Mercury-Redstone 3
First U.S. human spaceflight, a 15-minute suborbital mission.
Mercury-Redstone 3, also known as Freedom 7, was the first United States human spaceflight, launched on May 5, 1961, and piloted by astronaut Alan Shepard. It was the first crewed flight of Project Mercury, which aimed to put an astronaut into orbit around the Earth and return him safely. Shepard's 15-minute suborbital flight demonstrated his ability to withstand high g-forces during launch and re-entry.
Quick Facts
- Insignia Caption
- Spacecraft name as painted on the capsule side
- Mission Type
- Test flight
- Operator
- NASA
- Mission Duration
- 15 minutes, 28 seconds
- Suborbital Range
- 263.1 nautical miles (302.8 statute miles, 487.3 km)
- Suborbital Apogee
- 101.2 nautical miles (116.5 statute miles, 187.5 km)
- Spacecraft
- Mercury No.7
- Manufacturer
- McDonnell Aircraft
- Launch Mass
- 4040 lb
- Landing Mass
- 2316 lb
- Launch Rocket
- Redstone MRLV MR-7
- Launch Site
- Cape Canaveral LC-5
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The spacecraft, Mercury capsule #7, was delivered to Cape Canaveral on December 9, 1960, but required extensive development and testing before deemed safe. The booster originally intended, Redstone #3, was used on a test flight, and replacement Redstone #7 arrived in late March 1961. Concerns from the MR-2 test flight with chimpanzee Ham led to an additional booster development flight (MR-BD) on March 28, pushing the crewed flight to April 25, then to May 5 due to weather.
Shepard named his capsule Freedom 7, setting a precedent for the other Mercury astronauts to name their spacecraft with names ending in "7" to commemorate the seven astronauts and the model number. The initial launch attempt on May 2 was canceled due to weather. On May 5, after delays for cloud cover and technical issues, Shepard lay in the capsule for nearly three hours and, needing to urinate, was told he could not exit; he urinated in his suit, which dried due to oxygen flow.
Liftoff occurred at 9:34 a.m. ET, watched by an estimated 45 million U.S. television viewers. Shepard experienced 6.3 g at engine shutdown. After capsule separation, he tested manual attitude control, then fired retrorockets. The capsule landed by parachute in the North Atlantic off the Bahamas, and Shepard was recovered by helicopter to USS Lake Champlain.
Reader's Guide
Mercury-Redstone 3 was a technical success, though American pride was dampened because the Soviet Union had launched Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space, three weeks earlier. The mission proved that a U.S. astronaut could withstand the forces of launch and re-entry, and it validated the Mercury spacecraft and Redstone booster for human flight. Shepard's naming of Freedom 7 established a tradition for subsequent Mercury missions. The flight also led to practical improvements, such as adding a urine collection device to the spacesuit. In 2017, the first National Astronaut Day was held on May 5 to honor this flight.
Did You Know?
- The number 7 in the spacecraft name also referred to the McDonnell Model #7 space capsule used in the Mercury Program.
- During the flight, Shepard tested the retrorockets that would return later missions from orbit, though Freedom 7 did not have enough energy to remain in orbit.
- The initial launch attempt on May 2, 1961, was canceled due to weather, and Shepard waited in a hangar already suited.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Mercury-Redstone 3?
Mercury-Redstone 3, nicknamed Freedom 7, was the first crewed spaceflight ever flown by the United States. It launched on May 5, 1961, as a suborbital mission under NASA's Project Mercury program.
Who piloted Mercury-Redstone 3?
Astronaut Alan Shepard was the sole pilot aboard the capsule. He was one of the original Mercury Seven and became the first American to travel into space.
How long did the Mercury-Redstone 3 flight last?
The mission lasted roughly 15 minutes from liftoff to ocean splashdown. In that window, Shepard climbed to a peak altitude of about 187.5 kilometers and covered approximately 487 kilometers downrange before re-entering the atmosphere.
Why is Mercury-Redstone 3 considered important?
It proved that a U.S. astronaut could survive the extreme g-forces of both rocket launch and atmospheric re-entry. The flight also validated the spacecraft, life-support, and launch systems that Project Mercury would later rely on for orbital missions.
What was the purpose of Mercury-Redstone 3?
The mission was a suborbital test designed to confirm that a human could endure a rocket-powered flight and return safely to Earth. It served as a critical proving step before the program attempted a full orbit of the planet.
More in Suborbital human spaceflights 1-24
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