Mercury-Atlas 10
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| Mercury-Atlas 10 | |||||
Mission insignia |
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| Mission statistics | |||||
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| Mission name | Mercury-Atlas 10 | ||||
| Spacecraft name | Freedom 7-II | ||||
| Spacecraft mass | ~1,489 kilograms (3,280 lb) (planned) | ||||
| Crew size | 1 | ||||
| Booster | Atlas | ||||
| Launch pad | LC-14 (CCAF) | ||||
| Launch date | October, 1963 (planned) | ||||
| Landing | October, 1963 (planned) | ||||
| Mission duration | 72:00:00 (planned) | ||||
| Number of orbits | 48 (planned) | ||||
| Apogee | ~265 kilometres (143 nmi) (planned) | ||||
| Perigee | ~169 kilometres (91 nmi) (planned) | ||||
| Orbital period | ~88.5 min. | ||||
| Orbital inclination | 32.5° | ||||
| Related missions | |||||
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Mercury-Atlas 10 was a planned 3-day, 48-orbit space mission of Project Mercury. It was to be launched in October 1963. Alan Shepard was to be the pilot.
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[edit] Crew
[edit] Backup Crew
[edit] Mission parameters
- Mass: ~1,489 kg - Planned
- Perigee: ~160 km - Planned
- Apogee: ~265 km - Planned
- Inclination: 32.5° - Planned
- Period: ~88.5 min - Planned
[edit] Mission history
In early 1963, it became apparent to NASA that after Gordon Cooper's Mercury-Atlas 9 mission in May 1963, it would be over a year or two until manned Gemini program flights began. As a stop-gap measure, Space Task Group at NASA considered flying another flight, Mercury-Atlas 10, after Cooper's flight. There were three other spacecraft that had been modified for one-day flights along with Cooper's #20, they were #12, #15B and #17. The Mercury-Atlas 10 mission would have used Mercury spacecraft #15B and Atlas launch vehicle #144-D. The mission was named Mercury-Atlas 10. MA-10 had originally been scheduled as the first one-day Mercury flight, but that mission was later given to MA-9. Mercury-Atlas 10 was then scheduled to be a two-day flight. Finally its mission was changed again and now scheduled to be a three-day extended-duration flight. Alan Shepard was scheduled to pilot the flight. He named the Mercury spacecraft Freedom 7-II and had that name painted on the side of the capsule. It was tentatively scheduled for October 1963. But those higher up at NASA were not convinced that another Mercury mission was worth the risk.
As Mercury-9 approached launch day, NASA Public Affairs announced on May 11, 1963, that if it were a successful mission, MA-9 would the last Mercury flight.
The NASA Astronaut Corps then lobbied President Kennedy, asking for another Mercury flight. Kennedy indicated he would leave that decision up to top NASA officials.
NASA Administrator James Webb announced to the U.S. Senate Space Committee on June 12, 1963, that Mercury had accomplished its goals. He said that priority should now be given to the Gemini program. That marked the end of a potential MA-10 mission.
NASA terminated its Mercury contract with McDonnell Aircraft on June 13, 1963. The Mercury-Atlas 10 (Freedom 7-II) spacecraft was placed in storage at Cape Canaveral and never flew a mission. Shepard would later be named by Deke Slayton and Dr. Christopher C. Kraft as commander of the Gemini 3 mission, but was later grounded due to an inner ear disorder – he would not fly another mission until the Apollo 14 mission in 1971.
One possible reason that may have influenced Webb's decision to end the Mercury program were the results of tests conducted at the Manned Spacecraft Center in 1963. The Mercury Spacecraft used a polyolefin insulated conductor as its basic wiring. This same type of wire was proposed for use on the Gemini spacecraft. Tests were conducted on this wire at the Manned Spacecraft Center, in 1963. The tests showed that this type of insulation supports combustion in an oxygen atmosphere. The use of this wiring was discontinued in the pressurized area of the Gemini Spacecraft. In its place, the Gemini Spacecraft used a wire whose insulation, TFE Teflon, would not support combustion.
For years Mercury-Atlas 10 was on display at NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, CA. In 2003 it was moved to the NASM (National Air and Space Museum) Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles International Airport, in Chantilly, Virginia.
[edit] References
- This New Ocean: A History of Project Mercury - NASA SP-4201
- NASA NSSDC Master Catalog
- (1) Source: Electrical Systems, NASA Apollo Program Working Paper No. 1287, Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, Tex., April 7, 1967.
[edit] External links
- Mercury spacecraft no. 15A configuration specification (Mercury-Atlas No. 10) - NASA report (PDF format)
- Freedom 7-II museum pictures of Freedom 7-II posted at Space Modelers website - Ninfinger Productions
- Field Guide to American Spacecraft Pictures of Freedom 7-II on display.
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