Project Mercury

When was Project Mercury founded?

• Project Mercury was founded on October 7, 1958.

Mercury’s Goals

• Started in 1958 and completed in 1963, Project Mercury was the United States' first man-in-space program. The main objectives of the program, which made six manned flights from 1961 to 1963, were specific:

• To orbit a manned spacecraft around Earth • To investigate man's ability to function in space • To recover both man and spacecraft safely

How long did Project Mercury last?

• Project Mercury lasted for about 4 2/3 years.

The Mercury 7

The Seven Astronauts

• In the Mercury program, there were originally seven astronauts but, since one of them had a health issue only six of the seven flew.

• The seven astronauts were:– Walter M. Schirra, Jr.

– Donald K. Slayton

– John H. Glenn, Jr.

– Scott Carpenter

– Alan B. Shepard, Jr.

– Virgil I. (“Gus”) Grissom

– L. Gordon Cooper.

Facts about the Mercury Capsule

• The Mercury space capsule was incredibly tiny.• The size of it on the outside was about the size of a

compact car, but in the inside, it is smaller than a telephone booth.

• One astronaut said that the interior of the Mercury

capsule was about the same size as a coffin.• The bell-shaped Mercury capsule had a diameter of 6

feet.• The length of the capsule was 9 ½ feet.

Who was in charge?• The people that were in charge of the astronauts was

Mission Control (over in Cape Canaveral, Florida and later flights: Houston, Texas).

• But, in each mission, one astronaut was picked to be in charge of his crew.

When did the first Mercury Project rocket launch?

• “Mission: Little Joe 1Launch Pad: Wallops Island Pad Vehicle: Little Joe (1)Crew: Unmanned

Milestones:Not applicable

Payload:Boiler Plate Capsule

Mission Objective:Max Q abort and escape test. Objective was to determine how well the escape rocket would function under the most severe dynamic loading conditions anticipated during a Mercury-Atlas launching.”

When did the first Mercury Project rocket launch? (continued)

• “Orbit:Altitude: .4 statute milesOrbits: 0Duration: 0 Days, 0 hours, 0 minutes, 20 secondsDistance: .5 statute miles

Launch:At 35 minutes before launch, evacuation of the area had been proceeding on schedule and the batteries for the programmer and destruct system in the test booster were being charged. Suddenly, half an hour before launch time, an explosive flash occurred. When the smoke cleared it was evident that only the capsule-and-tower combination had been launched, on a trajectory similar to an off-the-pad abort. The booster and adapter-clamp ring remained intact on the launcher. Near apogee, at about 2000 ft, the clamping ring that held tower to capsule released and the little pyro-rocket for jettisoning the tower fired.”

When did the first Mercury Project rocket launch? (continued)

• “The accident report for LJ-1, issued September 18, 1959, blamed the premature firing on the Grand Central escape rocket on an electrical leak, or what missile engineers call transients or ghost voltages in a relay circuit. The fault was found in a coil designed to protect biological specimens from too rapid an abort. (Reference SP-4201 p. 208)

Landing:Not applicable”

Other launches after Shepard

• Mercury astronauts Alan Shepard and Virgil "Gus" Grissom flew earlier suborbital flights.

• Glenn was the first to orbit. He was soon followed into orbit by colleagues Carpenter, Schirra and Gordon Cooper.

• Deke Slayton was grounded by a medical condition until the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975.

The Launch

• “Launch:February 20, 1962. 9:47:39 am EST. Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 14. Powered flight lasted 5 minutes 1 second and was completed normally. The mercury countdown began on 1/27/62 and was performed in two parts. Precount checks out the primary spacecraft systems, followed by a 17.5 hour hold for pyrotechnic checks, electrical connections and peroxide system servicing. Then the countdown began. The launch countdown proceeded to the T-13 minute mark and then was canceled due to adverse weather conditions. After cancellation, the mission team decided to replace the carbon dioxide absorber unit and the peroxide system had to be drained and flushed to prevent corrosion. Launch vehicle systems were then revalidated and a leak was discovered in the inner bulkhead of the fuel tank that required 4-6 days to repair. The launch was rescheduled to 2/13/62 and then to 2/14/62 to all the bulkhead work to complete. The precount picked up again on 2/13/62, 2/15/62 and 2/16/62 but was canceled each time due to adverse weather. The launch was then rescheduled for 2/20/62.” 

