MR-1 Press Kit

8/9/2019 MR-1 Press Kit

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NATIONAL AERONAUVICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATIONWASHINGTON 25 . D. C.

PROJECT MERCURY BACKGROUNDP ~ o j e c i ; krcur,y, he initial manned space flight program of theT\';d:ional kronaut?'.(:c nd Space Administration, had its beginning inOctober of' 1958.The purpose of Project Mercury is to investigate man's capabilitiesin the space environment. Immediate technical objectives includeur&inhabited, animal inhabited, and manned suborbital ballistic flightspr,:paratorjr to manned earth-orbital flights.The prime contract f o r developing the Mercury spacrcraft wasawarded McDonnell Aircraft Company of St. Louis, Missouri, three-and-a-half months following initiation of the project. Space TaskGrol].n, the special management element of the Goddard Space FlightCenter exercising supervision and technical direction of ProjectMercury, works closely with McDonnell and has succeeded incompressing development time in an unprecedented manner.

arid most reliable technical approach would be used, (b) newdevelopments would be kept to a minimum and (c) the flight t e s tprogram would be based on a progressive buildup of tests.In the initial planning, it was decided (a) that the simplest

Managenient adopted a philosophy of simultaneous research,design, manufacture, training, and test which reduced systemsdevelopment time and permitted the successful test flight of aproduction version Mercury spacecraft less than a year and ahalf rollowing award of the McDonnell contract.In further demonstration of the effectiveness of the "con-currency" concept it is anticipated that orbital flight will beachieved within three years of initiation of the Mercury program.It is significant that development of comparably complex missilesystems and high performance aircraft generally requires fromfive t o ten y ea r s .

SPACECRAFT SYSTEMSThe Mercury spacecraft is designed to withstand any knowncombination of acceleration, heat and aerodynamic loads thatci:;ht occur during boost or reentry, as well as land or water landing.


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- 2 -The craft has an extremely blunt leading face covered withberyllium heat shield. Its on-board systems include: environmental(life support) and attitude controls, retrorockets to initiatedescent from orbit, an escape device which provides complete escapecapability during the boosted portion of flight, communications,landing system, and recovery aids,

TESTS TO DATEAs in the case of new research aircraft, orbital flight of themanned spacecraft will be attempted only after extensive vehicletesting.Project Mercury includes ground testing, development andqualification flight testing, as well as astronaut training. Inaddition t o numerous wind-tunnel and air drop tests, the followingrocket-boosted Mercury test flights of Research and Developmentmodels have provided a wealth of information:Big Joe -- September 9 , 1959 -- From the Atlantic Mis-sile Range,t o test the structural integrity and heating of a research model ofthe Mercury spacecraft boosted by an Atlas.Little Joe I -- October 4, 1959 - - From NASAIs Wallops Station,Va., to test integration of booster and spacecraft, utilizing a250,000-pound thrust booster vehicle consisting of eight solid rockets.Little Joe I1 -- November 4, 1959 -- From Wallops Station, t oevaluate critical l o w - a l t i t u d e abort conditions.Little Joe I11 -- December 4, 1959 -- From Wallops Station, t ocheck performance of the escape system at high altitude, Rhesusmonkey Sam was aboard,Little Joe IV -- January 21, 1.960 ----From allops Station, tocheck escape system under high airloads. Rhesus monkey Miss Samwas aboard.In addition, two production versions, built by McDonnell Air-craft Company, have been test flown.May 9, 1959, a McDonnell-built spacecraft underwent a test ofits escape system in an off-the-pad abort situation. This test wasconducted at Wallops Station and only the craft and its escape

rocket system were used,July 29 , 1960, a Mercury spacecraft test flight was conductedat Cape Canaveral, Florida, utilizing an Atlas booster, The purposeof the test was to qualify the spacecraft under maximum airloadsand afterbody heating during reentry, A system manfunction preventedattainment of flight objectives,

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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND S P A C EWASHINGTON 25, D o JUMiU"STRATPONc o

ANNEX 1, ITEM 2m-l FLIGHT TEST PROFILE

Purpose of t h e Mercury-Redstone aeries i s t o q u a l i f y a produc-t i o n - l i n e s p a ce c r af t w i t h i t s many i n t e r r e l a t e d sy ste ms in a spaceenv i ronmen t , Later Redstone f l i g h t s w i l l be u s e d t o t r a in t h ea s t r o n a u t s f o r o r b i t a l m i ss io ns by s u b j e c t i ng them t o r o c ke t - bo o st e df l i g h t a a d p e r i o d s of" w e i g h t l e s s c e a s .w i l l no t be manned, nor w i l l i t con ta in any animals O F b i o l o g i c a lspec imens .

