Glenn: That was sure a short day. That was about the shortest day I have ever run into.

Cooper: Time passes rapidly, heh?

Glenn: Yes, sir.

Cooper: Okay. Do you have any landmark observations to make?

Glenn: I have a . . . picking up some of the star patterns better than I was just off Africa.

Cooper: Have you sighted Orion yet? Over.

Glenn: Negative. Do not have Orion in sight yet.

Cooper: Within a few seconds you should have Orion and . . . Sirius probably in sight; very shortly thereafter Orion will be off to your right. Over.

Glenn: Roger.

Cooper: Do you have time to send up a blood pressure reading? Over.

Glenn: Roger. Stand by.

Cooper: Standing by for blood pressure whenever you...

Glenn: I am already sending it to be picked up. Over.

Cooper: You are in good shape.

Glenn: I do have a light on the ground. Over.

Cooper: It's just off to your right there?

Glenn: Just to my right I can see a big pattern of lights apparently right on the coast, I can see . . . and a very bright light just to the south of it.

Cooper: That is Perth and Rockingham you see there.

Glenn: The lights show very well . . . on down to the south and inland I can see lights. There are 2, actually 4 patterns in that area. Also coming into sight in the window now another one, almost down under me. The lights are very clear from up here.

Cooper: Roger, John. Good. Friendship 7, we have your blood pressure...

Glenn: This is Friendship 7, I have had no ill effects at all yet from any . . . is still excellent . . . no nausea or discomfort whatsoever.

(The following is a transcript of recordings made during the pass of the spacecraft across the southern United States during the first orbit.)

Astronaut Alan Shepard in the control center: Friendship 7, this is Canaveral.

Glenn: Friendship 7 to Canaveral. Read you loud and clear. Over.

Shepard: Roger. Friendship 7, read you loud and clear. Stand by for . . . please.

Glenn: Roger

Shepard: Friendship 7, this is Cap Com. Would you give us the difficulty you were having in the yaw. Over.

Glenn: Roger. This is Friendship 7. I am going to fly-by-wire so I can control more accurately. It just started as I got to Guaymas and it appears to drift off to the right about one degree per second. It would go over to an altitude of about 20 degrees, then hold, and then when it hits at about a 20-degree point it then goes into orientation mode and comes back to zero and it was cycling back and forth in that mode. I am on fly-by-wire now, I am controlling manually. Over.

Shepard: Roger. Understand.

Glenn: This is Friendship 7. What appears to have happened is I believe I have one pound thrust in left yaw, so it drifts over out of limits and then hits it with the high thrust.

Shepard: Roger. Friendship 7, we concur here. Recommend you remain fly-by-wire.

Glenn: Roger. Am remaining fly-by-wire.

Shepard: Roger, Friendship 7, we are having a little difficulty. Start off on your 30-minute report.

Glenn: This is Friendship 7, controlling manually by fly-by-wire. Having no trouble controlling. It controls very nicely.

Shepard: Roger.

Glenn: Fly by wire auto gyro is normal . . . I have a beautiful view out of the window of the coast at the present time. Can see away down across Florida. Cannot quite see the Cape yet.

Shepard: Roger. Still reading you. Are we in communication yet? Over.

Glenn: Roger. I will be out of communication fairly soon and thought if the other call was in would stop the check. Over.

Shepard Not as yet, we will get you next time.

Glenn: Cabin pressure 55 and holding nicely. Cabin air is 95. Temperature is 67 on the suit. The only real unusual thing so far beside ACS trouble were the little particles, luminous particles around the capsule just thousands of them over the Pacific. Over.

Shepard: Roger. We have all of that. It looks like you are in good shape. Remain on fly-by-wire for the moment.

(Here is an excerpt of a conversation between Glenn and the Bermuda tracking station.)

Glenn: Friendship 7. I have the Cape (Canaveral) in sight. I can see the whole state of Florida just laid out like a map. Beautiful. I can still see clear back to the Mississippi delta . . . and it looks very good down that way. It looks like we will have no problem on recovery.