Mercury-Atlas 1 (MA-1) was the first attempt to launch a Mercury capsule and occurred on July 29, 1960 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. The spacecraft was unmanned and carried no launch escape system. The Atlas rocket suffered a structural failure 58 seconds after launch at an altitude of approximately 30,000 feet (9.1 km) and 11,000 feet (3.4 km) down range. All telemetry signals suddenly ceased as the vehicle was passing through Max Q. Because the day was rainy and overcast, the booster was out of sight from 26 seconds after launch, and it was impossible to see what happened.
The mission was to conduct a suborbital test flight and reentry of the spacecraft. The capsule carried live separation rockets, but dummy retrorockets. Several other systems were not installed, including the cabin pressurization system and the astronaut couch. A number of Mercury engineers had voiced their objection to the launch because the weather would prevent observation of the flight. Some witnesses claimed to have heard an explosion, but this could not be verified. The capsule continued transmitting until it impacted the ocean, approximately 6 miles downrange. Salvage brought the capsule, Atlas booster engines and LOX vent valve to the surface from the ocean floor. The engines showed no sign of damage except some deformation from impact with the ocean, but the vent valve and a still-attached segment of piping had noticeable fatigue cracks.
Mission type Test flight Operator NASA Mission duration17 minutes, 56 seconds Distance travelled 2,305 kilometres (1,432 mi) Apogee183 kilometres (114 mi) Spacecraft properties Spacecraft Mercury No.6 Manufacturer McDonnell Aircraft Launch mass1,154 kilograms (2,544 lb) Start of mission Launch date February 21, 1961, 14:10 UTC RocketAtlas LV-3B 67-D Launch site Cape Canaveral LC-14 End of mission Landing date February 21, 1961, 14:28 UTC
Launch of MA-2
Mission typeTest flight Operator NASA Mission duration 7 minutes, 19 seconds Failed to orbit Distance travelled1.8 kilometres (1.1 mi) Apogee7.2 kilometres (4.5 mi) Spacecraft properties Spacecraft Mercury No.8 Manufacturer McDonnell Aircraft Launch mass1,179 kilograms (2,599 lb) Start of mission Launch date April 25, 1961, 16:15 UTC Rocket Atlas LV-3B 100-D Launch site Cape Canaveral LC-14 End of mission Landing date April 25, 1961, 16:23 UTC
Launch of MA-3
Launch of MA-4
Mission typeTest flight Operator NASA Harvard designation 1961 Alpha Alpha 1 COSPAR ID1961-025A SATCAT no.183 Mission duration1 hour, 49 minutes, 20 seconds Distance travelled41,919 kilometers (26,047 mi) Orbits completed1 Spacecraft properties Spacecraft Mercury No.8 Manufacturer McDonnell Aircraft Launch mass1,224.7 kilograms (2,700 lb) Start of mission Launch date September 13, 1961, 14:04:16 UTC Rocket Atlas LV-3B 88-D Launch site Cape Canaveral LC-14 End of mission Recovered by USS Decatur Landing date September 13, 1961, 15:53:36 UTC Orbital parameters Reference system Geocentric RegimeLow Earth Perigee altitude149 kilometers (80 nmi) Apogee altitude240 kilometers (130 nmi) Inclination 32.5 degrees Period 88.38 minutes Epoch September 13, 1961
Mission typeTest flight OperatorNASA Harvard designation1961 Alpha Iota 1 COSPAR ID1961-033A SATCAT no.208 Mission duration3 hours, 20 minutes, 59 seconds Distance travelled 81,902 kilometers (50,892 mi) Orbits completed 2 Spacecraft properties Spacecraft Mercury No.9 Manufacturer McDonnell Aircraft Launch mass 1,331 kilograms (2,934 lb) Crew Crew size1 Members Enos Callsign Mercury-Atlas 5 Start of mission Launch date November 29, 1961, 15:07:57 UTC Rocket Atlas LV-3B 93-D Launch siteCape Canaveral LC-14 End of mission Recovered byUSS Stormes Landing date November 29, 1961, 18:28:56 UTC Orbital parameters Reference system Geocentric RegimeLow Earth Perigee altitude158 kilometers (85 nmi) Apogee altitude237 kilometers (128 nmi) Inclination 32.5 degrees Period 88.44 min Epoch November 29, 1961