I n t h i s MR-1 (Mercury Redstone One) t e s t , the M e r c u r y s p a c e c ~ a f

The b l u e - g r ay c r a f t , w hic h weighs about one tono w i l l f o l l o w ab a l l i s t i c a r c pe ak ing a t a p p r o x i ma t e l y 130 s t a t u t e miles and s p l a s h -i n g a b o u t 220 s t a t u t e miles downrange i n r o u g h l y 16 mi n u t e s .o u t 9 t h e cone-shaped spacecraft will be movlng a t a speed of 8 1 f t t I . eo v e r 4,000 s t a t u t e m91.e~ n hour ,

A t burn-

The f l i g h t w i l l p r o v i d e six G a c c e l e r a t i o n d u r i n g t h e boos tp h a se , a b o u t f i v e and a hal f mi n u t e s o f z e r o G ( w e i g h t l e s s n e s s ) a f t e rb o o s t e r and s p a c e c r a f t are separated and as much as a n ' e leven Gd e c e l e r a t i o n d u r i n g r e - e n t r y ,I n r a p i d s e q u e n c e a t 35 miles a l t i t u d e a bou t 140 seconds a f d e sl i f t - o f f , (1) t h e b o o s t e r w i l l b u r n o u t ; ( 2 ) t h e e s c a p e t o w e r a topt h e s p a c e c r a f t w i l l be j e t t i s o n e d av?d ( 3 ) th ree p o s i g r a d e r o c k e t s a tt h e base of t h e s p a c e c r a f t wfll be f i r e d t o push t h e craft ahead a ndaway from t h e booaster,

c o n t r o l s y s t e m ( A S C S ) fs u s e d t o remove a n y i r r e g u l a r s p a c e c s a f tmot ions which might r e s u l t f r J o r n t h e s e p a r a t i o n a c t i o n . The c o n t r o lsys t em w i l l s t e a d y t h e ~ a p s u P e ~ 8ttitude by re l eas ing p u l s e s o fhydrogen p e r o x i d e gas t h r o u g h j e t s a t t h e neck and base of t h e c r a f t ,c r a f t a rou nd t o t h e nor ma l h e a t - s h $ e l d - f o m a r d p o s i t i o n .

Immed ia t e ly fo llow%srg sep ara t io n , a n a ut om a ti c s t a b i l i z a t i o n and

About five S ~ C O R ~ Sf t e r separat1%on,ASCS will s w i n g the space-A s t h e c r a f t nea'?r"s h e peak ef %&a a-scfng f l i g h t , r e a e t f o nc o n t r o l j e t s wlA.3. shove t h e blunt %ace up 35 degrees above t h eh o r i z o n t a l p l a n e . T h e n as th e c r a f t h i t s p e a k a l t i t u d e , th reer e t r o r o c k e t s a t t a c h e d t o t h e heat s h i e l d w i l l be f i r e d i n r a p i dsuccess ion . IWrg f7 he d t r e c ~ o n f f l i g h t 3 the ~ e t r o ~n olabital f l f g h t swould act as brakes, s lowing t h e spa~ecraft l i g h t l y and t h u s l e t % % ng r a v i t y asser t i t s e l f by pulEfng & he @raft back toward E a r t h ,

perform Mercury Redstone M$ss%ons, t h e y will be e x e r c i s e d as a p a r t ot h e o v e r a l l s y s t e m s qualification program.It shou ld be emphasized that awhile the r e t ~ o s re-o t needed t o


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- 2 -After t h e r & r o package 2s f f r e d , i t w i l l be j e t t i so n e d fromt h e base of t h e heat s h i e l d and ASCS will or4ent the c r a f t in aheat-shield-down po si ti on f o r t h e plunge back t o E a r t h . A s t h ec r a f t encounters atmospheric friction at roughly 50 t o 45 milesa l t i t u d e , ASCS w i l l work t o c o r r e c t any sp ac e c ra f t o s c i l l a t i o n s o r

pendulum motions which might begin during re-entry, The con t ro lsystem also w i l l s t a r t t h e c r a f t t u r n i n g o n i t s v e r t i c a l a x i s i na slow top- l ike mot ion t o reduce landing poin t d isper s ion s ,six-foot-wide dmgue parac hute which is t o help curb th e speed oft h e spacecraf t which by t h i s p o i n t should be moving a t something l i k e600 miles a n h o w .th e capsule will he mortared off, unfurPfng a 63-fost-wide m a i n chuteSimultaneously, radar chaff w i l l be s c a t t e r e d t o a i d radar t r ack ingand a n explosive device ca l led a SOFAR bomb, set t o explode 2,500 f e eunderwater, w i l l be r e leased ,

