Carpenter Getting Ready For Orbits

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29824, 17 May 1962, Page 13

Carpenter Getting Ready For Orbits

(N.Z Press Association— Copyright) CAPE CANAVERAL (Florida), May 16.

The American astronaut Malcolm Scott Car|>enler was making final preparations todav for his three-tirnes-around-the-world Hight.

He was put on a low-resi-due diet beginning 'oday. Project Mercury officials said everything was on schedu’e ‘or the rb.'i! launch ng s. t for Saturday in a per.od ue tween 1200 and 1730 Greenwich Mean Time. Associated Press reported arpenter and his back-up pilot. Walter Sch:rra are quartered in the soecial ready room at Hangar S—the temporary home b.fore his orbital space flight of the astronaut John Glenn

The 37-year-o'.d Navy Lieutenant Commander was reported to be calm as the moment approached for him to be blasted into orbit by an Atlas missile. “He’s as calm as John Glenn was in the davs before his flight." an official commented. “He’s going about the business of preparation with the thoroughness of a test pilot eager to try out a new plane. Scott’s been to

the post many times as a test pilot" Pr-parat:ons include comolete familiarisation with the planned flight programme Carpenter is to conduct a umb-r of scientific tests and obs: rvat. i’* whi'e in flight in an effort to 'den man’s knowledge of h s >' ity to perform in the weigh’les c world of space Carpenter’s flight plan is the same as Glenn’s—three times around the world at 17.500 miles an hour in an orbit ranging from 100 to 160 n'es high. Pilot, capsule. Atlas and world-wide tracking networt, will b? subjected to an extensive workout tomorrow in the final simulated flight before launching Hi’h winds and partially cloudy sCjec n->vmled in the Cape Canave-nj area yesterday but wea’her experts sa d conditions should be good by Saturdav. Associated Press reported.