Browse All : Atlas and Mercury of Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)

Mercury Atlas

Name of Image	Mercury Atlas
Date of Image	1961-02-24
Full Description	The launch of the Mercury Atlas (MA-2), an unmarned suborbital Mercury capsule test on February 24, 1961.

Atlas Big Joe

Name of Image	Atlas Big Joe
Date of Image	1959-09-01
Full Description	An Atlas launch vehicle carrying the Big Joe capsule leaves its launching pad on a 2,000-mile ballistic flight to the altitude of 100 miles. The Big Joe capsule is a boilerplate model of the marned orbital capsule under NASA's Project Mercury. The capsule was recovered and studied for the effect of re-entry heat and other flight stresses.

The Launch of the MA-6, Frie …

Name of Image	The Launch of the MA-6, Friendship 7
Date of Image	1962-02-20
Full Description	The launch of the MA-6, Friendship 7, on February 20, 1962. Boosted by the Mercury-Atlas vehicle, a modified Atlas Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), Friendship 7 was the first U.S. marned orbital flight and carried Astronaut John H. Glenn into orbit. Astronaut Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth.

Astronaut Scott Carpenter

Name of Image	Astronaut Scott Carpenter
Date of Image	1959-04-27
Full Description	Astronaut Scott Carpenter, one of the original seven astronauts for Mercury Project selected by NASA on April 27, 1959. Boosted by the Mercury-Atlas vehicle, the MA-7 mission made the second marned orbital flight by the United States, and carried Astronaut Carpenter aboard Aurora 7 spacecraft to orbit the Earth three times.

Astronaut John H. Glenn

Name of Image	Astronaut John H. Glenn
Date of Image	1959-04-27
Full Description	Astronaut John H. Glenn, one of the original seven astronauts for Mercury Project selected by NASA on April 27, 1959. The MA-6 mission, boosted by the Mercury-Atlas vehicle, was the first manned orbital launch by the United States, and carried Astronaut Glenn aboard the Friendship 7 spacecraft to orbit the Earth.

Astronaut L. Gordon Cooper

Name of Image	Astronaut L. Gordon Cooper
Date of Image	1959-04-27
Full Description	Astronaut L. Gordon Cooper, Jr., one of the original seven astronauts for Mercury Project selected by NASA on April 27, 1959. The MA-9 mission, boosted by the Mercury-Atlas launch vehicle, was the last flight of the Mercury Project. The Faith 7 spacecraft orbited the Earth 22 times in 1-1/2 days.

Astronaut Walter M. Schirra

Name of Image	Astronaut Walter M. Schirra
Date of Image	1959-04-27
Full Description	Astronaut Walter M. "Wally" Schirra, one of the original seven astronauts for Mercury Project selected by NASA on April 27, 1959. The MA-8 (Mercury-Atlas) mission with Sigma 7 spacecraft was the third marned orbital flight by the United States, and made the six orbits in 9-1/4 hours.

Astronaut John Glenn Enters …

Name of Image	Astronaut John Glenn Enters Friendship 7
Date of Image	1962-02-20
Full Description	Astronaut John Glenn enters the Mercury spacecraft, Friendship 7, prior to the launch of MA-6 on February 20, 1961 and became the first American who orbited the Earth. The MA-6 mission was the first manned orbital flight boosted by the Mercury-Atlas vehicle, a modified Atlas ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile), lasted for five hours, and orbited the Earth three times.

Launch of Atlas-Centaur, Mar …

Name of Image	Launch of Atlas-Centaur, Mariner X
Date of Image	1973-11-03
Full Description	The launch of the Atlas-Centaur carrying the Mariner X spacecraft on November 3, 1973. This mission was for the exploration of the planets Venus and Mercury.

Titan, Gemini 12, liftoff

Name of Image	Titan, Gemini 12, liftoff
Date of Image	1966-11-11
Full Description	The Gemini 12 astronauts James Lovell and Edwin Aldrin lifted off aboard a Titan launch vehicle from the Kennedy Space Center on November 11, 1966. an hour and a half after their Agena target vehicle was orbited by an Atlas rocket. The Gemini Program was an intermediate step between Project Mercury and the Apollo Program. The major objectives were to subject are two men and supporting equipment to long duration flights, to effect rendezvous and docking with other orbiting vehicle, and to perfect methods of reentry, and landing the spacecraft.

Atlas-Agena, Gemini 12, laun …

Name of Image	Atlas-Agena, Gemini 12, launch
Date of Image	1966-11-11
Full Description	The launch of an Atlas-Agena booster carrying the target vehicle for the Gemini 12 mission on November 11, 1966. The Gemini Program was the intermediate step between the Project Mercury and the Apollo Program. Major objectives of the Gemini Program were to subject two men and supporting equipment to long duration flights, and to effect rendezvous and docking with other orbiting vehicles.

Astronaut Glenn in the Frien …

Name of Image	Astronaut Glenn in the Friendship 7
Date of Image	1962-02-20
Full Description	Astronaut John Glenn in the Friendship 7 capsule during the first manned orbital flight, the MA-6 mission. Boosted by the Mercury-Atlas vehicle, a modified Atlas (intercontinental ballistic missile), the MA-6 mission lasted for 5 hours and orbited the Earth three times.

Astronaut John Glenn Enters …

Name of Image	Astronaut John Glenn Enters Friendship 7
Date of Image	1962-02-20
Full Description	Astronaut John Glenn enters the Mercury spacecraft, Friendship 7, prior to the launch of MA-6 on February 20, 1961 and became the first American who orbited the Earth. The MA-6 mission was the first manned orbital flight boosted by the Mercury-Atlas vehicle, a modified Atlas ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile), lasted for five hours, and orbited the Earth three times.

The Recovery Operation of th …

Name of Image	The Recovery Operation of the Faith 7
Date of Image	1963-05-16
Full Description	The recovery operation of the Faith 7 spacecraft after the completion of the 1-1/2 day orbital flight (MA-9 mission) with Astronaut Gordon Cooper. Navy frogmen attach the flotation collar to the spacecraft. The MA-9 mission was the last flight of the Mercury Project and launched on May 15, 1963 boosted by The Mercury-Atlas launch vehicle.

Early Rocketry Models

Name of Image	Early Rocketry Models
Date of Image	1967-10-18
Full Description	Photographed are models of early rocketry: The Atlas Mercury, Atlas Centaur, and Atlas Agena.

Early Rocketry Models

Name of Image	Early Rocketry Models
Date of Image	1967-10-18
Full Description	Photographed are models of early rocketry: The Atlas Mercury, Saturn C-1, and Saturn C-5.

Early Rocketry Models

Name of Image	Early Rocketry Models
Date of Image	1967-10-17
Full Description	Photographed are models of early rocketry: The Atlas Mercury, Redstone Mercury, and Saturn C-1.

Atlas Mercury Model

Name of Image	Atlas Mercury Model
Date of Image	1962-12-08
Full Description	Photographed is a model of early rocketry, the Atlas Mercury.

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