The Launch (continued from previous slide)

• “During the launch countdown on 2/20/62, all systems were energized and final overall checks were made. the count started at T-390 minutes by installing and connecting the escape-rocket igniter. The service structure was then cleared and the spacecraft was powered to verify no inadvertent pyrotechnic ignition. The personnel then returned to the service structure to prepare for static firing of the reaction control system at T-250 minutes. The spacecraft was then prepared for boarding at T-120 minutes. The hatch was put into place at T-90 minutes. During installation a bolt was broken, and the hatch had to be removed to replace the bolt causing a 40 minute hold. From T-90 to T-55 final mechanical work and spacecraft checks were made and the service was evacuated and moved away from the launch vehicle. At T-45 minutes, a 15 minute hold was required to add fuel to the launch vehicle and at T-22 minutes and additional 25 minutes was required for filling the liquid-oxygen tanks as a result of a minor malfunction in the ground support equipment used to pump liquid oxygen into the launch vehicle. At approximately T-35 minutes, filling of the liquid-oxygen tanks began and final spacecraft and launch vehicle systems checks werestarted. 

At T-10 minutes the spacecraft went on internal power. At T-6min 30 seconds, a 2 minute hold was required to make a quick check of the network computer at Bermuda. The launch vehicle went on internal power at T-3 minutes. At T-35 seconds the spacecraft umbilical was ejected and

at T-0 the main engines started. Liftoff occurred at T+4 seconds at  9:47:39am EST.” 

What did the astronauts have to do in order to prepare for the challenge?

• “On October 7, 1958, the new National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced Project Mercury, its first major undertaking. The objectives were threefold: to place a human spacecraft into orbital flight around Earth, observe human performance in such conditions, and recover the human and the spacecraft safely. At this early point in the U.S. space program, many questions remained. Could a human function ably as a pilot-engineer-experimenter in the harsh conditions of weightless flight? If yes, who were the right people for the challenge?

• The selection procedures for Project Mercury were directed by a NASA selection committee, consisting of Charles Donlan, a senior management engineer; Warren North, a test pilot engineer; Stanley White and William Argerson, flight surgeons; Allen Gamble and Robert Voas psychologists; and George Ruff and Edwin Levy, psychiatrists. The committee recognized that the unusual conditions associated with spaceflight are similar to those experienced by military test pilots. In January 1959, the committee received and screened 508 service records of a group of talented test pilots, from which 110 candidates were assembled. Less than one month later, through a variety of interviews and a battery of written tests, the NASA selection committee pared down this group to 32 candidates.”

What did the astronauts have to do in order to prepare for the challenge?

• “Each candidate endured even more stringent physical, psychological, and mental examinations, including total body x-rays, pressure suit tests, cognitive exercises, and a series of unnerving interviews. Of the 32 candidates, 18 were recommended for Project Mercury without medical reservations. On April 1, 1959, Robert Gilruth, the head of the Space Task Group, and Donlan, North, and White selected the first American astronauts. The "Mercury Seven" were Scott Carpenter, L. Gordon Cooper, Jr., John H. Glenn, Jr., Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, Walter M. Schirra, Jr., Alan B. Shepard, Jr., and Donald K. "Deke" Slayton.

• At a press conference in Washington, D.C., on April 9, 1959, NASA introduced the Mercury Seven to the public. The press and public soon adopted them as heroes, embodying the new spirit of space exploration. Each one (except Slayton, who was grounded because of a previously undiscovered heart condition, but later flew as a crewmember of the Apollo Soyuz Test Project) successfully flew in Project Mercury. During the five-year life of the project, six human-tended flights and eight automated flights were completed, proving that human spaceflight was possible. These missions paved the way for the Gemini and Apollo programs as well as for all further human spaceflight.”

