LISTEN: Pentagon Releases Audio Of Mercury-Atlas 9 Pilot L. Gordon Cooper Jr. Describing 'Fireflies'

Added: 2026-05-25

[00:00:00]And, I'm beginning to get the brilliant blue of sun rising in the east.

[00:00:05]Bright blue band underneath all this haze layer.

[00:00:11]I can see the haze layer.

[00:00:14]And the bright band of light demarcation coming underneath it.

[00:00:21]Quite distinctive.

[00:00:37]There's a faint haze into it. That is where there are clouds apparently.

[00:00:46]Roger Hawaii phase seven reading you loud and clear.

[00:01:01]Roger Hawaii phase seven reading you loud and clear.

[00:01:05]Roger, understand.

[00:01:07]Roger, I'm just small end forward 180° yaw approaching sunrise over.

[00:01:14]Roger.

[00:01:24]These small luminous particles drift away from you. Small end forward. See this light appear brilliant white without any dullness I prefer to move on out.

[00:01:37]Turn around back towards the flight path.

[00:01:41]Down here, I don't think. Roger, you haven't seen the beacon at this time.

[00:01:45]Negative, I still haven't seen the beacon. Check.

[00:01:54]There was considerable noise over there something we're departing.

[00:01:58]Beacon seven. I think we can noise of the little door. Sounded like the little door is blowing open, so I assume the beacon has departed.

[00:02:06]Roger, understand.

[00:02:14]Yeah, looks real good on the ground.

[00:02:16]Roger.

[00:02:47]Okay, you confirm that TV control switch is to off.

[00:02:51]Roger, TV control is off.

[00:03:06]We had a slight decrease in the fuel range on DC current. We'll do better for you later.

[00:03:13]Roger, DC current?

[00:03:17]Roger, main bus is 24.

[00:03:20]Isolated 28 and 1/2.

[00:03:23]Roger.

[00:03:45]Echo.

[00:03:48]The recorder is running. Do you have anything new?

[00:03:50]Negative, yet.

[00:03:55]I'm planning to shortly here, though.

[00:03:58]Uh, roger. For your information, systems last competition on fuel at Hawaii gave you 8.8 auto, 9.8 manual, which is somewhat better than you're indicating on board.

[00:04:13]Uh, roger. On board, I'm indicating 9.6 and 102.

[00:04:34]Oh, boy, what a beautiful shot of Florida.

[00:04:39]Uh, roger. Looks good from here once in a while, too. Uh, roger. The whole state is clear. I can I can see uh just about off There's been a beautiful view coming over Florida.

[00:06:58]>> Here on 180 yaw.

[00:07:00]I got here on manual proportional control.

[00:07:03]I'm at the last daylight going into dark. I have been looking for the flashing beacons.

[00:07:11]50518 now.

[00:07:15]280, I'm sorry, not 180.

[00:07:19]I just lied inside. It is below me.

[00:07:23]It is quite a brownish It is reddish brown.

[00:07:28]And It's set up a low altitude above the ground. I got my far a pitch down thruster.

[00:07:36]I got a shower of these little fireflies.

[00:07:39]All right, it is flashing now. It is a light.

[00:07:43]Quite bright, quite discernable.

[00:07:46]And 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 right.

[00:07:53]It has to be about It has to be about 10 to 12 miles away.

[00:08:00]I'm keeping it directly in the window.

[00:08:05]At the order of a second magnitude star now.