A t 42,000 f e e t , a prd ess ure -se nsi tiv e awdltch w i l l deploy aThen a t 10,000 f e e t , t h e antenna c a n i s t e r atop

Upon touchdown, 8 switch jettisons t h e chute t o a vo id dragg ingt h e spacec ra f t i n t h e w i n d . A% t h e same %%m e , various recovery a i d sgo t o work. These include sea-marking dye materials, radio beacons,and a h i g h - i n t e n s i t y f l a sh i n g l i g h t ,The conic spaeeeraf t mea8u1-1~08s i x f ee t across its blunt base arids tands n i n e f e e t h i g h , With escape tower i n place on top t h e c r a f t ,t h e o v e r a l l l e n g t h fPom t h e ba?e of th e heat s h i e l d t o t he t i p of t h etower's aerodynamic s p i k e i s ~ 4 - $eet;,Mounted on t o p of t h e metal escape tower is a so l fd-propel lan tescape rocket w i t h th ree nozz les p o i n t e d down and away from t h espacec ra f t . I n a n off -the-pad abor t s i tu a t io n , t h i s rocke t can pu l lt h e spacec ra f t off t h e boosteer and put 250 f e e t between t h e two i none second. The peak of such an escape maneuve~ a about; 2,600 f e e t ,followed b y t h e nox*mal landing ~ e q u e ~ e ey parac hute. Should troubledevelop i n t h e booster dur ing the b c ~ s t hase, t h e escape m n e u v e ~ se s s e n t i a l l y t h e sane, however, the separa t ion d%s"sanee w i t h i n onesecond i s 125 f e e t i n s t e a d of 250 f e e t ,I n t h i s , as 1n a l l Mercury Redstone and MereurPy Atlas f l i g h t s ,the boos te r i s equfpped w i t h a n a b o ~ t ensing mechanism. I n t h i sf i r s t Mercury Redstone t e s t flight, however, t h e aboyt-sensingsystem w i l l r i d e "open loop, That i s 9 i t w i l l be wired t o s e n set r o u b l e i n t h e b o o s t e r but 9% w i l l nor, be able t o a u t om a t ic a l ly

t r i g g e r t h e escape r*ocket as i n l a t e r f l i g h t s , The reason f o r havingit on an "open b o p ' ' basis is t o l e t engineers m o n i t o r i t s operationv e r y c l o se l y i n t h i s f i r s t t e s t o f t h e Redstone system; in l a t e rf l i g h t s i t w i l l be s e t to t r i g g e r t h e emape rocket automatical ly ,should a n impending launch vehicle failure be ind ica ted .

II


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- 3 -In this test, an escape o r abor% command can be initiated bythe launch director in the blockhouse, the Range Safeey Officer inAMR Central Control or by the flight djirector in. Mercury ControlCenter.Within the double-walled nickel-alloy spacecraft shell is apressurized cabin, flight instrument panel, several cameras, recoveraids, communications equipment and devices t o monitor capsule andsystem stress and performance.The cornmication system for MR-1 includes two telemetry trans-mitters which are completely redundant, each providing four channelsto send information back to ground statforas. Six of these channelswill transmit continuous spacecraft attitude information -- pitch,roll and yaw, the three axial motions possible in such a, craft. Theother two channels will send datz measurements from 90 differentpoints throughout the spacecraft monitoring structural heating,cabin temperatures, pressures, noise and vibration, In addition,on board recorders will record all this information for post-flight

