Everything you never knew you wanted to know about the Mercury Project
Spacecraft 2
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Contents |
Missions
Spacecraft 2A flew on MR-1A it was the same spacecraft which had "flown" on the failed MR-1 mission
Disposition
Displayed at the Visitors Center, Kennedy Space Center , FL
As of December 2004, the capsule was no longer on display at KSC. The weekend staff on hand did not know the disposition of the capsule. The capsule had been on display at least until late May 2004.
[http://aesp.nasa.okstate.edu/fieldguide/pages/mercury/merc_mr-1.html Entry in Jim Gerard's AFGAS]
Details
Instrument Panel
 Fig IP-1 Main Instrument Panel of Capsule 2 |
 Fig IP-2 Left Console of Capsule 2 |
 Fig IP-3 Right Console of Capsules 2 |
Pending any new information in the February 1961 Edition of SEDR-104 or the August 1961 Edition of SEDR-104, Figs IP-1, IP-2, and IP-3 represent the SEDR-104 diagrams for the main instrument panel, and the left and right consoles of capsule 2.
Chronology
- 15 December 1959
- The SEDR-104 December 1959 edition is published containing this Spacecraft as a test capsule
- 2 June 1960
- Mercury Capsule 2 configuration specification report 6603-2 released.
- 30 June 1960
- Spacecraft 2 delivered to the Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama, for compatibility tests with the Redstone launch vehicle.
- 23 July 1960
- Spacecraft 2 delivered to Cape Canaveral for the Mercury-Redstone 1 (MR-1) mission.
- 21 November 1960
- An attempt was made to launch Mercury-Redstone 1 (MR-1) from Cape Canaveral..
This unmanned mission was unsuccessful because premature cut-off of the launch vehicle engines activated the emergency escape system when the vehicle was only about 1 inch off the pad. Engine cut-off was caused by premature loss of electrical ground power to the booster. The launch vehicle settled back on the pad with only slight damage. Since the spacecraft received a cut-off signal, the escape tower and recovery sequence was initiated. The undamaged spacecraft was recovered for reuse.
- 7 November 1960
- Attempt to launch MR-1A canceled due to helium leak in spacecraft RCS system
- 21 November 1960
- Attempt to launch MR-1A fails due to premature cut-off of the Redstone engine.
- 19 December 1960
- Mercury-Redstone 1A (MR-1A) was launched from Cape Canaveral
- 1 February 1961
- The February 1961 edition of SEDR-104 is published presumably containing this Spacecraft.
- 6 February 1961
- Mercury Capsule 2 configuration specification report 6603-2 revised.
- 1 August 1961
- The August 1961 edition of SEDR-104 is published presumably containing this Spacecraft.
