The Mercury 7, NASA Mercury project
On April 9, 1959, NASA introduced its first astronaut class, the Mercury 7. Front row, left to right: Walter M. Schirra, Jr., Donald K. "Deke" Slayton, John H. Glenn, Jr., and M. Scott Carpenter; back row, Alan... More
X-15 #2 just after launch. Public domain image of NASA aircraft.
Description: The X-15 #2 (56-6671) launches away from the B-52 mothership with its rocket engine ignited. The white patches near the middle of the ship are frost from the liquid oxygen used in the propulsion sy... More
Dragonfly Mercury Project - National Parks Gallery
Park scientists participate in the dragonfly mercury project at Shenandoah
5-foot Vertical Wind Tunnel - NASA wind tunnel. Public domain image.
Description (July 12, 1932) The researcher is sitting above the exit cone of the 5-foot Vertical Wind Tunnel and is examining the new 6-component spinning balance. This balance was developed between 1930 and 19... More
Astronaut Deke Slayton during World War II
(1945) This World War II photograph shows future Astronaut Donald Deke K. Slayton (on right) and 1st Lt. Ed Steinman (on left) beside a Douglas A-26 bomber in the Pacific Theater of Operations during the summer... More
NACA Computers Take Readings From Manometer Boards
Female computers at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory copy pressure readings from rows of manometers below the 18- by 18-inch Supersonic Wind Tunnel. The ... More
Mercury capsule and escape system on top of a booster
This photograph shows the installation of a Mercury capsule and escape system on top of a booster prior to test firing of the Mercury-Redstone at Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC's) Redstone Test Stand. Ass... More
Mercury Project, NASA history collection
A Mercury-Redstone launch vehicle awaits test-firing in the Redstone Test Stand during the late 1950s. Between 1953 and 1960, the rocket team at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama performed hundreds of tes... More
Manometer Boards below the 8- by 6-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel
Analysts at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory take data readings from rows of manometers in the basement of the 8- by 6-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel. Manom... More
NACA Computer Operates an IBM Telereader
A staff member from the Computing Section at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory operates an International Business Machines (IBM) telereader at the 8- by 6... More
Walter C. Williams NASA history collection
Description: (August 21, 1954) Walter C. Williams was Chief of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's flight research organization on Edwards Air... More
Project Mercury - AWT Gimbaling Rig
Description (October 29, 1957) The Gimbal Rig, formally known as the MASTIF of Multiple Axis Space Test Inertia Facility, was engineered to simulate the tumbling and rolling motions of a space capsule and train... More
H. Julian Allen NASA history collection
Description: (December 21, 1957) H. Julian Allen stands beside the observation window of the 8 x 7 foot test section of the NACA Ames Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel. H. Julian Allen is best known for his "Blunt Body ... More
H. Julian Allen with his Blunt Body Theory
Description: (December 31, 1957) H. Julian Allen is best known for his "Blunt Body Theory" of aerodynamics, a design technique for alleviating the severe re-entry heating problem which was then delaying the dev... More
NACA Computers in an Office at the 8- by 6-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel
The staff of female computers at work in the 8- by 6-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory. The lab’s Computer Section occupied... More
Mercury Project, NASA history collection
PARD Chief Joseph A. Shortal examines full-size Mercury capsule at Wallops for first flight test of Little Joe, August 20, 1959. From Shortal (Vol. 3, p. 16): "The basic design of the capsule was made by M.A. F... More
Mercury Project, NASA history collection
Testing of Mercury Capsule Shape A by the Hydrodynamics Division of Langley. Joseph Shortal wrote (vol. 3, p. 19): "The Hydrodynamics Division provided assistance in determining landing loads. In this connectio... More
Pilot Joseph Algranti entering a McDonnell F2H-2B Banshee
Pilot Joe Algranti climbs into the cockpit of a McDonnell F2H-2B Banshee on the tarmac at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory. Nine months later the laborat... More
Jerrie Cobb Poses beside Mercury Capsule
Jerrie Cobb poses next to a Mercury spaceship capsule. Although she never flew in space, Cobb, along with twenty-four other women, underwent physical tests similar to those taken by the Mercury astronauts with ... More
Mercury Project, NASA history collection
Model of Mercury capsule used for wind tunnel testing. NASA Identifier: L60-2681
MA-6 HAND HELD - JOHN GLENN. NASA orbital flight public domain image.
