Mercury-Atlas 6

Mercury-Atlas 6
NASA · Public domain · source
Name	Mercury-Atlas 6
Mission type	Crewed spaceflight
Operator	NASA
Mission duration	4 hours, 55 minutes, 23 seconds
Distance travelled	75,679 statute miles (121,794 km)
Spacecraft	Friendship 7
Manufacturer	McDonnell Aircraft
Launch mass	2,987 pounds (1,355 kg)
Launch date	February 20, 1962, 14:47:39 UTC
Launch rocket	Atlas LV-3B 109-D
Launch site	Cape Canaveral Air Force Station LC-14
Landing date	February 20, 1962, 19:43:02 UTC
Landing site	North Atlantic Ocean
Recovery ship	Noa, DD-841, 6
Orbit reference	Geocentric orbit
Orbit regime	Low Earth orbit
Orbit periapsis	86 nautical miles (159 km)
Orbit apoapsis	108 nautical miles (200 km)
Orbit inclination	32.5 degrees
Orbit period	88.5 minutes
Programme	Project Mercury
Previous mission	Mercury-Atlas 5
Next mission	Mercury-Atlas 7

Mercury-Atlas 6 was the first American orbital spaceflight, a pivotal mission in the Space Race against the Soviet Union. Launched on February 20, 1962, the flight carried astronaut John Glenn aboard the space capsule Friendship 7 on three orbits of Earth. The successful mission restored national confidence and demonstrated the reliability of the Atlas launch vehicle for human spaceflight.

Mission background

Following the suborbital flights of Alan Shepard on Mercury-Redstone 3 and Gus Grissom on Mercury-Redstone 4, the goal of Project Mercury was to achieve orbital flight. The Soviet Union had already accomplished this feat with Yuri Gagarin aboard Vostok 1 and Gherman Titov on Vostok 2. Technical issues with the Atlas LV-3B rocket, including the explosion of Mercury-Atlas 1 and the premature shutdown during Mercury-Atlas 3, necessitated extensive redesign and testing. The successful uncrewed orbital test of Mercury-Atlas 5 with the chimpanzee Enos in November 1961 finally cleared the path for a crewed attempt.

Spacecraft and launch vehicle

The mission utilized the McDonnell Aircraft-built Mercury spacecraft, designated Friendship 7 (Spacecraft No. 13). It was a conical, one-person capsule equipped with reaction control system thrusters, a heat shield, and a retrorocket package for re-entry. The launch vehicle was the Atlas LV-3B (vehicle 109-D), a modified SM-65 Atlas ICBM operated by the United States Air Force. Critical modifications included a stronger skin and a new adapter section to interface with the Mercury capsule, addressing earlier structural failures.

Flight

Liftoff from Launch Complex 14 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station occurred at 14:47 UTC. During the first orbit, a faulty sensor indicated a potential loose heat shield, raising concerns about capsule integrity during atmospheric entry. Flight controllers at the Mercury Control Center decided to keep the retrorocket pack attached after firing to help secure the shield, a procedure not in the original plan. Glenn observed the sunset and sunrises, described lightning storms over Africa, and manually controlled the spacecraft's attitude. After three orbits, re-entry proceeded normally, with the heat shield holding firm. Friendship 7 splashed down in the North Atlantic Ocean near Grand Turk Island, where the destroyer recovered Glenn and the capsule.

Legacy and commemoration

The mission was a monumental public relations and technological success for NASA, making John Glenn a national hero and a symbol of American ambition. It proved the Atlas could be trusted for human launch and provided critical data on orbital operations for subsequent programs like Project Gemini and Project Apollo. The capsule, Friendship 7, is displayed at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.. The flight is commemorated at the John F. Kennedy Space Center and was famously celebrated with a ticker-tape parade in New York City and an address to a Joint session of the United States Congress.

Crew

* John Glenn – Pilot The backup crew for the mission consisted of Scott Carpenter, who would later fly Mercury-Atlas 7. The support team included senior astronaut Alan Shepard and Flight director Christopher C. Kraft Jr..

Category:Project Mercury Category:Human spaceflights Category:1962 in the United States