The Atlas Rocket

Mission Control

Mercury Capsule Photos

Mercury 3 Shepard Recovery

Mercury 4 Recovery Attempt

Mercury 6 Capsule Retrieval

Mercury 9 Cooper Enters Faith 7

Mercury 6 Glenn Enters Friendship 7

Alan Shepard (MR-3) Launch

John Glenn (MA-6) Leaves Crew Quarters

Wally S

chirra (MA

-8) T-38

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Pictures from

Project Mercury

Mission Insignia

Alan Bartlett Shepard, Jr.

Shepard and his capsule are recovered

Alan Shepard’s space patch

The recovery of the Freedom 7

Alan Shepard in his astronaut suit

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Grissom in his astronaut suit

Grissom as a USAF pilot before becoming an astronaut

Grissom in front of his Liberty Bell 7 Capsule

Grissom’s Insignia

Grissom’s space suit on display at the Astronaut Hall of Fame

Virgil Ivan "Gus"

Grissom

Malcolm Scott

Carpenter

Carpenter’s Insignia

Scott Carpenter as an astronaut

Scott Carpenter in a test/practice to prepare

for his flight

Carpenter inspecting his capsule

Donald S

layton in his space suit.

Donald Kent "Deke" Slayton

Donald Kent “Deke” Slayton

Slayton’s Insignia

The Apollo Soyuz.

Launch of the Saturn IB rocket carrying the Apollo Command Module into orbit.

Walter Schirra in his space suit

Walter Schirra’s Insignia

F3H Demon delivery, mid 1950s

March 10, 1966, Wally Schirra is presented with the Philippine Air Force Aviation Badge by Imelda Marcos as Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, watches. Schirra is also wearing the Philippines’ Legion of Honor, presented in a ceremony at the Malacañang Palace in Manila

Walter Marty

Schirra,

Jr.

Walter Schirra is with his Mercury capsule

John Herschel Glenn Jr.

John Glenn standing in

front of his capsule

John Glenn as a

USMC pilot

John Glenn’s Insignia

Mercury 6 Inspecting Decal

Leroy Gordon Cooper

Cooper’s Mercury Faith 7 Mission patch

MA-9 launch

Cooper’s picture of Tibet from space

Cooper in an SSTV broadcast from Faith 7

Leroy Gordon Cooper

“Friendship 7 Pad LC-14Atlas (6)  

Crew: John H. Glenn, Jr. 

Milestones:  

8/27/61 - Capsule arrived at Cape Canaveral 2/15/62 - Flight Safety Review 

2/20/62 - Launch Payload: Spacecraft No. 13, Vehicle Number 109-D 

Mission Objective:  

Place a man into earth orbit, observe his reactions to the space environment and safely return him to earth to a point where he could be readily found. The Mercury flight plan during the first orbit was

to maintain optimum spacecraft attitude for radar tracking and communication checks.  Orbit:

Altitude: 162.2 x 100 statute miles Inclination: 32.54 

Orbits: 3 Period: 88min 29sec 

Duration: 0 Days, 4 hours, 55 min, 23 seconds Distance: 75,679 statute miles 

Velocity: 17,544 mph Max Q: 982 psf 

Max G: 7.7”

“In November 1951, he was assigned to Patrol Squadron 6 based at Barbers Point, Hawaii. During the Korean conflict, he was with Patrol Squadron 6 engaged in anti-submarine patrol, shipping surveillance and aerial mining activities in the Yellow Sea, South China Sea and the Formosa Straits.4 In 1954 he entered the Navy Test Pilot School at the Naval Air Test Center, Patuxent

River, Maryland. After completion of his training, he was assigned to the Electronics Test Division of the NATC. In this assignment Carpenter conducted flight test projects with the A3D, F11F and F9F

and assisted in other flight test programs.5 He flew tests in a variety of Naval aircraft including multi- and single-engine jet aircraft and propeller-driven fighters, attack planes, patrol bombers and seaplanes.6 He then attended Naval General Line School at Monterey, California, for ten months in 1957 and the Naval Air Intelligence School, Washington, DC for an additional eight months in 1957 and 1958. In August 1958 he was assigned to the USS Hornet, anti-submarine aircraft carrier, as