analysis. The spacecraft a l s o %s equipped with two separate commandreceivers either of whic?lis capable of (1) signaling an abor t or(2) firing the retrorockets.Additional communications include two radar tracking beaconswhich will be used as the primary tmcking means for position-fixingduring flight and a UHF recovery beacon which will go into operationduring parachute descent and can run for approximately 12 hoursafter landing.Powering these and other electronic systems will be silver-zincbatteries.The blunt end of spacecraft in this flight will be protectedfrom re-entry heat by a beryllium shield. This differs from theablative plastic shield to be used in later Atlas-boosted flights.In the Atlas flights, the shield will be subjected t o temperaturesof around 3,000 degrees F. In the Redstone flights, however, heatshield temperatures will hit only 200 degrees F. because of thegreatly reduced spacecraft speed: 17,400 mph for Atlas flightsagainst 4,000 mph for the Redstone.In the Redstone flights, temperatures on the spacecraft'scorrugated metal "shingles" forming the conic afterbody will runconsiderably higher -- 600 degrees F. 9.s estimated -- than thoseon the beryllium shield surface (200 degr>ees .),

t1

Looking out one spacecraft port will be a 70mm camera designedo record what a man would see from that vantage point, Also a6mm camera, installed to the left of where the pilot's head wouldbe, will record the functions of the cockpit instrument displaypanel. There will be no astronaut couch in this capsule. In itsplace will ride extra instrument boxes and ballast weights.


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- 4 -Overal l co n t ro l fo r t h e MR-1 t e s t w i l l be exerc i sed by theMercury Operat ions Dir ect or i n t h e Mercury Control Center. Deta i l edf l i g h t co n t ro l w i l l be t h e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y of the F l i g h t D i r e c t o r anda staff of flight co n t ro l l e rs opera t ing from conso les i n MercuryControl Center.


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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE AOMlNlSTRATlONWASfflWOTON 25, O.C.

NO V 7 1960ANNEX 11, Item 3

Mercury Spacecraft Test PostponedCape Canaveral, Florida - A test launching of a Rehstoqe-boosted

Project Mercury spacecraft in a suborbital ballistic trajectory waspostponed here today by the National Aeronautics and SpaceAdministration because of (a t t i t u d e c o n tr o l d i f f i c u l t y

The launching was to be conducted primarily to qualify aproduction version of the capsule and its systems in the environmentof space. The capsule was not t o carry a man, nor any animals orbiological specimens.

A new firing date has not been scheduled.


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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATIONWASHINGTON 25 , 0 . C.

ANNEX I, Item 4SPACE TASK GROUP FACT SHEET

I . BACKGROUNDThe Space Task Group, a unit of the National Aeronautics andSpace Administrationts Goddard Space Flight Center, is located atLangley Field, Virginia. The group came into existence in theFall of 1958 with specific responsibility for putting a mannedsatellite into orbit with subsequent safe recovery to investigateman's capabilities in a space environment. During the yearpreceding formation of the task group, several members of the

NASA Langley Research Center staff had conducted experimental andtheoretical studies into problems of manned space flight,Dr. T. Keith Glennan, NASA Administrator, ordered that thetask group be organized, and the Langley Center released a numberof scientists to the group. These men formed bts nucleus,

11. ORGANIZATIONThe group is headed by a Project Director, Robert R. Gilruth,who was an Assistant Director of the Langley Research Center beforehe was appointed to his present post, Associate Project Directorfor Research and Development is Charles J. Donlan. Mr, Walter C,

Williams is Associate Director f o r aerations and acts as OperationsDirector during flight tests.Chief of the Operatl,oazs Division is Charles W. Mathews, MaximeA, Faget heads the Plight Systems Division. James A . Chamberlinis Chief of the Engineering Division.Scope of the Operations Division includes launching, flightoperations, recovery, ground support, and developmental testing,The Flight Systems Division work involves heat shielding,structures, navigation, rocket boosters, escape, life support, andsystems integration.Areas of the work within the Engineering Division are designengineering, specifications, contract negotiation, and contractmonitoring.Continuous informational and operational liaison is maintainedwith the Defense Department.


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- 2 -111, FACILLTIES AVAILABLE TO IMPLEMENT PROGRAM

The Space Task Group is calling on facilities of the NASA, theArmed Services, universities, and industry in the Project MercuryProgram,Much basic and developmental research is being conducted at

NASA centers in aerodynamics, structures, guidance, stability andcontrol, and flight support.with Project Mercury is also providing the technical and managerialbase upon which future manned space flight programs may be built.high acceleration and deceleration are being furnished by theDepartment of Defense.

The work of this group in connection

Human factors facilities in such fields as weightlessness and

Industrial resources will fabricate the apacecraft and equipit for its flight. The McDonnell Aircraft .Corporation of St. Louis,Missouri, was selected as prime contractor for the spacecraft InJanuary 1959.

