Exploring the Unknown: Selected Documents in ... - The Black Vault

Exploring the Unknown
831
Mercury-Atlas missions, 241; failure of, 241; MA-1, 179; MA-2, 179, 180, 182;
MA-3, 180, 190, 241; MA-4, 248; MA-5, 140, 142, 248; MA-6, 33–34, 214–28,
249; MA-7, 34, 230–36, 248; MA-8, 41, 279; MA-9, 41, 279; television system
for, 211–12
Mercury-Redstone missions, 203, 241; MR-1, 30, 241; MR-1A, 30; MR-2, 30,
140, 142, 179, 180, 183, 188; MR-3, 173–75, 188, 189, 190; MR-4, 32–33,
33n103, 207–9; MR-BD, 183; termination of, 209–10
MISS program and, 10
mission control center for, 397, 566
mission objectives, 450, 459
naming of, 12, 123–25, 128
opposition to, 295
orbital flights, 33–37, 230; Carpenter’s flight, 34, 230–36, 248, 252;
communication during, 179, 180, 211–14, 226, 227, 228, 233, 234, 236, 249;
Cooper’s flight, 34, 239, 248, 250, 252; Glenn’s flight, 33–34, 214–28, 241,
247–48, 251–52; propaganda value of, 211–14; radio transmissions during,
212–14; Schirra’s flight, 34, 248, 249, 252; scientific experiments, 251–52;
television system for, 211–12; total hours of, 245, 246
priority of, 12–13, 137–38, 563
purpose of, 16, 178, 239, 246
recovery operations, 32, 33n103, 180, 184, 208–9, 244
reentry vehicles, 5–6, 8, 50–51
review of by Ad Hoc Mercury Panel, 177–92
risks and reliability issues, 180–87, 190–92
space rescue plans, 287
spacecraft, 147–48; Apollo program support from, 469; astronaut control of,
23–26, 33–34, 247–48, 249, 252; automatic stabilization and control system
(ASCS), 183, 197, 200, 226–27, 228, 232, 280; circumlunar mission proposal,
203–5; cost of, 26–27, 27n85; customization of, 164–65; design of, 7–8,
24–26, 247; development of, 26–28, 239–40, 246–47; equipment installation,
modular, 249; escape mechanisms, 185; failures with no backup, 185–86,
248; fire hazard, 185; heat and capsule design, 50; manuals for, 165–66;
oversight of building of, 27; oxygen atmosphere, 28, 28n89, 183, 251, 654;
procurement of, 126; redundant systems, 184–85, 248; reliability analysis,
186–87; reliability issues, 181–84, 250; role of astronauts in development of,
160; specifications for, 89–116; specifications of finished capsule, 28; testing,
127; weight of, 25, 27
suborbital flights, 30–33; Ad Hoc Mercury Panel report, 177–92; animal
payloads, 138–45; astronaut selection, 173–77; Grissom’s flight, 32–33,
33n103, 207–9, 241; propaganda use of astronauts’ experiences, 31, 205–7;
Shepard’s flight, 31, 192–203, 241, 394, 395, 478, 479; termination of
program for, 209–10
success and accomplishments of, 34, 377, 390
timeframe for missions, 26, 36, 240–41
tracking flights, 36, 180, 244–45, 249
weightlessness issues: orbital flights, 225–26, 228, 250–51; simulation
training, 155, 160–61, 168–69, 172; suborbital flights, 31, 202, 203
work schedule, 482
workforce responsible for, 12, 121–23, 243–44
Mercury Mark II capsule, 37–39, 253–64. See also Gemini, Project