronaut was go. Medical sensors, tiny devices to constantly monitor John Glenn's physical condition, [music] were carefully attached. 4:30 a.m. The count was [music] T-minus 120 minutes and holding. John Glenn wriggled into his snug-fitting space suit. 5:01 a.m. The trip to the launchpad. [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] 6:00 [music] a.m. The long elevator ride up to the 11th deck of the gantry, where Friendship 7 waited. [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] 6:03 a.m. [music] [music] [music] [music] 6:25 a.m. The [music] count was resumed. From nearby beaches, thousands of visitors watched. And from the press site, a mile and a half from the launchpad, [music] hundreds of newsmen, radio and television representatives broadcasted every drama-packed moment to the people of America and to every nation on Earth. [music] 7:52 a.m. A broken hatch bolt was [music] repaired and the astronaut was sealed inside the spacecraft, alone. [music] But alone only physically. 8:20 a.m. The gantry was rolled back, leaving Mercury Atlas flight number six poised like an arrow aimed at the heavens. Downrange, the ships and aircraft of the recovery forces were ready. [music] [music] 8:58 a.m. A hold was ordered while a broken valve in the liquid oxygen fueling system was repaired. In the Mercury control center, the minutes ticked away. [music] 9:23 a.m. The count was picked up. Around the world, the Mercury tracking network reported condition green. All Mercury stations at T-minus 5, 5.8, and give status and green light on request. AM Go. ECS Go. Signal Go. Electrical Go. ASCS Go. RCS Go. Comms Go. TM Go. CM CM go. Flight Go. [music] Tony Go. And the final moments, T-minus 30 seconds and counting. You have firing signal. Godspeed, John Glenn. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 3 2 1 0 Roger, the clock is operating. We're underway. Reading loud and clear. Roger, we're programming in roll. Okay. It's bumpy along about here. Roger, reading loud and clear. Roger, coming in the hatch here a little bit. Had a little contrail went by the window or something there. Roger. Fuel 102 101 oxygen 78 101 amps 24 still okay. We're smoothing out some now, getting out of the vibration area. Roger, you have fuel max Q flight numbers. Roger, feels good through max Q and smoothing out real fine. Cabin pressure coming down 5.7. Okay, flight very smooth now. Sky looking very dark outside. Cabin pressure is holding at 6.1. Okay. Roger, cabin pressure holding at 6.1. Coming up on 2 minutes. And fuel is 102 101 oxygen 78 102. They are building to six. Roger, reading loud and clear. Flight path looks good. Pitch 25 down by 5. Roger, Biko. Back to 1 and a quarter. The tower fired. Cannot see the tower go. I saw the smoke go by the window. Yeah, we confirm staging on TM. Roger. Still have about 1 and a half G's. Programming over. There is the tower went right then. Have the tower in sight way out. But can see the tower go. Edison tower is green. Roger. A 1 and a half G's. Uh flight path looks good. Steering is good. Roger, understand everything looks good. G's starting to build again a little bit. Roger. Friendship 7, mission to hazard. Roger, Bermuda, standby. This is Friendship 7. Fuel 103 101 oxygen 78 to 100. All voltages above 25. Amps 26. All Roger, reading you loud and clear, 7. Cape is go. We are standing by for you. Roger, Cape is go and I am go. Our capsule is in good shape. Biko. Retro grades fired. Okay. Roger that. Roger zero G and I feel fine. Capsule is turning around. Oh, that view is tremendous. Roger, tower has started. Roger, capsule turning around and I can see the booster during turnaround just a couple of hundred yards behind me. It was beautiful. Roger, seven you have a go for at least seven orbits. Roger, understand go for at least seven orbits. Astronaut John Glenn is in orbit 100 miles above the Atlantic. [music] 17,545 miles an hour, 5 miles [music] a second. 22 minutes after lift-off, lunchtime [music] in space over Kano, Nigeria. [music] Across the emerging nations of Africa, [music] then Zanzibar, and out over the vast [music] Indian Ocean into a sunset seen from space. 