IV. FUTURE PROJECTSProject Mercury is a basic steppingstone in development ofmanned space exploration techniques. Because the project iswithout precedent, no time schedule can be given for accomplishingthe required developmental programs.orbital flight will be followed by research t o refine performance,much the same as is done in aircraft research.

Logically, man's initial

As man's capabilities in space are determined, it is expectedthat th e program will extend in the future to sending three men oncircumlunar and earth-orbiting flights (Project Apollo)

. . . .


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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATIONWASHINOTON 25 , D. C.

ANNEX I, Item 5Marshall Center Contribution: Mercury-Redstone Booster

The Mercury-Redstone booster used in today's Project Mercurylaunching was provided and launched f D r the Space Task Group by theMarshall Space Flight Center, National Aeronautics and SpaceAdministration.

The vehicle is based upon the Army's Redstone which was designedand developed by Marshall scientists and technicians prior to theirtransfer to NASA. Extensive modifications were incorporated to adaptthe rocket to this special role, with major emphasis on increasedreliability.record of reliable flight in a launching history which extends overthe past seven years.

The Redstone booster has already achieved a significant

Of the last 40 Redstones launched, only onebooster has failed.

Changes in the system f o r the Mercury mission include theelongation of the tank section to increase fuel capacity, the designof a new instrument compartment and adapter section to accorrynodatethe Mercury spacecraft, changes in engine and the control system inthe interest of simplicity, improved reliability and increasedperformance, and the development of amission abort system to assuresafe-ty of the spacecraft and, on later launchings, its occupant.

The Mercury-Redstone is 83 feet in height, including the spaceccraft assembly, compared to the 69 feet of the ordinary Redstone.


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ANNEX I , I tem 5 (Conlt) -2- ' . IThe body of t h e roc ke t i s 70 i n c h e s i n d i a m e t e r . The l i f t - o f f w e ig h ti s 66,000 p ou nd s i n c l u d i n g t h e o n e -t o n M ercu ry s p a c e c r a f t .REDSTONE MODIFICATIONS

M o d i f i c a t i o n s t o t h e R ed st on e b o o s t e r i n c l u d e t h e f o l l o w i n g :a . Tank Sect ion - - The r o c k e t ' s t a n k s e c t i o n was e l o n g a t e d b y

about s i x f e e t t o i nc re as e t h e f u e l and l i q u i d o xygen c a p a c i t y . Th i swill a ll ow f u e l s u f f i c i e n t t o i n c r e a s e t h e b ur ni ng t ime by some20 seconds . The Reds tone boos te r w a s s i m i l a r l y e l o n g a t e d f o r i t s r o l ei n t h e l au nc hi ng of t h e e a r l y E xp lo re r s a t e l l i t e s . That v e r s i o n o ft h e r o c k e t was known as J u p i t e r - C .

b . Engine -- The e ng i ne us ed i n t o d a y ' s f l i g h t was o f t h el a t e s t Reds tone eng ine des ign (A7), m o di fi e d f o r t h i s a p p l i c a t i o n .Using a lcohol and l i q u i d oxygen, t h e t h r u s t l e v e l of t h e e n g in e i n t h i sl a u n c h i n g was 78,000 p ou nd s. P r o v i s i o n s w er e b u i l t i n t o t h e eng ine t oa l l o w for t h e e x t r a b u r ni ng t i m e. There a r e ma jo r i mp ro ve me nt s i n t h ep e ro x i d e system which d r i ve s t h e fu e l and l i q u i d oxygen pumps andp r o v i d es t h r u s t c o n t r o l . The s t a b i l i t y of t h e u n i t was a l s o i mp ro v e d ,a nd a n a n t i - f i r e h a za rd p r o v i s i o n w a s a d d e d .

c . Ins tru men t Compartment -- A new instrument compartment (uppers e c t i o n ) a nd s p a c e c r a f t a d a p t e r s e c t i o n w ere d e s ig n ed f o r t h e M ercuryf l i g h t s . The compartment i s a p re s s u r i z e d c a bi n , l o c a t e d b et we ent h e f u e l t a n k s and t h e s p a c e c r a f t , w hich c o n t a i n s t h e s e n s i t i v ec o n t ro l s y st e m. U n l ik e t h e o rd i n a ry R e ds to n e, t h i s co mp ar tmen t d o e sn o t s e p a r a t e fro m t h e b o o s t e r a f t e r b ur no ut ; r a t h e r i t descends t ot h e e a r t h a t t a c h e d t o t h e p r o pu l si o n u n i t .


