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Author Topic:   Mercury-Redstone 1A at Cradle of Aviation
Robert Pearlman
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Posts: 48780
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 07-25-2022 04:45 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
collectSPACE
First NASA capsule to fly into space lands at Long Island museum

An early American spacecraft that survived two launches — albeit, the first one only reaching inches above the ground — has touched down at a museum in Long Island, New York.

The United States' first production spacecraft to be launched into space, Mercury-Redstone 1A (MR-1A), is now on exhibit at the Cradle of Aviation in Garden City. The capsule is on long-term loan from the Smithsonian.

randy
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Posts: 2589
From: West Jordan, Utah USA
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 07-25-2022 09:55 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for randy   Click Here to Email randy     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
All they did was to launch the escape tower!

Robert Pearlman
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Posts: 48780
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 07-26-2022 09:24 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
On the first launch attempt, Mercury-Redstone 1 (MR-1) on Nov. 21, 1960, the Redstone lifted off ("about 4 inches") but then the engine shut off and the booster settled back on the pad. That in turn, triggered the capsule's escape tower to fire and its drogue, main and reserve parachutes to deploy.

The same capsule was then refurbished, mated to a new Redstone and a month later was successfully launched on MR-1A, a suborbital spaceflight that reached 130 miles altitude before splashing down.

Zoo Keeper
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Posts: 33
From: Akron, OH
Registered: Feb 2021

posted 07-28-2022 02:10 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Zoo Keeper   Click Here to Email Zoo Keeper     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Quite surprised to see MR-1A moved to Cradle of Aviation. When I heard that the museum was receiving a Mercury capsule, I assumed that the spacecraft in question was capsule #12B that, to the best of my knowledge, does not appear to have been on exhibit anywhere since 2019.

randy
Member

Posts: 2589
From: West Jordan, Utah USA
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 07-28-2022 05:23 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for randy   Click Here to Email randy     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I didn't know that this spacecraft was refurbished and used again. Thanks for the info, Robert.

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