On the Mercury-Atlas 5 flight Enos became the first chimpanzee, and third primate, to orbit the Earth
Mission typeTest flight Operator NASA Harvard designation1962 Gamma 1 COSPAR ID1962-003A SATCAT no.240 Mission duration 4 hours, 55 minutes, 23 seconds Distance travelled 65,763 nautical miles (121,793 kilometers) Orbits completed3 Spacecraft properties Spacecraft Mercury No.13 Manufacturer McDonnell Aircraft Launch mass2,981 pounds (1,352 kg)[2] Crew Crew size1 MembersJohn H. Glenn, Jr Call sign Friendship 7 Start of mission Launch date February 20, 1962, 14:47:39 UTC Rocket Atlas LV-3B 109-D Launch site Cape Canaveral LC-14 End of mission Recovered by USS Noa Landing date February 20, 1962, 19:43:02 UTC Landing site North Atlantic Ocean 21°20′N 68°40′W Orbital parameters Reference system Geocentric RegimeLow Earth orbit Perigee altitude 80 nautical miles (150 kilometers) Apogee altitude134 nautical miles (248 kilometers) Inclination 32.5 degrees Period 88.47 minutes Epoch February 20, 1962
John Glenn Friendship 7
Operator NASA Harvard designation1962 Tau 1 COSPAR ID1962-019A SATCAT no.295 Mission duration 4 hours, 56 minutes, 5 seconds Distance travelled 122,344 kilometers (76,021 mi) Orbits completed3 Spacecraft properties Spacecraft Mercury No.18 Manufacturer McDonnell Aircraft Launch mass 1,350.0 kilograms (2,976.2 lb) Crew Crew size1 Members: M. Scott Carpenter Call sign Aurora 7 Start of mission Launch date May 24, 1962, 12:45:16 UTC Rocket Atlas LV-3B 107-D Launch site Cape Canaveral LC-14 End of mission Recovered by USS Intrepid Landing date May 24, 1962, 17:41:21 UTC Orbital parameters Reference system Geocentric Regime Low Earth orbit Perigee altitude 154 kilometers (83 nmi) Apogee altitude 259 kilometers (140 nmi) Inclination 32.5 degrees Period 88.63 minutes Epoch May 24, 1962
Carpenter MA-7 capsule, Aurora 7 Mission type Test flight
Operator NASA Harvard designation 1962 Beta Delta 1 COSPAR ID1962-052A SATCAT no.433 Mission duration 09:13:15 Orbits completed 6 Spacecraft properties Spacecraft Mercury No.16 Manufacturer McDonnell Aircraft Launch mass 1,964 kilograms (4,329 lb) Landing mass 1,110 kilograms (2,440 lb) Dry mass 1,242–1,374 kilograms (2,739–3,029 lb) Crew Crew size1 Members: Walter M. Schirra Jr. Call sign Sigma 7 Start of mission Launch date October 3, 1962, 12:15:12 UTC Rocket Atlas LV-3B 113-D Launch site Cape Canaveral LC-14 End of mission Recovered by USS Kearsarge Landing date October 3, 1962, 21:28:22 UTC Orbital parameters Reference system Geocentric RegimeLow Earth orbit Perigee altitude 156 kilometers (84 nmi) Apogee altitude 285 kilometers (154 nmi) Inclination 32.5 degrees Period 88.91 minutes Epoch October 3, 1962
Schirra M-A 8 capsule, Sigma 7 Mission type Test flight
L. Gordon Cooper Faith 7 Mission type Test flight
Operator NASA COSPAR ID1963-015A SATCAT no.576 Mission duration 34 hours, 19 minutes, 49 seconds Distance travelled 878,971 kilometers (474,606 nautical miles) Orbits completed 22 Spacecraft properties Spacecraft Mercury No.20 Manufacturer McDonnell Aircraft Launch mass 1,360 kilograms (3,000 lb) Start of mission Launch date May 15, 1963, 13:04:13 UTC Rocket Atlas LV-3B 130-D Launch siteCape Canaveral LC-14 End of mission Recovered by USS Kearsarge Landing date May 16, 1963, 23:24:02 UTC Orbital parameters Reference system Geocentric Regime Low Earth orbit Perigee altitude 163 kilometers (88 nautical miles) Apogee altitude 265 kilometers (143 nautical miles) Inclination 32.5 degrees Period 88.77 minutes Epoch May 15, 1963
Crew Crew size1 Members: L. Gordon Cooper, Jr. Call sign Faith 7