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, ANNEX I, Item 5 (Conft)- 3 -

d. Control System -- The Mercury-Redstone, as compared to theRedstone missile, has a well-tested, less complex control system whicmakes for a simpler and more reliable operation. The system uses anauto-pilot which minimizes the drift during powered flight.vanes located in the jet exhaust of the propulsion unit coupled withair vanes are used as control surfaces to maintain proper attitude.

Carbon

e. Abort; system -- The abort system, developed by the MarshallCenter, serves to give an advance warning of a possible impendingcatastrophic development -- an electric signal which causes thefollowing actions, in sequence: termination of the thrust of boosterseparation of the spacecraft from the booster, and activation of thespacecraft's escape rocket which propels the spacecraft to a distanceof several hundred feet within one second. The abort system sensesand is activated by such conditions as: unacceptable deviations inthe programed attitude of the rocket, excessive turning rates, lossof thrust, critical irregularities of thrust, or l o s s of electricalpower. In addition to the automatic activation when such conditionsoccur, the escape system could, in a manned mipsion, be activated bythe pilot in the spacecraft, and manually, in the launching blockhousand at the NASA Mercury Control Center. In this first test of thissystem, it will not be connected to the spacecraft's escape rocket;instead it will send signals to ground receivers, so that its operatican be mon.itored.

f. Instrumentation -- Instruments are installed in the rocketto provide and telemeter about 50 measurements surveying all aspectsof booster behavior during flight, such as attitude, Vibration,acceleration, temperature, pressure and thrust level. These

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* ANNEX I, Item 5 (Con'd)-4 -

measurements are in additaon to the many channels of informationwhich will be telemetered from the spacecraft itself during flight.Several tracking signals are also telemetered by the booster.RELIABILITY PROGRAM

,Special emphasis on reliability has been placed in the Mercury-Redstone program. Most of the reliability effort was centered on newcomponents -- those which are peculiar to the Mercury-Redstone. Thisprogram was conducted by the Marshall Center and the ChryslerCorporation. Reliability tests were conducted on individual Componentssubsystems and systems. Test conditdons included excessive vibrationsand extreme temperatures. Engineers Qf the Chrysler Corporationdesigned and operated a special "rock and rol l ! ' test device whichsubjected the entire instrument compartment of the Mercury-Redstonerocket to environmental stress. This l'atter phase was devotedprimarily to checking out the abort system to assure that it wouldoperate properly on demand and could not be activated accidentally.TESTING AT MARSHALL

Marshall Center personnel ran structural tests on the newRedstone-Mercury configuration which assure the structural integrityof the vehicle. Units of the rocket were submitted to considerablyhigher stresses and strains than will be encountered in flight.

In addition to the acceptance firing of the engines, the MarshallCenter is static firing each completed booster of the Mercury series,prior to their shipment to the launch site. During these staticfirings a detailed measuring program gives assurance of proper


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'ANNEX I Ikem 5 (Conld)-5-

per formance of t h e e n g i n e .M e r c u r y - R e d s t o n e c o n f i g u r a t i o n , i n c l u d i n g a r e se a r ch model o f t h es p a c e c r a f t .

The C e n te r a l s o c a p t i v e - f i r e d a comple te

I n a g r u e l i n g s u r v i v a l t e s t , one of the Mercury-Redstone engineswas r e p e a t e d l y c a p t i v e - f i r e d f o r a t o t a l d ur 'a ti on of abou t 15 t imest h e n o r p a l b u r n i ng t i m e of t h e r o c k e t .

I n a f i n a l t e s t p rog ram , t h e Mercury s p a c e c r a f t w hi ch was launchedt o d a y was s h ip p e d t o t h e Marshall C e nt er f o r e x t e n s i v e c o m p a t i b i l i t yt e s t s w i t h t h e b o o s t er u n de r c o n t r o l l e d , l a b o r a t o r y c o n d i t i o n s . Thesec h ec k s i n c lu d e d e l e c t r i c a l and me c ha n ic a l areas , and a l o n g s e r i e s ofc he ck s t o e x cl ud e t h e p o s s i b i l i t y of r a d i o f r eq u e nc y i n t e r f e r e n c ebetween t h e s p a c e c r a f t a nd b o o s t e r s y s te m s . T h i s sequence of check-o u t s i n c l u d e d a s im ula ted countdown, l aunc h and f l i g h t , u s i n g t h e samec h ec k ou t a nd f i r i n g p a n e l s w h ic h w i l l be used a t C a n av e r al f o r t h ea c t u a l c h e ck o u t an d l a un c h o p e r a t i o n s .AERODYNAMICS AND TRAJECTORY

