On Sept. 9, 1959, NASA launched Big Joe 1, the first launch of Project Mercury (the Roman name of Greek god Hermes). This was a milestone in NASA’s goal to put land on the moon. NASA’s Project Mercury was a pioneering achievement in the history of human space exploration. It was the first program that put American astronauts in space, and paved the way for more ambitious missions in the future.

The Goals of Project Mercury

Project Mercury had two main goals: to see if humans could function effectively in space, and to put a man in orbit before the Soviet Union did. The program was initiated in 1958, shortly after NASA was established, and ran until 1963. It involved six crewed flights, two of which reached space and came back down, and four of which achieved orbit.

The program also had several secondary objectives, such as testing the spacecraft’s performance, developing the ground control network, and studying the effects of spaceflight on the human body and mind.

The Mercury Spacecraft

The Mercury spacecraft was a cone-shaped capsule that could accommodate one astronaut. It had a diameter of 6.4 feet (1.9 meters) at the base, and a height of 9.5 feet (2.9 meters). It weighed about 3,000 pounds (1,360 kilograms) when fully loaded.

The spacecraft had three main sections: the retrograde section, which contained rockets to slow down the capsule for reentry; the recovery section, which contained parachutes and other equipment for landing; and the cabin section, which contained the astronaut’s couch, controls, instruments, life support system, and a small window.

The spacecraft was launched atop a modified Redstone or Atlas rocket, depending on the mission’s objectives. The Redstone rocket could launch the spacecraft to a suborbital flight of about 15 minutes, while the Atlas rocket could launch it to an orbital flight of several hours.

The Mercury Astronauts

The Mercury astronauts were selected from a pool of military test pilots who met rigorous physical and mental criteria. They were also trained extensively in various aspects of spaceflight, such as navigation, communication, survival, and weightlessness.

The original seven Mercury astronauts were:

• Alan Shepard, who became the first American in space on May 5, 1961, aboard Freedom 7.
• Virgil “Gus” Grissom, who flew the second suborbital flight on July 21, 1961, aboard Liberty Bell 7.
• John Glenn, who became the first American to orbit the Earth on February 20, 1962, aboard Friendship 7.
• Scott Carpenter, who flew the second orbital flight on May 24, 1962, aboard Aurora 7.
• Walter “Wally” Schirra, who flew the third orbital flight on October 3, 1962, aboard Sigma 7.
• Gordon Cooper, who flew the fourth and longest orbital flight on May 15-16, 1963, aboard Faith 7.
• Donald “Deke” Slayton, who was grounded due to a heart condition and never flew a Mercury mission.

The Legacy of Project Mercury

Project Mercury was a remarkable achievement that demonstrated NASA’s capability and commitment to explore space. It also provided valuable data and experience for the subsequent Gemini and Apollo programs, which aimed to achieve rendezvous, docking, lunar landing, and return.

Project Mercury also inspired millions of people around the world with its daring feats and heroic astronauts. It showed that humans could overcome the challenges and dangers of spaceflight, and opened up new horizons for scientific discovery and human endeavor.

Below are some videos for you to watch to learn more. The first is a documentary video about Project Mercury, and the next 2 are trailers are movies/series you can watch based on Project Mercury. National Geographic made a series in 2020 called The Right Stuff, which is based on the 1983 Oscar-winning movie of the same name (which is based on the book of the same name).