Everything you never knew you wanted to know about the Mercury Project
Redstone booster
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Booster Numbering
The numbering of the Redstone boosters used in Project Mercury can be confused with the numbering of the missions.
Mercury Redstone boosters were labled as "MR n" the "MR" stood for Mercury Redstone, and the number referred to the individual launcher. The Mercury Redstone missions were numbered as "MR-n". The critical distinction is the use of the space in the booster numbers and the "-" in the mission numbers.
| Mission | Booster |
|---|---|
| MR-1 | MR 1 |
| MR-1A | MR 3 |
| MR-2 | MR 2 |
| MR-BD | MR 5 |
| MR-3 | MR 7 |
| MR-4 | MR 8 |
Museum Photos
David Weeks sent photos HR-1 and HR-2 which he says were shot in 1992 on a trip to Houston.
Notice that the fairings covering the control mechanisms for the thrust vanes were still a bright metallic color, this is supported by historical images. However that particular vehicle was painted black on the bottom of the "tail unit". This just goes to show that museum pieces are great for structural details but not necessarily good for color and markings.