S62-06012 (20 Feb. 1962) --- Orbital sunset photographed by astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. aboard the "Friendship 7" during his Mercury-Atlas 6 (MA-6) spaceflight. Photo credit: NASA
Models of Men Used to Make Couches
Date July 7, 1959.Description: Molded astronaut couches line the NASA Langley Research Centers model shop wall. The names of the test subjects--Langley employees--are written on the back. The couches are simila... More
Pilot Neil Armstrong and X-15 1
(November 30, 1959) Dryden pilot Neil Armstrong is seen here next to the X-15 ship 1 (56-6670) after a research flight. The X-15 was a rocket-powered aircraft 50 feet long with a wingspan of 22 feet. It was a m... More
Shadowgraph Images of Re-entry Vehicles
These four shadowgraph images represent early re-entry vehicle concepts. A shadowgraph is a process that makes visible the disturbances that occur in a fluid flow at high velocity, in which light passing throug... More
Mercury Project, NASA history collection
One-sixth scale model of Mercury space capsule model used in wind tunnel testing. NASA Identifier: L59-7567
Project Mercury: AWT Gimbaling Rig Showing Motion
(December 16, 1959) This device is formally known as the MASTIF or Multiple Axis Space Test Inertia Facility and is located in the Altitude Wind Tunnel. It was built at the Lewis Research Center, now John H. Gl... More
MA-6 HAND HELD - JOHN GLENN. NASA public domain image colelction.
S62-06026 (20 Feb. 1962) --- View of Earth taken by astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. during his Mercury Atlas 6 (MA-6) spaceflight. Photo credit: NASA
Molded Astronaut Couches NASA history collection
(July 7, 1959) Molded astronaut couches line the NASA Langley Research Centers model shop wall. The names of the test subjects (Langley employees) are written on the back. The couches are similar to those made ... More
MA-6 HAND HELD - JOHN GLENN. NASA public domain image colelction.
S62-06011 (20 Feb. 1962) --- Orbital sunset photographed by astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. aboard the "Friendship 7" during his Mercury-Atlas 6 (MA-6) spaceflight. Photo credit: NASA
Mercury Project, NASA history collection
Impact study test of Mercury capsule in the Back River. NASA Identifier: L59-8024
Astronaut Walter M. Schirra, NASA Mercury project
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... More
Sam the Monkey After His Ride in the Little Joe 2 Spacecraft
(December 4, 1959) Sam, the Rhesus monkey, after his ride in the Little Joe-2 (LJ-2) spacecraft. A U.S. Navy destroyer safely recovered Sam after he experienced three minutes of weightlessness during the flight... More
Mercury Project, NASA history collection
Scale model of Mercury capsule shape B, indicating the position of the astronaut. Project Mercury: Before the configuration was finalized, this model depicted a proposal that was very close to the final design ... More
Mercury Project, NASA history collection
Sequence of events in a beach abort test of Mercury capsule with Recurit escape motor from launch to parachute opening. The capsule shape used was "D". NASA Identifier: L59-2768
Project Mercury - Capsule #2, NASA Mercury project
(August 3, 1959) Project Mercury - Capsule #2. Capsule complete in Lewis Hangar near Cleveland, Ohio. Lewis is now known as the Glenn Research Center. ..Image # : C1959-51324
Little Joe Launch Vehicle, NASA Mercury project
Launching of the Little Joe launch vehicle on November 4, 1959 took place at Wallops Island, Va. This was the first attempt to launch an instrumented capsule with a Little Joe booster. Only the LJ1A and the LJ6... More
Wernher von Braun, America Space Program
In this photo, Dr. Wernher von Braun, Director of the U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Agency's (ABMA) Development Operations Division, is shown briefing the seven original Mercury astronauts in ABMA's Fabrication L... More
MA-6 HAND HELD - JOHN GLENN. NASA public domain image colelction.
S62-06009 (20 Feb. 1962) --- View of Earth taken by astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. during his Mercury Atlas 6 (MA-6) spaceflight. Photo credit: NASA
X-15 Mated to B-52 Captive Flight
(1959) One of three X-15 rocket-powered research aircraft being carried aloft under the wing of its B-52 mothership. The X-15 was air launched from the B-52 so the rocket plane would have enough fuel to reach i... More
Mercury Project, NASA history collection
Mock-up of the Mercury capsule on display at the first NASA inspection held on October 24, 1959. NASA Identifier: L59-7307
Mercury Spacecraft Boilerplate, NASA Mercury project
(July 30, 1959) Boilerplate Mercury spacecraft being manufactured "in-house" by Langley technicians. The capsules were designed to test spacecraft recovery systems. The escape tower and rocket motors shown on t... More
Astronaut Groups 1 and 2. NASA public domain image colelction.