Air Intelligence Officer, where he was serving when he received cryptic orders to report to Washington in connection with an unspecified special project.7 Stopping in an airport on the way

back from Washington, he picked up a Time magazine and learned that the newly created National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) had identified 110 candidates, all military pilots, from

which to take volunteers for America's first manned venture into space. A few weeks later he became one of the "Original Seven" Mercury astronauts, chosen on April 9 1959, and was assigned to the Manned Spacecraft Center (then Space Task Group) at Langley Field, Virginia.8 Upon reporting for duty, he was assigned a specialty area in training involving

communications and navigational aids, because of his extensive prior experience in that field in the Navy. He served as John Glenn's backup pilot during pre-flight preparations for America's first

manned orbital flight, MA-6.9 When NASA grounded MA-7 pilot Donald K. Slayton (Deke) due to his heart condition, idiopathic

atrial fibrillation (erratic heart rate), Carpenter was selected as prime pilot for that mission with

Walter M. Schirra, Jr., as his backup pilot.”

Scott Carpenter

Donald K. “Deke” Slayton“On April 9, 1959, Slayton joined fellow Mercury astronauts, Alan B. Shepard, Jr., Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, John H. Glenn, Jr., M. Scott Carpenter, Walter M. Schirra, Jr., and L. Gordon Cooper, Jr., for a press conference in

Washington, D.C., to announce to the press and the world that the United States had officially joined the "space race." Following the press conference, the astronauts returned to Langley to begin their intensive training. This included a "little of everything" ranging from a graduate-level course in introductory space science to simulator training and scuba-diving. Training continued until the Langley Space Task Force was transferred to the newly

established Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC) in Houston, Texas.11 When each of the Mercury astronauts were assigned a different portion of the project and special assignments, to ensure pilot input, Slayton's primary

assignment was to gain thorough familiarity with the Atlas missile that was to hurl the Mercury capsule into earth orbit. He was intended to be the first American astronaut to orbit the earth, after a planned third suborbital flight

by Glenn. But, following the flights of Shepard and Grissom, Glenn's suborbital flight was canceled. He was reassigned to the first orbital Mercury flight and Slayton, on November 29, 1961, was named as the pilot of

Mercury Atlas-7 (MA-7), the second orbital mission.12 On March 15, 1962, NASA announced that a heart condition called idiopathic atrial fibrillation (an erratic heart

rate) that was first detected in November 1959, would prevent Slayton from making the flight. Carpenter was, at that time, named as the MA-7 replacement with Schirra as his backup pilot.13 The MA-7 mission was

successfully completed on May 24, 1962.14 On July 11, 1962, Slayton assumed new operational, engineering and planning responsibilities within NASA's Manned Space Flight Research Programs, including Projects

Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo. He continued to participate in the astronaut training program and his physical condition was monitored on a continuous basis by members of the MSC medical staff.15 In September 1962, Slayton was assigned as Coordinator of Astronaut Activities with responsibility for directing the newly formed Astronaut Office. In November 1963, he resigned his commission as an Air Force major and continued and

continued with NASA as a civilian astronaut. For three years Slayton served as assistant director of flight crew operations, a new office with responsibility for directing the Astronaut Office, Aircraft Operations Office and Flight

Crew Support Division. Beginning in 1966, he served as director of flight crew operations. As director of flight crew operations, he played a key role in choosing the crew of every manned space mission, including the Apollo

teams.16”

Walter Schirra

“Schirra was named as one of the "Original Seven" Mercury Astronauts on April 9, 1959. NASA announced that the seven men, Alan B. Shepard, Jr., Virgil

I. "Gus" Grissom, John H. Glenn, Jr., M. Scott Carpenter, Schirra, L. Gordon Cooper, Jr., and Donald K. "Deke" Slayton, had been selected from among 110 of the nation's top military test pilots to train as astronauts for Project Mercury, the first phase of the U.S. space program, involving one-man suborbital and

orbital missions. Schirra, Shepard and Carpenter were from the Navy; Grissom, Cooper, and Slayton were from the Air Force; and Glenn was from the Marine

Corps.10 Schirra's special responsibility in Project Mercury was the development of

environmental controls or life-support systems that would ensure the safety and comfort of the astronaut within the spacecraft during the mission. His tasks also

included the testing and improvement of the pressurized suit worn by the astronauts.11”

“In 1959 the newly created National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) invited 110 top test pilots to volunteer for the manned space flight program. When NASA sent out bids to 110 test pilots, asking them to

volunteer, Shepard was disappointed because he did not receive an invitation. It turned out later that his name had been among the 110, but his invitation had been misplaced.13 Of the original 110, Shepard was among the seven chosen for Project Mercury and presented to the public at a press conference on April 9, 1959, held in the

ballroom of the historic Dolley Madison House, NASA's temporary headquarters on Lafayette Square.14 The other six were Virgil I. (Gus) Grissom, John H. Glenn, Jr., Donald K. (Deke) Slayton, Malcolm S. (Scott) Carpenter, Walter M. (Wally) Schirra, Jr., and L. Gordon Cooper, Jr. These seven were subjected to an

unprecedented and grueling training in the sciences and in physical endurance. Every conceivable situation the men would encounter in space travel was studied and, when possible, simulated with training devices.15

Shepard quickly established himself as a first-rate pilot and engineer. When it came time to split up the technical work Shepard, with his experience with ships and Navy headquarters people, concentrated on the tracking range

and the recovery teams needed to pull the astronauts and their spacecrafts out of the water after flight.16 On February 21, 1961, Robert Gilruth, the director of Project Mercury, announced that the there was to be a meeting of only the seven Mercury astronauts and himself at their headquarters at Langley. It was at this meeting that it was announced that Shepard would be the prime pilot for the first mission and Glenn would be his backup pilot.

However, the actual choice was not made public until shortly before the launch for fear of having to go to the backup at the last moment. The public was informed that the choice of the first American in space had been

narrowed down to Shepard, Grissom and Glenn.17 The announcement that Shepard would definitely be the first American into space came on May 2, 1961, after the first launch attempt was scrubbed due to weather.18

On May 5, 1961, only 23 days after Yuri A. Gagarin of the Soviet Union became the first man in space, Shepard was launched at 9:34am EST aboard the spacecraft he named Freedom 7 (MR-7) powered by a Redstone

booster (MR-3).19 He was launched suborbitally to an altitude of over 116 miles, 303 statute miles down range from Cape Canaveral. His 15 minute 28 second flight achieved a velocity of 5,134 miles per hour and pulled a

maximum of 11G's.20 Freedom 7 splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean where the aircraft carrier Lake Champlain awaited his arrival. The capsule came through the entire flight in such excellent shape that the engineers who

went over it with a fine-tooth comb decided that it could easily be used again.21 The doctors also assessed that

the commander was in excellent shape, physically and psychologically and "...could be used again too."

Alan Shepard

Virgil Grissom

“Lieutenant Colonel Virgil Ivan "Gus" Grissom had been part of the U.S. manned space program since it began in 1959, having been selected as one of NASA's Original Seven Mercury Astronauts. His second space flight on Gemini III earned him the distinction of being the first man to fly in space twice. His hard work, drive, persistence and skills as a top notch test pilot and engineer had landed him the title of commander for the first Apollo flight. Yet for Grissom, Apollo I was to be just the beginning. He had been told privately that if all went well, he would be the first American to walk on the moon. Although Grissom already had stacked up a very impressive list of career accomplishments, being first on the moon would be the ultimate achievement for the man who grew up in a small town during the lean years of the Great Depression. Grissom discovered that he was one of 110 military test pilots whose credentials had earned them an invitation to

learn more about the space program in general and Project Mercury in particular. Gus liked the sound of the program but knew that competition for the final spots would be fierce. "I did not think my chances were very big

when I saw some of the other men who were competing for the team. They were a good group, and I had a lot of respect for them. But I decided to give it the old school try and to take some of NASA's tests."13

Taking some of NASA's tests turned out to be more of an ordeal than Grissom could have imagined. He was sent to the Lovelace Clinic and Wright-Patterson AFB to receive extensive physical examinations and to submit to a battery of psychological tests. Grissom was nearly disqualified when doctors discovered that he suffered from hay fever. Without missing a beat, Grissom informed them that his allergies would not be a problem because

"there won't be any ragweed pollen in space."14 Since no one could argue that point, they passed him on to the

next series of tests.”

Leroy Gordon Cooper“On April 9, 1959, NASA announced to the public their selections for the Project Mercury astronauts. Along with Cooper at the press conference in Washington, D.C. sat Alan B. Shepard, Jr., Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, John H. Glenn, Jr., M. Scott Carpenter,

Walter M. Schirra, Jr. and Donald K. "Deke" Slayton. Once the selections and announcements had ended, the astronauts began their training program at Langley. This included a "little of everything" ranging from a graduate-level course in introductory space

science to simulator training and scuba-diving. Training continued until the Langley Space Task Force was transferred to Houston, Texas.8 When each of the Mercury astronauts were assigned a different portion of the project and special assignments, to ensure

pilot input, Cooper specialized in the Redstone rocket. The Redstone was already well-proven when it was first considered for use in Project Mercury. However, it had to be made compatible with the Mercury spacecraft and this took some close coordination and

communication between several different agencies. Assigning an astronaut to help accomplish this paid off, for several reasons. To begin with, Cooper was a military man who had been assigned to a civilian agency, so he could understand the problems on both

sides. As an engineer, he could talk the language of the other engineers. And, since he planned to ride the finished product himself, he could really become immersed in the problems.9

Like everyone else on the team, Cooper also had several development tasks in addition to his own regular astronaut training. One of these was the development of a personal survival knife which the astronauts wanted to carry in the capsule with them. They all knew from their experience as pilots that a knife is one of the most valuable tools for survival on both land and water, and they also knew that they would encounter a good deal of both of these elements during their flights. They would be orbiting over oceans and jungle

and desert, and they wanted to be prepared for any emergency. Another task that Cooper was responsible for was to serve as chairman of an Emergency Egress Committee which was responsible for working out procedures for saving the astronaut in the

event of an emergency on the pad.10 He served as capsule communicator (CAPCOM) for Mercury MA-6, John Glenn's first orbital flight in Friendship 7, and MA-7, Scott Carpenter's flight in Aurora 7. He also served as backup pilot for MA-8, Wally Schirra's

mission in Sigma 7.11 Cooper's first flight began on May 15, 1963, when he was launched as the pilot of MA-9, the last Mercury mission. Cooper, in his

Faith 7 capsule, orbited the Earth 22 times and logged more time in space than all five previous Mercury astronauts combined. His primary objectives were to evaluate the effects of a lengthier stay in space on man and to verify man as the primary spacecraft

system. During the mission, he became the first American astronaut to sleep in orbit.12 His mission lasted 34 hours, 19 minutes and 49 seconds, during which he completed 22 orbits and traveled 546,167 miles at 17,547 miles per hour and pulled a maximum of

7.6G's. He achieved an altitude of 165.9 statute miles at apogee (highest point in orbit) and 100.3 statute miles at perigee (lowest

point in orbit).13”

Bibliography• www.nasa.gov/

• John Glenn: A Space Biography by Barbara Kramer

• http://www.boeing.com/history/mdc/mercury.htm

• Mercury 3 photo from http://search.store.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/nsearch?catalog=spaceimages&query=The+Mercury+Capsules&.autodone=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spaceimages.com%2Fnsearch.html

• T-38 photo from http://search.store.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/nsearch?catalog=spaceimages&query=The+Mercury+Capsules&.autodone=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spaceimages.com%2Fnsearch.html

• John Glenn (MA-6) leaves the crew quarters from http://search.store.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/nsearch?catalog=spaceimages&query=The+Mercury+Capsules&.autodone=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spaceimages.com%2Fnsearch.html

• The Mercury 7 astronauts from http://space.about.com/od/spaceexplorationhistory/ig/Project-Mercury-Overview/Photo-of-Mercury-astronauts.htm

• All photos from slide 26 are from http://www.spaceimages.com/gemini.html

• Photo of Mission Control http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/imagedisplay/img_display.php?pic=ig_69.08_mercury_02.jpg&cap=All%20six%20Mercury%20missions%2C%20plus%20the%20first%20Project%20Gemini%20flight%2C%20were%20controlled%20from%20the%20Mercury%20Mission%20Control%20Center%20located%20at%20Cape%20Canaveral.%20These%20consoles%20and%20viewing%20screens%20are%20now%20on%20display%20at%20the%20Kennedy%20Space%20Center%20Visitor%20Complex.%20Click%20to%20enlarge.

• Mercury Atlas 9 rocket and spacecraft on Launch Complex 14 at Cape Canaveral, FL in 1963 (slide #20). http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d5/Mercury_Atlas_9.jpg/120px-Mercury_Atlas_9.jpg

• Monument at Pad 14 honoring Project Mercury (slide #19). Photo from http://space.about.com/od/spaceexplorationhistory/ig/Project-Mercury-Overview/Monument-at-Pad-14---Mercury-7.htm

Bibliography (continued)• Photo of John Glenn (slide 30) from http://www.spaceimages.com/mer06glen4.html• Photo of “Little Joe” (slide #10) from http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/litlejoe.htm• Diagram from http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/

thumb/3/3f/Mercury_Spacecraft.png/775px-• Mercury_Spacecraft.png&imgrefurl=http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/

Image:Mercury_Spacecraft.png&h=600&w=775&sz=451&tbnid=diCe6R0IbBgJ:&tbnh=110&tbnw=142&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmercury%2Bspacecraft&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=1&ct=image&cd=1 (slide #7)

• http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://grin.hq.nasa.gov/IMAGES/SMALL/GPN-2000-000651.jpg&imgrefurl=http://grin.hq.nasa.gov/BROWSE/mercury_astronaut_1.html&h=640&w=480&sz=439&tbnid=6dXMmXn15xgJ:&tbnh=137&tbnw=103&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmercury%2Bastronaut%2Bpictures&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=1&ct=image&cd=2

• NASA's final Mercury-Atlas rocket stands poised for launch on Pad 14 in Cape Canaveral, Florida in May 1963. From http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/imagedisplay/img_display.php?pic=070203_last_mercury_02.jpg&cap=NASA%27s+final+Mercury-Atlas+rocket+stands+poised+for+launch+on+Pad+14+in+Cape+Canaveral%2C+Florida+in+May+1963.+Credit%3A+NASA.+Click+to+enlarge.+

• NASA logo from http://www.google.com/search?q=nasa+logo&sourceid=navclient-ff&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1B3GGGL_enUS234US262

• Atlas booster in flight from http://www.spaceanimations.org/images/MercuryAtlas004.jpg

• Shepard in Freedom 7 (prep. for launch) from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury-Redstone_3

• Launch of Alan Shepard http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury-Redstone_3

• Mercury capsule from http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5b/Mercury_Capsule2.png/285px-Mercury_Capsule2.png&imgrefurl=http://en.wikipedia.org/%3Ftitle%3DMercury_program&h=291&w=285&sz=56&tbnid=A2_Ac5b_TDcJ:&tbnh=115&tbnw=113&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmercury%2Bspacecraft&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=1&ct=image&cd=2

Bibliography (continued) http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/

5/5b/Mercury_Capsule2.png/285px-Mercury_Capsule2.png&imgrefurl=http://en.wikipedia.org/%3Ftitle%3DMercury_program&h=291&w=285&sz=56&tbnid=A2_Ac5b_TDcJ:&tbnh=115&tbnw=113&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmercury%2Bspacecraft&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=1&ct=image&cd=2Pictures of John Glenn from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_GlennPictures of Walter Schirra from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wally_SchirraPictures of Leroy Cooper from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_9Pictures of Scott Carpenter from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_CarpenterPictures of Deke Slayton from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deke_SlaytonPictures of Virgil Grissom from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgil_GrissomPictures of Alan Shepard from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_ShepardInformation of Shepard from http://history.nasa.gov/40thmerc7/shepard.htmInformation of Schirra from http://history.nasa.gov/40thmerc7/schirra.htmInformation of Grissom from http://history.nasa.gov/40themerc7/grissom.htmInformation of Glenn from http://history.nasa.gov/40themerc7/glenn.htmInformation of Cooper from http://history.nasa.gov/40themerc7/cooper.htmInformation of Slayton from http://history.nasa.gov/40the merc7/slayton.htmInformation of Carpenter from http://history.nasa.gov/40themerc7/carpenter.htm