Evening star., 1963-05-15

boy, I am" Maj. Cooper
replied.
There has never been such an
ideal countdown and launching.
Only one slight four-minute
hitch developed in the 61a-hour
preparatory period that began
about 2::30 am.
Weather Is Perfect
The weather, always a tick
lish matter on a launching day,
was unqualifiedly perfect. Not
a cloud-or even the whispiest
layer of haze-marred the blue
Florida sky. The temperature
was in the 80S, the humidity
was unusually low. and only
the gentlest breeze was stirring.
World traveller Cooper got
off to an early start again to-
day, rising at $3.50 am. after
Is hours of sleep. He ate the
usual steak and eggs breakfast,
no coffee and underwent a
pre-flight examination which
he passed without difficulty.
Dressed again in his silver
flight garment, Mai. Cooper got
into the air conditioned trans
fer van that takes astronautS
from where they sleep to the
launching pad.
He left the hangar at 5:55
am. and entered the gantry
tower elevator at 6:27. Six
minutes later Mai. Cooper was
inside Faith-7 for the second
time in two days.
Diesel, Radar Working
Both the bulky diesel at pad
IA and the scrambled radar at
Bermuda were working today
The diesel caused a delay of
u hours and nine minutes in
yesterdays countdown. Trouble
during that delay developed in
the radar, causing the flight to
be postponed at 11:37 am.
Mai. Cooper had two dis
appointments yesterday on
space and at sea. After climb
ing out of the ship and re-
moving his space suit. he went
fishing with two cronies. fell
low Astronauts Schirra and
Donald K. Slayton and Mr.
Williams.
They borrowed a power boat
from the Air Force at nearby
Port Canaveral and went out
to sea for Gulf fishing which Il
reported to be good. They die
not catch anything. But Mai
Cooper repeatedly took a nap
A Record Of Sorts
Space dopesters who are al
record -happy as baseball FAM
pointed out after Mai. Cooper'i
descent from Faith-7 that HI
had set a new record-timt
on pad without a launching
His is hours and 81 minutes
in the capsule was the Longest
pre-launch period ever.
Record keepers also pointeC
out that the cancellation Of thu
flight 13 minutes before 1t,
anticipated launching time yes
terday was a record for the or
bital phase OF Project Mercury
Actually 1t tied a record es'
tablished January 81. 1862,
when the first orbital astronaut
Col. Glenn. had his flight can
celed because OF weather at !
minus l3.
Less trivial was the fact tina
Maj. Cooper lost one pound.
So delicately balanced ar
factors Of space flight that thii
trifling difference would be re-
flected In the final speed o.
the space craft unless compen'
sated for.
A pound OF payload weigh
means foot a second In ter
minal velocity. the less weigh
the more speed.
Every bit OF excess velocit.
would result In an orbit diff
ferent from the one planned
for the flight. Thus. the Alta
rockets power was cut off TO
day a fraction OF a secon'
earlier than would have beer
the case yesterday.
After Mai. cooper's weighinI
In this morning, the big com
puters whirred and cranked on
a new set OF retro rocket firm
times. These are the time
when Mai. Cooper will have :,
fire his retro rockets 10 brinI
Faith-7 TO earth at the end o
the flight.