Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-02-20
MERCURY
Glenn Eats, Finds Minor Trouble
In Control System Of Capsule
Continued From Page Al

Continued From Page Al
Ing no trouble with excessive
heat in his space craft.
The decision to go for the
third orbit was made by Flight
Director Christopher Columbus
Chris Kraf at 1916 pm. Col.
Glenn was in contact with an
other astronaut, Navy Comdr.
Walter M. Schirra on the
groun dat Point Arguello, Calf.
This exchange took place:
Shirra-John, the aeromedics
are very happy with you up
there.
Glenn-I feel very good,
Wally; no problems at all.
AS he passed between Florida
and Bermuda, Col. Glenn got
a good look at Florida and
the whole Southeastern United
States as far West as the Mis-
sissippi delta.
Referring to this base, which
he had departed less than
three and a quarter hours and
more than $4,000 miles earlier.
Col. Glenn said:
THE Cape looks fine; I can
see the whole State laid out
like a map"
Blasts Off at 9:471.
Although plagued by trouble
in the early morning hours.
the launching went off with
absolute smoothness once the
final countdown moments we're
entered.
At 9:471a, the quarter
million-pound Mercury-Atlas
lifted off the pad and climbed
straight up. Trailing a long
sheet of orange flame behind
it, it bored through a blue.
cloudless sky until it hit the
cold upper air of the strato-
sphere. Then, the rocket started
leaving a "contrail"-a cloud
like plume that marked its
path through the heavens.
At $50, Col. Glenn reported
that the escape tower-now no
longer necessary-had been
separated and that gravita-
tional forces from acceleration
were continuing to build up.
The first of Is ground sta
lions scattered along the Mer-
curry track around the world
the one on the island of Ber-
muda-got signals from the
Mercury spacecraft at 9:51 and
a minute and half later re-
ported that the flight trajec-
tory looked good.
BY 9:54-only seven minutes
after the take off-Col. Glenn
was firmly in orbit, having
turned his spacecraft around
so he could ride backwards in
the approved position.
Once orbit was achieved, the
astronaut's terrific speed began
to make itself felt. 1t is one
thing to say that Col. Glenn
was travelling S miles a sec
ond, or 295 miles a minute or
1880 miles an hour: it is quite
another to reflect that in less
than Is minutes he had crossed |
the Atlantic Ocean and was
boring a hole through space
high above the deserts and
jungles of Africa.
Not only was his speed amaz-
ing. but so was the unforget-
table air of calm and self
possession reflected in the
pilots voice. On a tape re-
cording played back shortly
after the takeoff, this cool
man, already a transcontinen-
tai airplane speed record
holder, described his adventure
as he went up.
Reports Vibration
There's some vibration COM
ing up now. A little con-
trail or something went by the
window there. It's smooth
ing out now, getting out of the
vibration area. :. The oxygen
pressure is coming down-5.7
pounds per square inchD. !
Cabin pressure is holding at
81.
THE tower is go; I saw the
smoke go past the window"
All this-the essential infor-
mation-passing chore of a vet
eran test pilot-Was delivered
in a voice as relaxed and mat
ter-of fact as that of a man de-
scribing a Well-remembered
but fairly remote adventure.
And Col. Glenn had words
not only about his Instruments,
but about the earth and space
around him.
THE view is tremendous"
Col. Glenn said. Il can see the
booster turning around about
200 yards behind me. It's a
beautiful sight"
It took Col. Glenn only Is
minutes to streak across Africa
and out over the Indian Ocean.
He was in contact with a track
ing ship on station several
thousand miles south of India
at 1923 am. and at 10:40
made contact with the most
distant station of the whole
network Muchea, near the
big Western Australian town Of
Perth.
Contacts Cooper
Fellow Astronaut LIE Roy
Gordon Cooper was on the
ground at Perth to establish
contact with Col. Glenn. The
space man told his earthbound
comrade, I'm doing real well
in here. "All systems are go.
No problems at all"
He reported seeing a haze in
the night sky over Australia,
which was plunged in darkness.
He also said that there were
some very bright lights" on
the ground which he JUDGED