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Author
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Topic: Freedom 7 at Smithsonian Udvar-Hazy Center
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thisismills
Member Posts: 417
From: Michigan
Registered: Mar 2012
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posted 05-03-2021 07:26 PM
   
I see that Alan Shepard's Mercury capsule, Freedom 7, will be on display for a limited time at Steven F. Udvar-Hazy in Virginia next to the Apollo 11 command module.  If anyone here is planning on visiting in May, it would be wonderful to get some hi-res digital photos of Freedom 7 while it is not behind glass. I'm specifically interested in shots of the bottom (heat shield-side) of the capsule if possible since those are not found online. Thanks! |
RichieB16
Member Posts: 626
From: Oregon
Registered: Feb 2003
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posted 05-03-2021 09:38 PM
Do you know how long it's going to be there? I'm making a trip out there in mid-July. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 46308
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 05-03-2021 09:51 PM
Freedom 7 (and Columbia) will be on display until sometime in the fall. |
RichieB16
Member Posts: 626
From: Oregon
Registered: Feb 2003
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posted 05-03-2021 10:10 PM
Oh sweet. I've never seen Freedom 7. What a nice surprise. I will certainly get some photos. |
SpaceAngel
Member Posts: 350
From: Maryland
Registered: May 2010
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posted 05-04-2021 09:16 AM
What a way to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Alan Shepard's history making flight, which is tomorrow! |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 46308
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 05-05-2021 12:00 AM
collectSPACE Smithsonian inspects first US astronaut's space capsule, suit 60 years onIn the 60 years since they made history, astronaut Alan Shepard's spacesuit and Mercury capsule logged more miles than they did on the first U.S. human spaceflight. Now, six decades after they flew, the Smithsonian is preparing both artifacts for their first long-term exhibition together. Launched on May 5, 1961, Shepard's Mercury-Redstone 3 suborbital mission reached just 115 miles high (185 km), but the 15-minute flight marked a significant step towards the U.S. catching up with the Soviet Union, which had sent the first satellite and first human into space. Sometimes overlooked for the longer missions that followed, Shepard's feat on "Freedom 7" — the name he gave his spacecraft — set the stage for the race to the moon.  |
stsmithva
Member Posts: 2006
From: Fairfax, VA
Registered: Feb 2007
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posted 05-10-2021 09:14 AM
I had somehow missed this topic for a few days, so when I went to Udvar-Hazy with my family on Saturday, seeing Freedom 7 (which I never had before) was a wonderful surprise. It is surprisingly close — if I'd stretched my arm over the rail (which I didn't!) I could have almost touched it. I had to step back a little to get it all in this photo. I'm definitely going back to get better photos of Columbia, Freedom 7, and Discovery together. Here you can just see Discovery's wing back there, but I could do better when it's not a quick selfie.  |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 46308
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 05-24-2021 12:14 PM
The National Air and Space Museum will host a live online chat about the display of Freedom 7 on Thursday, May 27, 2021 from 1 to 1:30 p.m. EDT (1700-1730 GMT). A lot of people are involved in preparing our iconic artifacts for display and sharing them with our visitors. Join us as we talk to Museum staff responsible for conserving and displaying the nation's important air and space related objects, including the Mercury Freedom 7 capsule, the spacecraft that carried NASA astronaut Alan Shepard on the first American human spaceflight!Watch on Facebook Live by going to the National Air and Space Museum Facebook page or watch the live chat on our website. |
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