description Mercury Freedom 7 Overview
Mercury-Redstone 3, utilizing the Freedom 7 spacecraft, was the first crewed space mission in United States history. Launched by NASA on May 5, 1961, it carried astronaut Alan Shepard on a 15-minute suborbital flight to an altitude of 116 statute miles. The capsule splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean and was recovered by the aircraft carrier USS Lake Champlain. This successful mission established the United States as a crewed spaceflight nation.
insights Ranking position
Mercury Freedom 7 ranks #21 of 100 in the Spacecraft ranking, behind SpaceX Cargo Dragon, ahead of Yutu-2 rover.
help Mercury Freedom 7 FAQ
Did Freedom 7 orbit Earth?
No. Alan Shepard's Mercury-Redstone 3 mission followed a suborbital trajectory, unlike John Glenn's orbital Friendship 7 flight the following year.
How long was Alan Shepard's Freedom 7 flight?
The flight on May 5, 1961 lasted a little over 15 minutes. It made Shepard the first American in space, less than a month after Yuri Gagarin's orbital mission.
Could Alan Shepard control Freedom 7 himself?
Yes. Shepard tested manual attitude controls during the flight rather than serving only as a passive passenger, an important objective of Project Mercury.
Where did Freedom 7 land after its flight?
The capsule splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean and was recovered by the aircraft carrier USS Lake Champlain. Shepard was lifted from the water by helicopter shortly after landing.
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