May 25, 1962 - The Project Mercury medical team pronounced Lieut. Commander Scott Carpenter today to have come through five hours in space with no significant physiological effects. The only physical reaction that surprised and somewhat puzzled the physicians was the action of the astronaut’s heart and blood system under the stresses of the spaceflight. At various times during the flight, it was disclosed, his blood pressure reached relatively high levels (210 plus over 60) while his heartbeat held to a comparatively low rate. His normal pressure is around 120 over 60 or 70. Commander Carpenter, who at times flew upside down and moved his head rapidly in an attempt to induce vertigo and motion sickness, reported that he had encountered no uncomfortable effects, despite more than four hours of weightlessness.