Astronaut Groups 1 and 2. The original seven Mercury astronauts selected by NASA in April 1959, are seated (left to right): L. Gordon Cooper Jr., Virgil I. Grissom, M. Scott Carpenter, Water M. Schirra Jr., Joh... More
MA-6 HAND HELD - JOHN GLENN. NASA public domain image colelction.
S62-06019 (20 Feb. 1962) --- View of Earth taken by astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. during his Mercury Atlas 6 (MA-6) spaceflight. Photo credit: NASA
NASA Wernher von Braun, Army ballistic missile agency
Five of the seven original astronauts are seen with Dr. von Braun inspecting the Mercury-Redstone hardware in the Fabrication Laboratory of Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA) in 1959. Left to right: Astronaut... More
Little Joe on launcher at Wallops Island
(August 21, 1959) Little Joe on launcher at Wallops Island. Little Joe was a major project for Langley. It was a test of the escape and recovery systems on the Mercury spacecraft...Image # : L-1959-05136
Project Mercury, 1959-1963, NASA Mercury project
Image Credit: NASA..Description Less than a year after its birth, the National Aeronautics and Space Agency announced its first astronaut class, the Mercury Seven, on April 9, 1959. Project Mercury proved that ... More
Mercury Project, NASA history collection
Scale model of Mercury capsule shape B, indicating the position of the astronaut. NASA Identifier: L58-3446
b59-00557, NASA Mercury project
B59-00557 (9 Sept. 1959) --- U.S. Air Force photo of Big Joe launch vehicle after launching at Cape Canaveral, Florida, for a suborbital test of the Mercury capsule. The capsule was recovered successfully after... More
Mercury Project, NASA Mercury project
This photograph depicts installation of the Mercury capsule and escape system on top of a booster prior to test firing of the Mercury-Redstone launch vehicle at the Marshall Space Flight Center.
Mercury Space Capsule NASA history collection
(January 22, 1959) The Mercury space capsule undergoing tests in Full Scale Wind Tunnel, January 1959. ..Image # : L-1959-00336
Big Joe Ready for Launch at Cape Canaveral
(September 9, 1959) Big Joe ready for launch at Cape Canaveral, FL. The objective of "Big Joe" was to test the ablating heatshield. The flight was both a success and failure – the heatshield survived reentry an... More
Mercury Project, NASA Mercury project
In this 1959 photograph, technicians prepare tail sections for Mercury-Redstone vehicles in Building 4706 at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. Developed by Dr. Wernher von Braun and the rocket team at Re... More
MA-6 HAND HELD - JOHN GLENN. NASA public domain image colelction.
S62-06029 (20 Feb. 1962) --- View of Earth taken by astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. during his Mercury Atlas 6 (MA-6) spaceflight. Photo credit: NASA
Mercury Project, America Space Program
Dr. Wernher von Braun, Director of the Army Ballistic Missile Agency's (ABMA) Development Operations Division, poses with the original Mercury astronauts in ABMA's Fabrication Laboratory during a 1959 visit. In... More
Mercury Capsule Model in Spin Tunnel
(September 11, 1959) Mercury Capsule model in Spin Tunnel...Image # : L-1959-06212
Little Joe (LJ6) Launch, NASA Mercury project
Description: Launching of the LJ6 Little Joe on October 4, 1959 took place at Wallops Island, Va. This was the first attempt to launch an instrumented capsule with a Little Joe booster. Only the LJ1A and the L... More
Multi-Axis Gimble Rig in AWT with Pilot
(December 16, 1959) MASTIF - Multiple Axis Space Test Inertia Facility - was developed for Project Mercury to train astronauts in gaining control over a spacecraft that could move in multiple directions at once... More
MA-6 HAND HELD - JOHN GLENN. NASA public domain image colelction.
S62-06020 (20 Feb. 1962) --- View of Earth taken by astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. during his Mercury Atlas 6 (MA-6) spaceflight. Photo credit: NASA
Project Mercury: M-1 model in the 11ft w.t. with engineer ARC-1959-A-2...
