Object Details
Manufacturer
McDonnell Aircraft Corp.
Summary
Mercury capsule #17 was the seventheenth of twenty spacecraft built for the first American human spaceflight project, which aimed to put a man in orbit. Between 1961 and 1963, six Mercury astronauts were launched on suborbital and orbital missions. Capsule #17 was sent to Cape Canaveral on April 18, 1963, as a possible source of spare parts for Gordon Cooper's Faith 7 spacecraft (#20), which was launched on the Mercury-Atlas 9 (MA-9) thirty-four hour orbital mission in May. Spacecraft #17 was also held in reserve for a second long-duration mission, MA-10, which was not flown.
In early 1968, NASA Manned Spacecraft Center (now Johnson Space Center) gave this capsule to the Smithsonian.
Credit Line
Transferred from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Inventory Number
A19680570000
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
SPACECRAFT-Crewed
Materials
HAZMAT: Beryllium
Skin & Structure: Titanium
Shingles: Nickel-steel alloy; Beryllium shingles removed
Ablation Shield: Glass fibers, resin
Skin: Titanium
Shingles: Nickel-steel alloy; Beryllium shingles removed
Ablation Shield: Glass fibers, resin
Dimensions
Overall: 112 x 73in. (284.5 x 185.4cm)
Country of Origin
United States of America
See more items in
National Air and Space Museum Collection
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Link to Original Record
Record ID
nasm_A19680570000