I n t h e b a s i c d e s i g n o f t h e Mercury-Redston vehbc le , t h e Mar sha l lC e n t e r c on du cte d s p e c i a l s t u d i e s , t h e o r e t i c a l l y and by means ofwind tu nn el models , on t h e aerodynamic behav ior of t h e new v eh ic le .The C e nt er a l s o p r ep ar ed t h e t r a j e c t o r i e s t o be f lo w n i n t h e Mercury-R ed st on e s e r i e s a nd c a l c u l a t e d t h e s a f e t y c o n d i t o n s u n d e r w hi ch t h er o c k e t c o u l d b e f i r e d a t t h e A t l a n t i c Miss i le Range.LAUNCH AN D FLIGHT SEQUENCE

The Mercury -Redst one t a ke s o f f v e r t i c a l l y . Duri ng t h e f i r s tfew seconds of burn i ng t i m e , t h e r o c k e t b e g i n s to t i l t i n t o a


15/18

ANNEX I Item 5 ( C o n t d )-6-

* p r e d e t e r m i n e d t r a j e c t o r y . The r o c k e t e n gi n e o p e r a t e s f o r ab o u t140 s ec on ds . S h o r t l y a f t e r c u t o f f , t h e Mercury s p a c e c r a f t i ss e p a r a t e d f ro m t h e b o o s t e r ( co mb in ed t a n k an d e n g i n e s e c t i o n s p l u st he i n s t rumen t compar t men t ) by t h e i g n i t i o n of e x p l o s i v e b o l t s wh ic hre lease t h e c o n n e c t i n g clam p r i n g .t h e f i r i n g of t h r e e small s o l i d p r o p e l l a n t r o c k e t s on t h e b as e of t h e

T h i s i s immedia te ly fo l lowed by

s p a c e c r a f t .T h e s e p a r a t i o n o c c u r s a t a n a l t i t u d e of: abou t 50 s t a t u t e m i le s ,

Both t h e r o c k e t body an d t h e s p a c e c r a f t c o n t i n u e on s e p a r a t eb a l l i s t i c t r a j e c t o r i e s . The s p a ce c r a f t w i l l l an d a t a b o ut 200 s t a t u t emiles , having reached a maximum a l t i t u d e of abou t 120 s t a t u t e m i l es .The roc ke t body shou ld h i t t h e 'Eea some 20 miles beyond t h e s p a c e c r a f t .INDUSTRIAL PARTICIPATION

H und re ds of i n d u s t r i a l f a b r i c a t o r s and s u p p l i e r s a r e cont;-r lbutingt o t h e Mercury-Reds tone program.

The f i r s t tw o of t h e e i g h t r o c k e t s t o be prov i ded for P r o j e c tMercury by t h e Marshall C e n t e r were assembled a t t h e C en te r. MSFCalso f a b r i c a t e d m a n y of t h e components; m a j o r s t r u c t u r a l c o m p o n e n t swere manufac tured by t h e Reynolds Metals Company, Sheffield, Alabama.T h e f i n a l s i x r o c ke t s i n t h e s e r i e s a r e b ei ng f u r ni s he d t o Marshallby t h e C h r y s l e r C o r p o r a t i o n Miss i l e Divison , D e t r o i t .

C h r y s l e r C o r p o ra t i o n a l s o c o nd uc te d a m a jo r r e l i a b i l i t y programunder c o n t r a c t t o MSFC.The Rocketdyne Divisbn o f N o r t h Ameri can A v i a t i on Corpor a t i on ,Canoga Pa rk, Ca l i f o rn i a , manufac tu r ed t h e eng i nes f o r t h e r o c k e t s .


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. . -.ANNEX I Item 5(Con1d)

-7-Major components of the control system Were produced by the

Ford Instrument Company, Long Island City, New York, and Sperry-Farragut Company, Bristol, Tennessee, divisions of Sperry-RandCorporation.KEY PERSONNEL

D r . Wernher von Braun, as director of the Marshall Center, hasoverall supervision of the Center's contribution to the Mercuryprogram.

