Mercury MR-1A

Mission details:

• Mercury- Redstone 1A (MR-1A) was launched on December 19, 1960 from LC-5 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. The mission objectives of this unmanned suborbital flight were to qualify the spacecraft for space flight and qualify the system for an upcoming primate suborbital flight. The spacecraft tested its instrumentation, posigrade rockets, retro rockets and recovery system. The mission was completely successful. The Mercury capsule reached an apogee of 130 mi (210 km) and a range of 235 mi (397 km). The launch vehicle reached a slightly higher velocity than expected - 4,909 mph (8,296 km/h). Total weightless time 5min 30 sec.
• A MAG-26 helo from the USS Valley Forge recovered the spacecraft using the Shepard′s Crook method and returned it to the carrier 47 minutes after landing. This test was the first in which CTF 140 used the new Recovery Room in the NASA Project Mercury Control Center at Cape Canaveral to direct Recovery Force operations.
• The first attempt on 7 November was canceled because of a helium leak in the spacecraft reaction control system relief valve and also on 21 November because of a premature cut-off of the launch vehicle engines
• Serial numbers: Mercury Spacecraft # 2 together with the escape tower from Capsule # 8, and the antenna fairing from Capsule # 10 were reflown on MR-1A. Redstone MRLV-3 was used.
• Mercury spacecraft # 2 used in the Mercury-Redstone 1 and Mercury-Redstone 1A missions, is currently displayed at KSC Visitors Complex, Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

Astrophilately covers:

Manuel launch cancel Port Canaveral. Goldey cover, Credit: R403

Manuel launch cancel Port Canaveral

Patrick Air Force Base cancel. Swanson cover, Credit: R403

Patrick Air Force Base cancel, Credit: R403