NEXT SPACEFLIGHT

Status

Suborbital
Success

Freedom 7 (MR-3)

Launch Time
Fri May 05, 1961 14:34 UTC

First crewed launch into space by the United States.

Rocket

Mercury-Redstone
Image Credit: NASA
NASA
Status: Retired
Liftoff Thrust: 350 kN
Payload to LEO: 0 kg
Stages: 1
Strap-ons: 0
Rocket Height: 25.4 m

Mission Details

Freedom 7

Mercury-Redstone 3, or Freedom 7, was the first United States human spaceflight and was piloted by astronaut Alan Shepard. It was the first crewed flight of Project Mercury, the objective of which was to put an astronaut into orbit around the Earth and return him safely. Shepard's mission was a 15-minute suborbital flight with the primary objective of demonstrating his ability to withstand the high g-forces of launch and atmospheric re-entry.

Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 1,830.0 kg
Suborbital

Location

LC-5, Cape Canaveral SFS, Florida, USA

Stats

Mercury-Redstone

5th mission
3rd mission of 1961
4th successful mission
4th consecutive successful mission