Project Mercury: M-1 model in the 11ft w.t. with engineer
Wernher von Braun, America Space Program
In this photo, Director of the U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Agency's (ABMA) Development Operations Division, Dr. Wernher von Braun, and Director of Missile Firing Division, Dr. Kurt Debus, are shown with unident... More
Mercury Project, NASA Mercury project
Astronaut Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, one of the original seven astronauts for Mercury Project selected by NASA on April 27, 1959. The MR-4 mission, boosted by the Mercury-Redstone vehicle, made the second marned ... More
John H. Glenn - Mercury Project
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 ... More
Mercury Project - L. Gordon Cooper, Jr
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 o... More
Mercury Project, NASA Mercury project
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 or... More
Mercury Project - original seven astronauts
The group portrait of the original seven astronauts for the Mercury Project. NASA selected its first seven astronauts on April 27, 1959. Left to right at front: Walter M. Wally Schirra, Donald K. Deke Slayton, ... More
NASA Photographer Prepares to Film a Mercury Capsule
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) photographer Arthur Laufman sets up a camera to film a Mercury capsule that was constructed by the Lewis Research Center staff. Lewis engineers and mechanics... More
Astronaut Scott Carpenter during centrifuge training
B59-00570 (August 1959) --- Astronaut Scott Carpenter trains at the centrifuge procedures trainer at Wright Field, Johnsville, Pennsylvania, for project Mercury. Photo credit: NASA
Mercury Capsule Construction at the NASA Lewis Research Center
A NASA mechanic secures the afterbody to a Mercury capsule in the hangar at the Lewis Research Center. The capsule was one of two built at Lewis for the “Big Joe” launches scheduled for September 1959. The init... More
Big Joe capsule leaves its launching pad - Mercury Project
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 caps... More
Personnel - Astronaut Scott Carpenter - Centrifuge
B59-00723 (1959) --- Close-up of astronaut M. Scott Carpenter, prime pilot for the Mercury-Atlas 7 (MA-7) mission, during centrifuge training. (M-199) Photo credit: NASA
Big Joe launch vehicle after launching at Cape Canaveral
B59-00556 (9 Sept. 1959) --- U.S. Air Force photo of Big Joe launch vehicle after launching at Cape Canaveral, Florida, for a suborbital test of the Mercury capsule. The capsule was recovered successfully after... More
Mercury Capsule Model in the 1- by 1-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) researchers install a small-scale model of the capsule for Project Mercury in the 1- by 1-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel at the Lewis Research Center. NASA Lewi... More
Artistic View of Mercury Astronaut Training
This composite image includes a photograph of pilot Joe Algranti testing the Multi-Axis Space Test Inertia Facility (MASTIF) inside Altitude Wind Tunnel at NASA’s Lewis Research Center with other images designe... More
Rhesus Monkey - Miss Sam - Fiberglass Couch - Little Joe (LJ)-1B Fligh...
B59-00828 (21 Jan. 1959) --- The test subject, a rhesus monkey named Miss Sam, is seen encased in a model of the Mercury fiberglass contour couch. She is being placed in a container for the Little Joe 1B suborb... More
The Multi-Axis Space Test Inertia Facility in the Altitude Wind Tunnel
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) pilot Joe Algranti tests the Multi-Axis Space Test Inertia Facility (MASTIF) inside the Altitude Wind Tunnel while researcher Robert Miller looks on. The MAS... More
Project Mercury Retro and Posigrade Package
The Retro and Posigrade Package for the Mercury spacecraft. This was used to de-orbit the spacecraft at the end of mission...Image # : C1960-54344
MA-1 Capsule Reassembled After Explosion
(July 29, 1960) The main objectives of Mercury Atlas-1's (MA-1) were to recover the capsule and test the integrity of the Mercury capsule structure and afterbody shingles. About one minute after liftoff MA-1 ex... More
Mercury-Atlas 1 Launch, NASA Mercury project
(July 29, 1960) The uncrewed Mercury-Atlas 1 spacecraft launched from Cape Canaveral on July 29, 1960. MA-1 was the first attempt to launch the Mercury capsule. The mission failed just under a minute after laun... More
John H Glenn Jr. Wreath Laying Ceremony
A portrait of Sen. John Glenn and a memorial wreath stand at the Heroes and Legends exhibit hall at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex before a ceremony remembering the iconic astronaut who passed away De... More
Alan Shepard suits up, NASA Mercury project
(1960) Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., Mercury-Redstone 3 (MR-3) pilot, wearing pressure suit with body parachute. Shepard was the first American to enter space...Image #: G60-02665
ASTRONAUT GLENN - MISC., NASA Mercury project, NASA Gemini program
G60-02424 (1960) --- John H. Glenn Jr., one of the seven recently selected Mercury astronauts, participates in a suit-fitting session. Photo credit: NASA
Technicians working in the McDonnell White Room on the Mercury
(1960) Technicians working in the McDonnell White Room on the Mercury spacecraft...Image # : 60-M-17
John H Glenn Jr. Wreath Laying Ceremony
Former astronaut Bob Cabana, director of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, speaks at the Heroes and Legends exhibit hall at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex during a ceremony remembering astronaut... More
Mercury astronauts participate in survivial training
S88-31375 (1960) --- Although more easily recognized in their spacesuits, these seven men are actually NASA astronauts participating in a U.S. Air Force survival school at Stead Air Force Base in Nevada. The or... More
Cape Canaveral, Fla. -- Retired space shuttle astronaut Dick Gordon is...
