| • Science | • People | • Locations | • Timeline |
| Mission Insignia | |
|---|---|
| Mission Statistics | |
| Mission Name: | Mercury MA-7 |
| Call Sign: | Aurora 7 |
| Number of Crew Members: | 1 |
| Launch: | May 24, 1962 12:45:16 UTC Cape Canaveral Complex 14 |
| Landing: | May 24, 1962 17:41:00 UTC 19° 29' N 64° 5' W |
| Duration: | 4 h 56 min 15 s |
| Number of Orbits: | 3 |
| Distance Traveled: | 76,021 mi 122,344 km |
| Maximum velocity: | 17,549 mph 28,242 km/h |
| Peak acceleration: | 7.8 g (76 m/s²) |
| Mass: | 1,349.5 kg |
| Crew Picture | |
| Scott Carpenter | |
__NOTOC__
Mercury 7 was a Mercury program American manned space mission launched May 24, 1962. The Mercury capsule was named "Aurora 7" and made three earth orbits, piloted by astronaut Scott Carpenter. A targeting mishap during reentry took the spacecraft 250 miles (about 150 km) off course, delaying recovery of Carpenter and the craft. The mission used Mercury spacecraft # 18 and Atlas # 107-D.
Mercury spacecraft # 18 was delivered to Cape Canaveral on November 15, 1961. Atlas # 107-D was rolled out of the Convair factory in San Diego, CA on February 25, 1962. It was delivered to Cape Canaveral, FL on March 6, 1962.
Mercury spacecraft # 18 - Aurora 7, used in the Mercury-Atlas 7 mission , is currently displayed at the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame, Titusville, FL . Mercury spacecraft #18 Aurora 7 display page on A Field Guide to American Spacecraft website.
The focus of Carpenter's five-hour Aurora 7 mission was on science. The full flight plan included the first study of liquids in weightlessness, Earth photography and an unsuccessful attempt to observe a flare fired from the ground. At dawn of the third and final orbit, Carpenter inadvertently bumped his hand against the inside wall of the cabin and solved a mystery from the previous flight. The resulting bright shower of particles outside the capsule-what Glenn had called "fireflies"-turned out to be ice particles shaken loose from the capsule's exterior. Like Glenn, Carpenter circled the Earth three times. Total time weightless 4 hours 39 min 32 s. The performance of the Mercury spacecraft and Atlas launch vehicle was excellent in nearly every respect. All primary mission objectives were achieved. The single mission critical malfunction which occurred involved a failure in the spacecraft pitch horizon scanner, a component of the automatic control system. This anomaly was adequately compensated for by the pilot in subsequent in-flight operations so that the success of the mission was not compromised. A modification of the spacecraft control-system thrust units were effective. Cabin and pressure-suit temperatures were high but not intolerable. Some uncertainties in the data telemetered from the bioinstrumentation prevailed at times during the flight; however, associated information was available which indicated continued well-being of the astronaut. Equipment was included in the spacecraft which provided valuable scientific information; notably that regarding liquid behavior in a weightless state, identification of the airglow layer observed by Astronaut Glenn, and photography of terrestrial features and meteorological phenomena. An experiment which was to provide atmospheric drag and color visibility data in space through deployment of an inflatable sphere was partially successful. The flight further qualified the Mercury spacecraft systems for manned orbital operations and provided evidence for progressing into missions of extended duration and consequently more demanding systems requirements.
Partly because he had been distracted watching the fireflies and partly because of his busy schedule, and a malfunction of the automatic alignment system, he overshot his planned reentry mark, and splashed down 402 kilometers off target.