All seemed possible to overcome: experience from satellites suggested micrometeoroid risk was negligible, and experiments in the early 1950s with simulated weightlessness, high g-forces on humans, and sending animals to the limit of space, all suggested potential problems could be overcome by known technologies.
The heat shield shape had been developed earlier in the 1950s through experiments with ballistic missiles, which had shown a blunt profile would create a shock wave that would lead most of the heat around the spacecraft.
Army during the early 1950s.
Although Armstrong had been a combat-experienced NAP during the Korean War, he left active duty in 1952.
The astronauts were collectively known as the "Mercury Seven", and each spacecraft was given a name ending with a "7" by its pilot. The Space Race began with the 1957 launch of the Soviet satellite Sputnik 1.
Americans were shocked when the Soviet Union placed the first satellite into orbit in October 1957, leading to a growing fear that the US was falling into a "missile gap".
Project Mercury was the first [spaceflight] program of the United States, running from 1958 through 1963.
After the successful launch of the Explorer 1 satellite in 1958, crewed spaceflight became the next goal.
Its success laid the groundwork for Project Gemini, which carried two astronauts in each capsule and perfected space docking maneuvers essential for crewed lunar landings in the subsequent Apollo program announced a few weeks after the first crewed Mercury flight. ==Creation== Project Mercury was officially approved on October 7, 1958 and publicly announced on December 17.
It achieved its first goal, an American satellite in space, in 1958.
Dryden (last Director of NACA) as his Deputy, at the creation of the agency on October 1, 1958.
Without them, Gordon Cooper's manual reentry during the last flight would not have been possible. Spacecraft cutaway Mercury Spacecraft.png|Interior of spacecraft Mercury-spacecraft-control.png|The three axes of rotation for the spacecraft: yaw, pitch and roll Mercury-spacecraft-temperature-profile.png|Temperature profile for spacecraft in Fahrenheit Control panels and handle ===Development and production=== The Mercury spacecraft design was modified three times by NASA between 1958 and 1959.
After bidding by potential contractors had been completed, NASA selected the design submitted as "C" in November 1958.
The Little Joe rocket used solid-fuel propellant and was originally designed in 1958 by NACA for suborbital crewed flights, but was redesigned for Project Mercury to simulate an Atlas-D launch.
At the end of 1958, various ideas for the selection pool were discussed privately within the national government and the civilian space program, and also among the public at large.
By late 1958, NASA officials decided to move forward with test pilots being the heart of their selection pool.
Civilian NASA X-15 pilot Neil Armstrong was also disqualified, though he had been selected by the US Air Force in 1958 for its Man in Space Soonest program, which was replaced by Mercury.
In January 1959, McDonnell Aircraft Corporation was chosen to be prime contractor for the spacecraft.
Without them, Gordon Cooper's manual reentry during the last flight would not have been possible. Spacecraft cutaway Mercury Spacecraft.png|Interior of spacecraft Mercury-spacecraft-control.png|The three axes of rotation for the spacecraft: yaw, pitch and roll Mercury-spacecraft-temperature-profile.png|Temperature profile for spacecraft in Fahrenheit Control panels and handle ===Development and production=== The Mercury spacecraft design was modified three times by NASA between 1958 and 1959.
After it failed a test flight in July 1959, a final configuration, "D", emerged.
Smaller vernier rockets were added on its sides for precise control of maneuvers. ===Gallery=== Little Joe 5B capsule mating.jpg|Little Joe assembling at Wallops Island Unloading Atlas Launch Vehicle - GPN-2003-00041.jpg|Unloading Atlas at Cape Canaveral == Astronauts == NASA announced the following seven astronauts – known as the Mercury Seven – on April 9, 1959: Alan Shepard became the first American in space by making a suborbital flight on May 5, 1961.
The Soviet Union put the first human, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, into a single orbit aboard Vostok 1 on April 12, 1961.
Soviet Gherman Titov followed with a day-long orbital flight in August 1961.
From here, 75,000 people watched the first American orbital flight being launched in 1962. Wallops Island - GPN-2000-001888.jpg|Wallops Island test facility, 1961 Mercury control center 4june1963.jpg|Mercury Control Center, Cape Canaveral, 1963 Project-Mercury-facility-map.png|Location of production and operational facilities of Project Mercury == Spacecraft == The Mercury spacecraft's principal designer was Maxime Faget, who started research for human spaceflight during the time of the NACA.
Smaller vernier rockets were added on its sides for precise control of maneuvers. ===Gallery=== Little Joe 5B capsule mating.jpg|Little Joe assembling at Wallops Island Unloading Atlas Launch Vehicle - GPN-2003-00041.jpg|Unloading Atlas at Cape Canaveral == Astronauts == NASA announced the following seven astronauts – known as the Mercury Seven – on April 9, 1959: Alan Shepard became the first American in space by making a suborbital flight on May 5, 1961.
Shepard later went on to fly in the Apollo program and became the only Mercury astronaut to walk on the Moon on Apollo 14. Gus Grissom became the second American in space on Mercury-Redstone 4 on July 21, 1961.
The US reached its orbital goal on February 20, 1962, when John Glenn made three orbits around the Earth.