Cape Canaveral, Fla. -- Retired space shuttle astronaut Dick Gordon is warmly greeted by spectators while sitting in a vintage Chevrolet Corvette after a commemorative parade in Cocoa Beach, Florida. A gro... More
Wernher von Braun during a visit to McDonnell Aircraft to inspect Merc...
In this undated photograph, Dr. von Braun is shown during a visit to McDonnell Aircraft to inspect Mercury spacecraft manufacturing.
Jerrie Cobb, Lady Pilot, testing Gimbal Rig in AWT
Description: (April 6, 1960) Jerrie Cobb, a well-known female pilot in the 1950s, testing Gimbal Rig in the Altitude Wind Tunnel, AWT in April 1960. The Gimbal Rig, formally called MASTIF or Multiple Axis Space... More
Boilerplate Mercury Capsule, NASA Mercury project
(1960) Looking like a scene from an H.G. Wells novel, engineers inspect and test a boilerplate Mercury space capsule. Note the array of bulky test equipment on the table and the less than clean-room conditions.... More
Mercury Project - Installation of the Mercury capsule
Installation of the Mercury capsule on Redstone booster at the Redstone Test Stand. Assembled at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), the Mercury-Redstone launch vehicle was designed to place a marned space... More
SHEPARD, ALAN B., ASTRONAUT - SUIT
G60-02665 (1960) --- Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., Mercury-Redstone 3 (MR-3) pilot, wearing pressure suit with body parachute. Photo credit: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- On Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida...
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- On Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, invited guests tour the blockhouse at Complex 5/6 during a celebration of Alan Shepard's historic flight 50 years ago. From left are Rober... More
Project Mercury Retro and Posigrade Package
(September 16, 1960) The Retro and Posigrade Package for the Mercury spacecraft. This was used to de-orbit the spacecraft at the end of mission. ..Image # : C1960-54344
John Glenn in the Mercury Procedures Trainer
(1960) John H. Glenn, one of the Mercury Seven Astronauts, runs through a training exercise in the Mercury Procedures Trainer at the Space Task Group, Langley Field, Virginia. This Link-type spacecraft simulato... More
Launch of Little Joe I-B from Wallops Island
B60-00364 (4 Nov. 1959) --- Launch of Little Joe-2 from Wallops Island carrying Mercury spacecraft test article. The suborbital test flight of the Mercury capsule was to test the escape system. Vehicle function... More
Mercury Project - The launch of the Little Joe booster for the LJ1B mi...
The launch of the Little Joe booster for the LJ1B mission on the launch pad from the wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia, on January 21, 1960. This mission achieved the suborbital Mercury capsule ... More
Mercury Project - The Little Joe launch vehicle for the LJ1 mission
The Little Joe launch vehicle for the LJ1 mission on the launch pad at the wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia, on January 21, 1960. This mission achieved the suborbital Mercury cupsule test, test... More
John Glenn Prepares for a Test in the Multi-Axis Space Test Inertia Fa...
Mercury astronaut John Glenn prepares for a test in the Multi-Axis Space Test Inertia Facility (MASTIF) inside the Altitude Wind Tunnel at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research... More
Multi-Axis Space Inertia Test Facility inside the Altitude Wind Tunnel
The Multi-Axis Space Test Inertial Facility (MASTIF) in the Altitude Wind Tunnel at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center. Although the Mercury astronaut training and mi... More
Project Mercury Escape Tower Rockets Tests
A Mercury capsule is mounted inside the Altitude Wind Tunnel for a test of its escape tower rockets at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center. In October 1959 NASA’s Spac... More
Pilot Jerrie Cobb Trains in the Multi-Axis Space Test Inertia Facility
Jerrie Cobb prepares to operate the Multi-Axis Space Test Inertia Facility (MASTIF) inside the Altitude Wind Tunnel at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center. The MASTIF ... More