53 minutes [music] after lift-off, Muchea, Australia. Roger, Friendship 7 Muchea Capcom, how do you read me? Roger. How you doing, Gordo? We're doing real fine up there. Everything is going very well. Over. Roger, any symptoms of vertigo at all at all over? Uh negative. No symptoms whatsoever. I feel fine. Over. Go. Just to my right, I can see a big pattern of lights, apparently right on the coast. Uh I can see a the outline of a town and a very bright light just to the south of it. Uh on down Perth and Rockingham you're saying there? Uh Roger, the lights show up very well and thank everybody for turning them on, will you? Yes, we will, John. The world had turned its lights and its heart [music] on. [music] Across the dark Pacific and into the sunrise [music] off the California coast. And just as the as I look back up out the window, I had uh literally thousands of small luminous particles uh swirling around the capsule and going away from me at maybe uh 3 to 5 mph. Across [music] the United States in 8 minutes. White Sands, New Mexico, Corpus Christi, Texas, [music] Eglin, Florida, Cape Canaveral. The flight continues. Orbit number [music] two, around the world in 88 minutes. [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] Seven, do you still consider yourself go for the next orbit? Uh that is affirmative. I am go for the next orbit. Roger, understand at present time ground concurs. In Mercury control, a decision. Commit the spacecraft to a third orbit. [music] Good afternoon, Seven. Reading you loud and clear. All right, we just passed up seven over the Cape in flight down there. It looks real fine from up there. [music] I can see the uh whole state of Florida just laid out like on a map. Beautiful. Uh even from this position out here, I can still see clear back to the Mississippi Delta. Orbit number three, out in the Atlantic the recovery forces are ready. The Atlantic, [music] Columbus crossed it in 3 months, Lindbergh in 33 and 1/2 hours, [music] John Glenn in 14 minutes. For the third time, the Mercury tracking network [music] receives complete data from the spacecraft, data which is instantly transmitted to the Goddard Space Flight Center near Washington, [music] fed into the computers for reduction and immediate retransmission to Mercury control at Cape Canaveral. [music] The entire process requires less than 30 seconds. At Cape Canaveral, the time is 1:43 p.m. At Muchea, Australia, it's 1:43 a.m. [music] But no one is asleep. Uh this is Friendship 7 in 45 more seconds, I'd like to have you send a message for me, please. Over. I'd like you to send a message to the director or to the commandant, US Marine Corps in Washington, uh tell him I have my 4 hours required flight time in for the month and request flight chit be established for me. Over. Yes, we will, John. For the third time, John Glenn sees the sunrise out of the [music] trackless Pacific. Then it is time to fire the retro rockets that will slow the spacecraft and bring it back to Earth. Five, four, three, two, one, fire. Roger. Retros are firing. Roger, Friendship 7. Are they ever. It feels like I'm going back toward Hawaii. The Mercury [music] team at Cape Canaveral reaches a crucial decision. Thanks, Capcom. Cape Flight. All right, Cape Flight, go ahead. Uh we have decided to reenter with the pack on. He will have to crank in the periscope manually and override manually the 0.5 G relay, which should be at a ground elapsed time of 044353. Can you give him that message, please, Gordo? Uh Roger, we can do. Uh Roger, we're saying that we're not sure what altitude landing by retro is required. Uh we feel that the capsule is able to reenter with the retro pack on. Uh we see no difficulty at this time in that type of reentry. Over. Uh Roger, understand. As the spacecraft arcs down over the United States, the minutes seem like hours. This is Friendship 7, a real fireball outside. Okay, Friendship 7, do you receive? Over. Okay, we're through the peak G now. Uh Seven, this is Cape. What's your general condition? You feeling pretty well? My condition is good, but that was a real fireball, boy. I had great chunks of that retro pack breaking off all the way through. Uh Seven, this is Cape. Did you land within 1 mile of the uprange destroyer? The recovery weather is very good. Over. Roger, understand. Friendship 7 going to drill girly at Rocky Point. Drogue came out. Drogue is out. Roger, drogue came out at 30,000 and about a 90° yaw. Roger, is the drogue holding on? Roger, drogue looks good. Okay. All right, your reentry checklist complete. Standing by for main at 10. Roger. Coming down on 10, snorkels are open. Roger, understand snorkels open. Roger. Main chute is on green. Chute is out and reefed condition at 10,800 ft and beautiful chute. Chute looks good. On O2 emergency and the chute looks very good. Rate of descent has gone to about 42 ft per second. The chute looks very good. This is Friendship 7 standing by for impact. John Glenn had kept, [music] as Columbus and Magellan, Sir Francis Drake and the Wright brothers kept [music] before him, a rendezvous in time and history and the forward march [music] of man. After 4 hours and 56 minutes in space, John Glenn and Friendship 7 returned to Earth. [music] [bell] 4 hours and 56 [music] minutes in space as the representative of all the members of the Mercury team, all the people of America, and all men who treasure freedom everywhere. The voyage of Friendship 7 marked only the end of the beginning of free man's exploration of the vast, infinite ocean of space. [music]