When was Project Mercury officially approved by NASA?
Project Mercury received official approval from NASA on the 7th of October 1958. The program was publicly announced two months later on December 17.
Questions about Project Mercury
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who designed the Project Mercury spacecraft capsule?
Maxime Faget served as the principal designer for the Project Mercury spacecraft capsule during his time at NACA. McDonnell Aircraft Corporation won the prime contract to build twelve different versions of the capsule in January 1959.
Which astronauts were selected for the Project Mercury program and when were they announced?
NASA announced seven astronauts on the 9th of April 1959 from a pool of five hundred eight military test pilots. Candidates had to be between twenty-five and forty years old and no taller than five feet eleven inches.
What happened during Alan Shepard's first American spaceflight on May 5 1961?
Alan Shepard became the first American in space on the 5th of May 1961 aboard Freedom 7. His flight lasted fourteen minutes thirty-four seconds reaching an altitude of one hundred seventeen miles.
How many orbits did Gordon Cooper complete during the final Project Mercury mission on May 15 1963?
Gordon Cooper finished the program with Faith 7 on the 15th of May 1963 completing twenty-two orbits over thirty-four hours nineteen minutes. This mission marked the end of all six successful flights despite some technical challenges during reentry or recovery phases.