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Handwritten preflight checklist prepared by Scott Carpenter in the lead-up to his historic Mercury-Atlas 7 mission, which made Carpenter the fourth American in space when his Aurora 7 spacecraft launched on May 24, 1962. The checklist, three pages, 8 x 10.5, marked “Me” at the top of each page, is annotated in a mixture of ink and pencil. Several items relate to retrorocket timing and spacecraft orientation for reentry, procedures that would prove especially significant on the MA-7 mission, when Carpenter overshot the planned landing area by roughly 250 miles after difficulties with fuel management and retrofire alignment.
The first page features a list of 23 directives, many referencing spacecraft systems, procedures, or coordination with engineers. Notable examples include:
“5. Locate Max Alt Timer Batt Switch” — Identify the switch controlling the maximum-altitude timer battery, which triggered timing events tied to mission sequencing.
“6. Check hatch pins in capsule 5” — Verify the hatch locking pins on spacecraft #5 (Aurora 7); the Mercury hatch system had received intense scrutiny following Gus Grissom’s Liberty Bell 7 hatch incident.
“7. Promulgate final CW code / OL” — Finalize the CW (continuous-wave/Morse) communication code Carpenter would use if voice communications failed; Mercury astronauts maintained Morse capability as a backup communication method.
“19. Put card for retro times in cockpit” — Place a reference card with retrofire times (when to fire the retrorockets for reentry) inside the capsule so Carpenter could quickly confirm the critical timing needed to leave orbit safely.
The remaining two pages contain a total of 44 directives (unnumbered) blending technical spacecraft tasks, communications preparation, and coordination with engineers. Notable instances include “Enter new procedure for retro posig in 109,” a reminder to update spacecraft procedures with a revised method for positioning the spacecraft before firing the retrorockets, and “Retrosequence switch fuse powered from main in 13,” noting that the retrorocket firing sequence switch drew power from the spacecraft’s main electrical bus to ensure reliable activation of the reentry sequence. In fine condition, with light edgewear, including small tears and creases.
During Mercury-Atlas 7, Carpenter expended more fuel than planned while maneuvering and conducting experiments. As a result, he had difficulty aligning the spacecraft precisely for retrofire, and the retrorockets fired slightly late and with imperfect attitude, causing him to land roughly 250 miles downrange. Recovery took longer than expected but was ultimately successful.
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