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National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationRedstone MRLVLaunch Complex 5, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Mercury-Redstone 3
Launched
May 5, 1961
Summary
Mercury-Redstone 3 launched on a National Aeronautics and Space Administration Redstone MRLV from Launch Complex 5, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA on May 5, 1961. It was National Aeronautics and Space Administration's 28th launch and 9th this year. It was the 5th Redstone MRLV flight and the 3rd this year. The payload was bound for Suborbital (Sub). One crew member flew: Alan Shepard. The spacecraft was Mercury No.7 (7).
- Watch
- Freedom 7 - Full Missionlunarmodule5
- Launch of Mercury-Redstone 3 (Freedom 7)lunarmodule5
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Human Exploration · Suborbital (Sub)
- Milestone
- 5th Redstone MRLV flight · 3rd this yearNational Aeronautics and Space Administration's 28th launch9th this year
Crew
Alan ShepardPilot · NASA · age 37 · first flight
Spacecraft
Mercury No.7 (7)
Mercury No.7 is the Mercury capsule used for the Mercury-Redstone 3 - callsign "Freedom 7" - mission launched on May 5, 1961 and piloted by astronaut Alan Shepard.
- Destination: Suborbital
- Mission length: under an hour
The Mercury spacecraft safely splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean.
Flight preview
About this launch
Mercury-Redstone 3, or Freedom 7, was the first United States human spaceflight, on May 5, 1961, piloted by astronaut Alan Shepard. It was the first manned flight of Project Mercury, the objective of which was to put an astronaut into orbit around the Earth and return him safely. Shepard's mission was a 15-minute suborbital flight with the primary objective of demonstrating his ability to withstand the high g-forces of launch and atmospheric re-entry.
Pad
Launch Complex 5, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
12th launch from Launch Complex 5, 3rd this year · 59th from Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
13 launches from this pad · 1,131 from Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
41 days after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did Mercury-Redstone 3 launch?
Mercury-Redstone 3 launched on May 5, 1961. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch Mercury-Redstone 3?
Coverage: Freedom 7 - Full Mission; Launch of Mercury-Redstone 3 (Freedom 7). Watch the replay
What rocket launched Mercury-Redstone 3?
Redstone MRLV, flown by National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Redstone MRLV spec sheet
Where did Mercury-Redstone 3 launch from?
Launch Complex 5, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA.
What orbit was Mercury-Redstone 3 going to?
Suborbital (Sub), a human exploration mission.
Which program is Mercury-Redstone 3 part of?
Mercury. About Mercury