Mercury LJ-5A

USA

Also called: Little-Joe 5A

Launch & landing data:

Designation	61 Sub3
Launch date - time	18 Mar 1961
Launch site	Wallops Island
Launch vehicle	Little-Joe-1
Payload	Mercury SC14
Mass (kg)
Suborbital flight:
- Altitude	12 km (7.7 statute miles)
Distance	18 statude miles
Velocity	1,783 mph
Max Q	1,580 psf
Max G	8
Landing date - time	18 Mar 1961
Landing location	22 km from launch place
Prime recovery ship	USS Salvager (ARSD 3)
Capsule recovery ship	USS Recovery (ARS 43)
Flight Duration (d:hr:min)	23 min, 48 sec
Nbr orbits	0

Mission Objective:

Max Q escape and impact test. Purpose was to demonstrate primarily the structural integrity of the highest dynamic pressure anticipated during an Atlas launch for orbital flight.

Launch:

March 18, 1961, Wallops Island. 19 seconds after launch, the escape tower fired prematurely. The signal to initiate an abort was given and the launch vehicle-adapter clamp ring was released. However, the spacecraft remained on the launch vehicle since the escape motor was already expended. Separation was then effected by using the retrorockets but this command was transmitted before the flight reached its apex, where separation had been planned. The separation was violent.

Landing:

The parachutes deployed at 40,000ft and after recovery the spacecraft actually incurred only superficial structural damage. The spacecraft was later used for the Little Joe 5B (LJ-5B) flight test.

Mission Highlights:

Mission partially successful. Unsuccesfull separation flight.

Astrophilately covers:

Launch cancel Wallops Island.

Ref.: #6b, #7, #404, #411 - update: 8.12.18

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