From here, 75,000 people watched the first American orbital flight being launched in 1962. Wallops Island - GPN-2000-001888.jpg|Wallops Island test facility, 1961 Mercury control center 4june1963.jpg|Mercury Control Center, Cape Canaveral, 1963 Project-Mercury-facility-map.png|Location of production and operational facilities of Project Mercury == Spacecraft == The Mercury spacecraft's principal designer was Maxime Faget, who started research for human spaceflight during the time of the NACA.
Grissom went on to participate in the Gemini and Apollo programs, but died in January 1967 during a pre-launch test for Apollo 1. John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth on Mercury-Atlas 6 February 20, 1962.
During his tenure, he returned to space in 1998 as a Payload Specialist aboard STS-95. Scott Carpenter was the second astronaut in orbit and flew on Mercury-Atlas 7 on May 24, 1962.
Carpenter's Mercury flight was his only trip into space. Wally Schirra flew aboard Sigma 7 on Mercury-Atlas 8 on October 3, 1962.
Cooper later went on to participate in Project Gemini where he once again beat the endurance record during Gemini 5. Deke Slayton was grounded in 1962 due to a heart condition, but remained with NASA and was appointed senior manager of the Astronaut Office and later additionally assistant director of Flight Crew Operations at the beginning of Project Gemini.
Armstrong became NASA's first civilian astronaut in 1962 when he was selected for NASA's second group, and became the first man on the Moon in 1969. It was further stipulated that candidates should be between 25 and 40 years old, no taller than , and hold a college degree in a STEM subject.
Project Mercury was the first [spaceflight] program of the United States, running from 1958 through 1963.
When Mercury ended in May 1963, both nations had sent six people into space, but the Soviets led the US in total time spent in space. The Mercury space capsule was produced by McDonnell Aircraft, and carried supplies of water, food and oxygen for about one day in a pressurized cabin.
From here, 75,000 people watched the first American orbital flight being launched in 1962. Wallops Island - GPN-2000-001888.jpg|Wallops Island test facility, 1961 Mercury control center 4june1963.jpg|Mercury Control Center, Cape Canaveral, 1963 Project-Mercury-facility-map.png|Location of production and operational facilities of Project Mercury == Spacecraft == The Mercury spacecraft's principal designer was Maxime Faget, who started research for human spaceflight during the time of the NACA.
Three years later, he commanded the first crewed Apollo mission, Apollo 7, becoming the first astronaut to fly three times and the only person to fly in the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs. Gordon Cooper made the last flight of Project Mercury with Mercury-Atlas 9 on May 15, 1963.
He quit NASA in 1964, when he came to the conclusion that he likely wouldn't be selected for any Apollo missions and later got elected to the US Senate, serving from 1974 to 1999.
In December 1965, Schirra flew on Gemini 6A, achieving the first ever space rendezvous with sister spacecraft Gemini 7.
Grissom went on to participate in the Gemini and Apollo programs, but died in January 1967 during a pre-launch test for Apollo 1. John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth on Mercury-Atlas 6 February 20, 1962.
Shepard lived with his family at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia. Other than Grissom, who was killed in the 1967 Apollo 1 fire, the other six survived past retirement and died between 1993 and 2016. AstronautAssignmentsChart-Mercury7.PNG|Mercury 7 astronaut assignments.
Armstrong became NASA's first civilian astronaut in 1962 when he was selected for NASA's second group, and became the first man on the Moon in 1969. It was further stipulated that candidates should be between 25 and 40 years old, no taller than , and hold a college degree in a STEM subject.
On March 13, 1972, after doctors confirmed he no longer had a coronary condition, Slayton returned to flight status and the next year was assigned to the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, which successfully flew in 1975 with Slayton as the docking module pilot.
He quit NASA in 1964, when he came to the conclusion that he likely wouldn't be selected for any Apollo missions and later got elected to the US Senate, serving from 1974 to 1999.
On March 13, 1972, after doctors confirmed he no longer had a coronary condition, Slayton returned to flight status and the next year was assigned to the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, which successfully flew in 1975 with Slayton as the docking module pilot.
After the ASTP, he managed the Space Shuttle Program's Approach and Landing Tests (ALT) and Orbital Flight Tests (OFT) before retiring from NASA in 1982. One of the astronauts' tasks was publicity; they gave interviews to the press and visited project manufacturing facilities to speak with those who worked on Project Mercury.
Shepard lived with his family at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia. Other than Grissom, who was killed in the 1967 Apollo 1 fire, the other six survived past retirement and died between 1993 and 2016. AstronautAssignmentsChart-Mercury7.PNG|Mercury 7 astronaut assignments.
During his tenure, he returned to space in 1998 as a Payload Specialist aboard STS-95. Scott Carpenter was the second astronaut in orbit and flew on Mercury-Atlas 7 on May 24, 1962.
Schirra had the most flights with three; Glenn, though being the first to leave NASA, had the last with a Space Shuttle mission in 1998.
He quit NASA in 1964, when he came to the conclusion that he likely wouldn't be selected for any Apollo missions and later got elected to the US Senate, serving from 1974 to 1999.
Shepard lived with his family at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia. Other than Grissom, who was killed in the 1967 Apollo 1 fire, the other six survived past retirement and died between 1993 and 2016. AstronautAssignmentsChart-Mercury7.PNG|Mercury 7 astronaut assignments.
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