Carpenter became a consultant to sport and diving manufacturers, and to the film industry on space flight and oceanography. He gave talks, and appeared in television documentaries on these subjects. He was involved in projects related to biological pest control and waste disposal, and for the production of energy from industrial and agricultural wastes. He also appeared in television commercials for brands such as Oldsmobile, Standard Oil of California, Nintendo, and Atari. He wrote a pair of technothrillers, "The Steel Albatross" (1991) and "Deep Flight" (1994), and in 2003 he published his autobiography, "For Spacious Skies: The Uncommon Journey of a Mercury Astronaut", which was co-written with his daughter, Kristen Stoever.