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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 0604.PDF
Missiles and Space flight. . . PREPARATIONS FOR MR-3 Initially scheduled for the morning of Tuesday, May 2, the first mannedflight in Project Mercury—a ballistic shot 290 miles down the Atlantic Missile Range from Cape Canaveral—was postponed more than once because ofweather. Preparations for the launch followed the successful final test on April 28 of the Mercury escape system. In this firing, by Little Joe boosterfrom the Wallops Station of the National Aeronautics and Space Adminis- tration, Wallops Island, Virginia, an unmanned Mercury capsule was fired toa height of 14,000ft. The planned altitude was 40,000ft, but a NASA spokes- man said that the acceleration experienced was more severe than would occurduring a Mercury or Atlas mission and that the test had proved that a man could have survived the flight. The Mercury escape system worked well. As briefly reported in last week's issue, the escape system had also func-tioned successfully in the unsuccessful attempt on April 25 to place an unman- ned Mercury capsule into orbit from Cape Canaveral. The main purpose ofthis Atlas-boosted flight was. to test the means of bringing the spacecraft back to Earth within the planned recovery area after completion of a single orbit. The blaze of publicity which attended the preparations for the Mercury-Redstone ballistic flight from the Cape—some 500 journalists and radio, television and film commentators and cameramen were on hand—was inironic contrast to the official silence which preceded the orbital flight by Maj Gagarin on April 12. Only the name of the chosen astronaut was withheld,until after the official announcement that the May 2 flight had been post- poned. It was then disclosed that Cdr Alan Shepard was to make the flight,with Lt-Col John Glenn as reserve. Some of the preparations for the launch are pictured on this page. In a simulated Mercury test fight, the spacecraft is occupied by Lt-Col John H. Glenn Jr, first reserve to Shepard for the first flight Left, unique design against the Florida sky: Mercury- Redstone rocket, servicing tower and "cherry- picker" designed for emergency escape of astronaut on pad. Above, Little Joe test of Mercury escape system, April 28, Wallops Island Above, Cdr Alan 8. Shepard Jr of the US Navy was selected to make the first Mercury ballistic flight. Below, the Mercury capsule recovered after the unsuccessful Atlas orbital attempt of April 25
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