Everything you never knew you wanted to know about the Mercury Project

Spacecraft 8

Production Mercury Spacecraft

Flown Spacecraft

SC 1		9 May 1960
SC 4		29 Jul 1960
SC 3		8 Nov 1960
SC 2		21 Nov 1960
SC 2A		19 Dec 1960
SC 5		31 Jan 1961
SC 6		21 Feb 1961
SC 14		18 Mar 1961
SC 8		25 Apr 1961
SC 14A		28 Apr 1961
SC 7		5 May 1961
SC 11		21 Jul 1961
SC 8A		12 Sep 1961
SC 9		29 Nov 1961
SC 13		20 Feb 1962
SC 18		24 May 1962
SC 16		3 Oct 1962
SC 20		15-16 May 1962
Unflown Spacecraft

SC 10 SC 12
SC 15 SC 15A
SC 15B SC 17
SC 19

Mission

Spacecraft 8 was originally used for MA-3 then recovered and redesignated spacecraft 8A and used for MA-4

Dismantled by the National Air and Space Museum for spare parts.

Fig SC8-IP1

Fig SC8-IP2

Fig SC8-IP3

03 September 1960: Aircraft telemetry requirements were deleted from the MA-3 and MA-4 missions, as the spacecraft had been modified to provide telemetry transmissions from the point of main parachute deployment to landing.
18 November 1960: Spacecraft 8 Delivered to Cape Canaveral
25 April 1961: MA-3 launched

The booster was destroyed by the range safety officer. The capsule was returned to McDonnell for refitting and redesignated as spacecraft 8A.

11 May 1961: Spacecraft 8 now redesigated as spacecraft 8A delivered to Cape Canaveral.
13 September 1961: MA-4 launched.
1 November 1961: The November 1961 Edition of SEDR-104 is published containing spacecraft 8 as a test capsule