DoW second release - NASA-UAP-D013, Mercury Atlas 7, May 24, 1962

[MonkeeSage]

This release is a clip of audio communications with astronaut Scott Carpenter during the Mercury-Atlas 7 mission where luminous particles were seen during sunrise. Shortly later in the mission they were determined by Carpenter to be ice crystals knocked loose from the module. I do not understand why this clip is included in the release since the explanation for the particles was discovered during the mission itself.

Carpenter's report on the particles from "Results of the Second United States Orbital Space Flight, May 24, 1962" (https://nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/ma07-tec.pdf also attached below), p. 72 (PDF p. 77):

A number of times during the flight, I observed the particles reported by John Glenn. They appeared to be like snowflakes. I believe that they reflected sunlight and were not truly luminous. The particles traveled at different speeds, but they did not move away from the vehicle as rapidly as the confetti that was deployed upon balloon release. At dawn on the third orbit as I reached for the densitometer, I inadvertently hit the spacecraft hatch and a cloud of particles flew by the window. Since I was yawed to the right, the particles traveled across the front of the window from the right to the left. I continued to knock on the hatch and on other portions of the spacecraft walls, and each time a cloud of particles came past the window. The particles varied in size, brightness, and color. Some were gray and others were white. The largest were 4 to 5 times the size of the smaller ones. One that I saw was a half inch long. It was shaped like a curlicue and looked like a lathe turning

DoW release:
https://www.war.gov/UFO/search/Nasa/#NASA-UAP-D013-Mercury-Atlas-7-May-24-1962

During the fourth crewed spaceflight and second orbital flight of Project Mercury, Mercury-Atlas 7 (MA-7), Aurora 7 pilot Scott Carpenter describes white particles in view that appear to move at "random" and "look exactly like snowflakes." He describes these phenomena as reflective, and that some seemed to move faster than the Aurora 7 spacecraft.

The clipped audio starts at 02:52:47 into the mission.

Official transcript from "Results of the Second United States Orbital Space Flight, May 24, 1962".

02 52 47 P I have some more of the white particles in view below the capsule. They appear to be traveling exactly my speed. There is one drifting off. It's going faster than I am as a matter of fact.
02 53 11.5 CC Roger. Understand.
02 53 15 P I haven't seen the great numbers of these particles, but I've seen a few of them. Their motion is random; they look exactly like snowflakes to me.
02 53 29 CC Roger. Have you tried returning ....
02 53 33 P Negative. Let me get within scanner limits first.
02 53 39 CC Say again.
02 53 40 P I must adjust my attitude to within scanner limits first.
02 53 46.5 CC Roger.
02 54 18.5 P There were some more of those_little particles. They definitely look like snowflakes this time.
02 54 26 CC Roger. Understand. Your particles look like definite snowflakes.
02 54 32 P However--
02 54 33.5 CC Can we get a blood pressure from you, Scott?

p. 96 (PDF p. 100)
Mission audio at timestamp (via youtube)

This discussion takes place in the context of earlier discussion (01:22:03) of the particles. Carpenter originally speculated they could be frost from a thruster.

01 22 03 P I have the fireflies. Hello, Guaymas.
01 22 18 P I have the particles. I was facing away from the sun at sunrise and I did not see the particles--just--just yawing about--180 degrees, I was able to pick up--at this.--Stand by, I think I see more.
01 23 00 P Yes, there was one, random motions--some even appeared to be going ahead. There's one outside. Almost like a light snowflake particle caught in an eddy. They are not glowing with their own light at this time.
01 23 32 P It could be frost from a thruster.

p. 85 (PDF p. 89)
Mission audio at timestamp (via youtube)

He then later states (03:26:40) he sees no correlation of the particles and thruster activity.

03 26 40 P I should remark that at 3 26 33, I have, in the sky, at any time, 10 particles. They no doubt appear to glow to me. They appeared to be little pieces of frost. However, some appear to be way, way far away. There are two--that look like they might be a 100 yards away. I haven't operated the thruster now for some time. Here are two in closer. Now a densiometer reading on these that are in close. Extinct at 5.5, the elapsed time is 3 27 39. I am unable to see any stars in the black sky at this time. However, these little snowflakes are clearly visible.

[...]

03 35 35.5 P I can't see any relationship between thruster action and the fireflies.

pp. 99-100 (PDF p. 104-105)
Mission audio at timestamp (via youtube)

Finally (04:19:22), he bumps the hatch and wall of the capsule and confirms they are caused by ice crystals being knocked off the capsule itself and reflecting in the sunlight.

04 19 22.5 P Sunrise. Ahhhhh! Beautiful lighted fireflies that time. It was luminous that time. But it's only, okay, they all right, I havc if anybody reads, I have the fireflies. They are very bright. They are capsule emanating. I can rap the hatch and stir off hundreds of them. Rap the side of the capsule; huge streams come out. They--some appear to glow. Let me yaw around the other way.
04 20 25 P Some appear to glow but I don't believe they really do; it's just the light of the sun. I'll try to get a picture of it. They're brilliant. I think they would really shine through 9 on the photometer. I'll rap. Let's see.
04 21 39.5 P Taking some pictures at F 2.8 and bulb. The pictures now, here, one of the balloon. The sun is too bright now. That's where they come from. They are little tiny white pieces
of frost. I judge from this that the whole side of the capsule must have frost on it.

p. 104 (PDF p. 108)
Mission audio at timestamp (via youtube)