Project Mercury
Project Mercury was the first human spaceflight program of the United States, conducted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) between 1958 and 1963. The program's goal was to put a man into Earth orbit and return him safely, ideally before the Soviet Union. It was a part of the Space Race between the two Cold War superpowers.
Objectives[edit | edit source]
The primary objectives of Project Mercury were:
- To orbit a manned spacecraft around Earth.
- To investigate man's ability to function in space.
- To recover both man and spacecraft safely.
History[edit | edit source]
Project Mercury was initiated in response to the Soviet Union's successful launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957. The program was named after Mercury, the Roman god of commerce, travel, and thievery, and also the name of the smallest planet in the Solar System.
Spacecraft[edit | edit source]
The Mercury spacecraft was a small, one-man capsule designed to be launched atop a Redstone or Atlas rocket. The capsule was equipped with a heat shield to protect it during re-entry and a parachute system for a safe landing.
Astronauts[edit | edit source]
The first group of astronauts selected for Project Mercury were known as the Mercury Seven. They were:
Missions[edit | edit source]
Project Mercury included six manned flights:
- Mercury-Redstone 3 (Freedom 7) - Alan Shepard, the first American in space.
- Mercury-Redstone 4 (Liberty Bell 7) - Gus Grissom.
- Mercury-Atlas 6 (Friendship 7) - John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth.
- Mercury-Atlas 7 (Aurora 7) - Scott Carpenter.
- Mercury-Atlas 8 (Sigma 7) - Wally Schirra.
- Mercury-Atlas 9 (Faith 7) - Gordon Cooper.
Legacy[edit | edit source]
Project Mercury laid the groundwork for subsequent American human spaceflight programs, including Project Gemini and the Apollo program, which ultimately landed men on the Moon.
Related Pages[edit | edit source]
- NASA
- Space Race
- Mercury Seven
- Project Gemini
- Apollo program
- Sputnik 1
- Redstone (rocket)
- Atlas (rocket family)
Categories[edit | edit source]
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
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Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD
