Mercury-Atlas 1
Atlas LV-3B
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission
Mercury-Atlas 1
- Type: Test Flight
- Orbit: Suborbital
Mercury-Atlas 1 (MA-1) was the first attempt to launch a Mercury capsule and occurred on July 29, 1960 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. The spacecraft was unmanned and carried no launch escape system. The Atlas rocket suffered a structural failure 58 seconds after launch at an altitude of approximately 30,000 feet (9.1 km) and 11,000 feet (3.4 km) down range.
Location
Space Launch Complex 14
Cape Canaveral, FL, USA
Space Launch Complex 14 has witnessed the launch of 20 rockets, including 16 orbital launch attempts, while Cape Canaveral, FL, USA, has been the site for 967 rocket launches.
Rocket
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Atlas LV-3B
The Atlas LV-3B, Atlas D Mercury Launch Vehicle or Mercury-Atlas Launch Vehicle, was a human-rated expendable launch system used as part of the United States Project Mercury to send astronauts into low Earth orbit. Manufactured by American aircraft manufacturing company Convair, it was derived from the SM-65D Atlas missile, and was a member of the Atlas family of rockets.
Agency
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. NASA have many launch facilities but most are inactive. The most commonly used pad will be LC-39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