Dr. J. P. Kuettner is the Center's Mercury-Redstone projectmanager and is responsible for coordinating the efforts of the tenMarshall technical divisions in thisprogram. His assistant isEarl Butler. Dr Kuettner is also a member of the Mercury-RedstoneFlight Safety Review Board. Butler serves as the coordinator for-'the project s Design Panel.

Dr. Kurt H. Debus directs the NASA Launch Operations Directorate,a part of the Marshall Center, which launched the rocket. D r Debusalso is chairman of the Mercury-Redstone Flight Operations Panel,composed of representative of the NASA Space Task Group, McDonnellAircraft and Marshall.Emil P. B e r t r a m .

In thks latter capacity he is assisted by

The deputy director of the Aeroballistics Division,D r . R.F. Hoelker, is a member of the Mercury-Redstone AeroballisticsPanel.

. . . . . . .


17/18

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATIONWASWINOTON 25, 6 . C.

ANNEX I , Item 6

RECOVERY FORCES FACT SHEETThe Mercury ca psu le used i n Pr o j ec t Mercury Tes t MR-1 w i l l be

recovered by a Task Force , commanded by Re ar Admiral F. V. H. H i l l e s ,c o n s i s t i n g of u n i t s of t h e Des t r oyer Force , Amphibious Force , NavalA i r Force , Se rv ic e Force , F l ee t Marine Force , and th e A i r Fo rc eMi ss i l e Tes t Cen te r . Admiral Hi l l e s , Commander Des t royer F l o t i l l aFOUR and Commander Pr o j e c t Mercury Rec over y Fo rce w i l l e x e r c i s ecommand of the Recovery Force from t h e A t l a n t i c Missi le Range MercuryControl Center a Cape Canavera l .

The Task Forc e comprises se v er a l Task Groups, each und er ani n d i v i d u a l Commander. One Task Group c o n s i s t s of numerous landv e h i c l e s and s m a l l c r a f t f rom t h e A i r Fo rc e M i s s i l e T e s t C e n t e r , andh e l i c o p t e r s of Marine Aircraf t Group 26 from New R i ve r , No rt hC a r o l i n a . T h i s Task Group w i l l be un de r t h e command ofL t . C o l . Harry E. Cannon, USAF, of t h e AFMTC.

Another Task Group cons i s t s of t h e USS ESCAPE (APS-6) commanded-by LCDR Richard C . Ashman.The la r g es t Task Group , re sp on s i b l e for t h e h i g h - p r o b a b i l i t y

l a n d i n g a r e a d ow nran ge, c o n s i s t s of a t o t a l of s e v e n s h i p s a n d e i g h ta i r c r a f t under th e command of Cap ta in C . McKellar, J r . , CommanderD e s t ro y e r Sq ua dron FOURTEEN. He w i l l f l y h i s penn ant on th e USS LAWE(DD-763), commanded by C d r . E.L. S w n r a l l . O t he r s h i p s i n t h e g ro up


18/18

ANNEX I , Item 6 (Con 'd)-2-

are :USS POWER ( D D - 8 3 9 ) , commanded by Cdr. J . H. Jo rgensonUSS HANK (DD-TOZ), commanded by Cdr. M. H. Ost randerUSS MURRAY (DDE-576), commanded by Cdr. R , F. MongerUSS TURNER ( D D R- 8 3 4 ) , commanded by C d r . G . E. LockeeUS$ R. K. HIJNTINGTON (D 0- '781) , comnlanded by Cdr. M. T , W i l l i a m sUSS CASA GRANDE (LSD-13), commanded by Cdr. J . B. Meehan (The CASAGRANDE w i l l have embarked 3 h e l i c o p t e r s of Mar ine Ai rc ra f t Group 26 . )-

The A i r Recovery Element of t h e Task 'Group c o n s i s t s of 4 2Va i r c r a f t of P a t r o l S q u a d r o n SIXTEEN based a t J a c k s o n v i l l e , F l o r i d a ,commanded by Cdr. Ralph F . B is ho p, a nd f o u r a i r c r a f t of t h e A i r F o r c eM i s s i l e T e s t C e n t e r .

A l l h e l i c op t e r s i n t h e f o r c e a r e based a t New River , Nor thC a r o l i n a , as u n i t s of M a ri ne A i r c r a f t Group 26, which i s commandedby Col . Pau l T . J ohns ton , USMC.

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