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Redstone MRLV | Mercury-Redstone 3

Mercury-Redstone 3 Patch

National Aeronautics and Space Administration · Redstone MRLV · Launch Complex 5, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

National Aeronautics and Space Administration's 28th launch · 9th this year

May 5, 1961Add to calendar
Success

The launch vehicle successfully inserted its payload(s) into the target orbit(s).

Window: May 5, 14:34May 5, 14:34 UTC

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Mercury-Redstone 3

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.

Human Exploration · Suborbital (Sub)

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Pad — Launch Complex 5

13 launches from this pad · 1,121 from Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Map of Launch Complex 5Open in maps