NSSDCA ID: MERCA3
Mercury Atlas 3 (MA-3) was to be an orbital flight test of the Mercury capsule. The capsule contained a mechanical astronaut. After lift-off, the launch vehicle failed to roll to a 70 degree heading and to pitch over into the proper trajectory. The abort-sensing system activated the escape rockets prior to the launch vehicle's destruction by the range safety officer, appoximately 40 s into the flight. At that time the vehicle had achieved an altitude of about 5 km. The capsule then coasted up to 7 km, deployed its parachutes, and landed in the Atlantic Ocean about 1.8 km north of the launch pad. The capsule was recovered and was found to have incurred only superficial damage. It was subsequently shipped back to the manufacturer for refitting. The refitted capsule was reflown on Mercury Atlas 4.
Launch Date: 1961-04-25
Launch Vehicle: Atlas D
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral, United States
Mass: 907.2 kg
Questions and comments about this spacecraft can be directed to: Dr. Edwin V. Bell, II
Name | Role | Original Affiliation | |
---|---|---|---|
Mr. Niles R. Heller | Project Manager | NASA Goddard Space Flight Center |
MA-3 information (NASA KSC)
MR-1 Press Release images (NASA JSC)
Project Mercury Drawings and Technical Diagrams (NASA History Office)
On-line version of Project Mercury: A Chronology (NASA History Office)