Mercury

In-active Human Rated Capsule Crew Capacity: 1 Diameter: 1.8 m Height: 3.3 m

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May 5, 1961

Human transportation to upper Earth atmosphere and low Earth orbit.

Flight Life

Between 15 minutes and 3 days.

Description

The Mercury spacecraft's principal designer was Maxime Faget, who started research for manned spaceflight during the time of the NACA. With 100 cubic feet (2.8 m3) of habitable volume, the capsule was just large enough for a single crew member. Inside were 120 controls: 55 electrical switches, 30 fuses and 35 mechanical levers. The heaviest spacecraft, Mercury-Atlas 9, weighed 3,000 pounds (1,400 kg) fully loaded. Its outer skin was made of René 41, a nickel alloy able to withstand high temperatures.

History

The Mercury spacecraft was the manned capsule used for suborbital and orbital launches during the Project Mercury, the first human spaceflight program of the United States, from 1958 through 1963.



Falcon 9
Success
1 hour, 38 minutes ago
Starlink Group 17-3
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 24 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
2 days, 23 hours ago
Project Kuiper (KF-01)
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

First of a three launches contract for Amazon's Kuiper low Earth orbit satellite internet constellation, with 24 satellites on board.


Falcon 9
Success
3 days, 3 hours ago
Starlink Group 15-2
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 26 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Long March 7
Success
4 days, 7 hours ago
Tianzhou-9
201 - Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China

Eighth cargo delivery mission to the Chinese space station.


Falcon 9
Success
6 days ago
Dror-1
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Note: SpaceX identifies the mission as "Commercial GTO 1". Dror-1 is a geostationary communication satellite built and developed by Israel Aerospa…


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 3 days ago
Starlink Group 10-28
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 28 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Soyuz 2.1a
Success
2 weeks, 1 day ago
Progress MS-31 (92P)
31/6 - Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan

Progress resupply mission to the International Space Station.


Long March 4C
Success
2 weeks, 1 day ago
Shiyan 28 B-01
Launch Complex 3 (LC-3/LA-1) - Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Satellite officially named for "space environment detection" purposes, exact details unknown.


Falcon 9
Success
2 weeks, 2 days ago
Starlink Group 10-25
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
2 weeks, 3 days ago
MTG-S1
Launch Complex 39A - Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

Second of EUMETSAT's third generation of weather satellite.