flown missionSuccess

Atlas LV-3B | Mercury-Atlas 9

National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationSpace Launch Complex 14 — Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

The launch vehicle successfully inserted its payload(s) into the target orbit(s).

mission

Name
Mercury-Atlas 9
Type
Human Exploration
Target orbit
Low Earth Orbit (LEO)

Mercury-Atlas 9 was the final manned spaceflight of the United States' Mercury program. It carried the Faith 7 spacecraft with astronaut Gordon Cooper to orbit where it completed 22 orbits seconds before reentry. The mission lasted for, 34 hours, 19 minutes & 49 seconds. This was the last time an American was launched to space on a solo orbital mission. The mission had several technical problems, the biggest which was a short-circuit in the bus bar serving the 250 volt main inverter causing the automatic stabilization and control system to stop working during the 21st orbit. In the end Cooper had to use lines he had drawn on the window and his wristwatch to correctly execute burns to safely re-enter the atmosphere.

schedule

NET (no earlier than)
Window opens
Window closes
Last updated

vehicle & provider

Rocket
Atlas LV-3B
Family
Atlas
Variant
LV-3B
Provider
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Type
Government
Country
USA

launch site

Pad
Space Launch Complex 14
Location
Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Country
USA
Timezone
America/New_York