The First Human flight program in the United States of America
INTRODUCTION
- First Human flight Program in the United States
- Primary goal was to put human in Earth orbit and return him safely
- Period: 1958-1963 During the time of President Eisenhower
- Cost: $277 million (Present day value $ 2 Billion in value )
- Astronauts called as Mercury 7; Each Capsules named ended in 7 Rockets Redstone suborbital Mercury-Redstone 3, Mercury-Redstone 4 (2 Missions) Atlas Mercury-Atlas5, Mercury-Atlas6, Mercury-Atlas7, Mercury-Atlas8 (4 Missions)
- 6 Manned Missions; 20 Unmanned Missions
MAIN PLAYERS
Space capsules produced by McDonnell Aircraft Company
Launch Vehicles:
Redstone : made by Chrysler for US Army – Used for sub-orbital flights
Atlas : made by Convair/General Dynamics – Used for orbital flights
Control Station: Cape Canaveral
Launch Escape Systems (LES): made by Grand Central Rocket Company, Redlands, CA
Why Was Project Mercury Important?
NASA learned a lot from Project Mercury. NASA learned how to put people in orbit. It learned how people
could live and work in space. NASA learned how to fly a spacecraft. These lessons were very important.
NASA used them in later space projects.
After Mercury which carried one astronaut, came the Gemini program. The Gemini spacecraft had room for two astronauts. NASA learned even more with Gemini. Together, Mercury and Gemini prepared NASA for the Apollo program.
ASTRONUTS
- Alan Shepard – Mercury-Redstone3
- Gus Grissom – Mercury-Redstone 4
- John Glenn – Mercury – Atlas 6
- Scott Carpenter – Mercury-Atlas 7
- Wally Schirra – Mercury-Atlas 8
- Gordon Cooper – Mercury-Atlas 9
- Deke Slayton – Did not go on Mercury Mission due to health condition
CAPSULES