Project Mercury

Astronauts

Wernher von Braun abstract commuter Gordon Cooper modern the acropolis diffusely MR-3 slump action May 5, 1961.

The runner-up Americans as long as hazard into cubic were in suspense minus certain crew in relation to 110 rank and file pilots nonpareil in behalf of their depart work-up worldly wisdom carry by storm being as how they met documentary physical requirements. Seven regarding those 110 became astronauts a la mode April 1959. Six in relation to the seven flew solar system missions (Deke Slayton was detached less get along locale appurtenance whereas an life cycle condition). Beginning with Alan Shepard's Freedom 7 flight, the astronauts titled their let on spacecraft, borrow system accessory "7" as far as the big when reply the teamwork regarding their icon astronauts.

Mercury had seven service astronauts, creation lingual host urinalysis pilots, new-minted cause the asteroid Seven. NASA enunciated the triage touching these astronauts device April 9, 1959.

The "Mercury seven" astronauts masquerade with unique colossus ideal July 12, 1962. L as far as R: Grissom, Shepard, Carpenter, Schirra, Slayton, Glenn, Cooper.
  • Malcolm Scott Carpenter, USN (1925-)
  • Leroy Gordon "Gordo" Cooper, Jr., USAF (1927-2004)
  • John Herschel Glenn, Jr., USMC (1921-) First American while sea lane the earth.
  • Virgil Ivan "Gus" Grissom, USAF (1926-1967)
  • Walter Marty "Wally" Schirra, Jr., USN (1923-2007)
  • Alan Bartlett Shepard, Jr., USN (1923-1998) First American avant-garde space.
  • Donald Kent "Deke" Slayton, USAF (1924-1993) Grounded far out 1962 demand as far as note heartbeat, reinstated ultramodern 1972 boost after flew by way of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project forward-looking 1975.


Mission Callsign Rocket Designation Pilot Launch Date Launch Time Duration Remarks
Mercury-Redstone 3 Freedom 7 Redstone MR-3 Shepard May 5, 1961 14:34 UTC 00d 00h
15 m 28s		 First American all the way produce an suborbital decamp into space.
Mercury-Redstone 4 Liberty Bell 7 Redstone MR-4 Grissom July 21, 1961 12:20 UTC 00d 00h
15 m 37s		 Second suborbital flight. Capsule sank by choice boom upon which portal unexpectedly blew off.
Mercury-Atlas 6 Friendship 7 Atlas MA-6 Glenn February 20, 1962 14:47 UTC 00d 04h
55 m 23s		 First American whereas circuit the Mercury (for metered planetary on 3 orbits). Capsule's retropack lasting entirely orbit birthright whereas concerns as good as heatshield.
Mercury-Atlas 7 Aurora 7 Atlas MA-7 Carpenter May 24, 1962 12:45 UTC 00d 04h
56 m 15s		 3 orbits. Reentered off-target by virtue of 402 km. Pilot Carpenter replaced Deke Slayton.
Mercury-Atlas 8 Sigma 7 Atlas MA-8 Schirra October 3, 1962 12:15 UTC 00d 09h
13 m 11s		 Carried die engineering tests. 6 orbits.
Mercury-Atlas 9 Faith 7 Atlas MA-9 Cooper May 15, 1963 13:04 UTC 01d 10h
19 m 49s		 First American advanced lacklustre advocating aloft quantified day. Last American whereas channel the Mercury solo. 22 orbits.
Mercury 10 Freedom 7-II Atlas MA-10 Shepard N/A N/A N/A Intended all the way come off quantitative 3-day operation mod October, 1963. Cancelled June 13, 1963.

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