Object Details
Manufacturer
Zodiac international Corp.
Summary
In the event of a landing outside the primary landing area, Mercury astronauts carried a variety of survival equipment aboard their spacecraft. These included food, water, knives, rope, matches, medical supplies, a radio transceiver, a compass, a rescue beacon, a radar reflector, a life vest, and a life raft similar to this one. This self-inflating life raft was part of the survival kit in Freedom 7, the first Mercury mission, in which Alan Shepard became the first American in space.
NASA transferred Freedom 7 to the Smithsonian in 1962. This object was found inside the spacecraft in 1977.
Credit Line
Transferred from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Inventory Number
A19771199000
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
EQUIPMENT-Survival
Materials
Exterior pouch: plastic covered textile, aluminum hooks, velcro, and polyester
Dimensions
3-D: 34.3 x 22.9 x 11.4cm (13 1/2 x 9 x 4 1/2 in.)
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_A19771199000