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Sep 12

Space Rocket History #29 – Mercury-Atlas 5 With Enos

Posted on September 12, 2013 by spac9750

Following the successful suborbital missions of Allan Shepard and Gus Grissom, NASA believed the Mercury capsule was ready for an orbital mission. But, there was a problem, the Redstone booster did not have the power to place the Mercury capsule into orbit. The Atlas booster had the power to put the capsule in orbit but not the confidence of NASA. By September of 1961 Four launches of the mercury-atlas had been made with only a 50 percent success rate…

Tribute to Chimps

Enos

Atlas Missle

Launch

Mercury 5

By Dave

Aug 22

Space Rocket History #26 – Why the Moon?

Posted on August 22, 2013 by spac9750

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“We have been plunged into a race for the conquest of outer space. As a reason for this undertaking some look to the new and exciting scientific discoveries which are certain to be made. Others feel the challenge to transport man beyond frontiers he scarcely dared dream about until now. But at present the most impelling reason for our effort has been the international political situation which demands that we demonstrate our technological capabilities if we are to maintain our position of leadership. For all of these reasons we have embarked on a complex and costly adventure. It is the purpose of this report to clarify the goals, the missions and the costs of this effort in the foreseeable future, particularly with regard to the man-in-space program.” From 1960 Ad Hoc Panel on Man-In-Space.

JFK at NASA Houston

413px-John_F._Kennedy_speaks_at_Rice_University

JFK Rice University

JFK Congress Address

Aug 15

Space Rocket History #25 – Mercury Redstone 3 – Freedom 7 with Alan Shepard

Posted on August 15, 2013 by spac9750

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Over 52 years ago, in the early hours of May 5th, 1961 the US prepared to launch its first man into space. Three weeks earlier, the Soviet Union had sent Yuri Gagarin on an orbital mission. This was a suborbital mission planed to last only 15 minutes. For the moment that did not matter, the entire nation held its breath while Alan Shepard became America’s first man in space.

Medical Telemetry

Shepard Suiting Up

Climbing In

Personal Problem

Launch

45 Million Viewers

Control Panel

Console Panel

Navigation Aids

Flight Plan

In Flight

On the Carrier

Huntsville

Shepard & Kennedy

Medal Ceremony

Jul 18

Space Rocket History #21 – Cry Havoc and Launch the Dogs of Vostok!

Posted on July 18, 2013 by spac9750

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For the Soviet Union, 1960 was a mixed bag of success and failure as it struggled for new achievements in space exploration. The main driving force was to be the first nation to launch a man into space. An achievement their adversary, the United States, also desperately wanted.