Реферат: The Mercury Program Essay Research Paper Project

it fired up and launched John Glenn, Jr., inside Friendship 7, into orbit. Glenn orbited Earth three

times and when he returned the country celebrated.

Just three months later on May 24 Scott Carpenter also orbited Earth three times in Aurora

7.

On October 3, 1962 Walter Schirra, Jr. entered Earth s orbit in his ship, Sigma 7. He

completed 6 orbits and then completed the first splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. All previous

splashdowns and recoveries were performed in the Pacific.

The final Mercury mission was the longest. Launched into orbit on May 15, 1963, Faith 7,

with Gordon Cooper, Jr. inside, went around Earth 22 times in 34and a half hours. On May 16 it

too splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean where it was recovered, successfully ending the Mercury

Project.

The Mercury Project, five years and $392.6 million dollars after it began, came to a close.

The entire project was highly successful, achieving both of its goals. It paved the way for the next

generation of NASA spacecraft: Gemini.