NASA
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Mercury-Atlas 3 (MA-3)
Launch Failure
Liftoff Time (GMT)
16:15:00
Tuesday April 25, 1961
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Mission Details
Launch Notes
First attempted orbital Mercury launch. Pitch and roll sequence failed to initiate due to short or open circuit in missile programmer. RSO T+43 seconds. Capsule successfully recovered.
Mercury-Atlas 3
Mercury-Atlas 3 (MA-3) was an unmanned spaceflight of the Mercury program. It was launched unmanned on April 25, 1961 at 16:15 UTC, from Launch Complex 14 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. The Mercury capsule contained a robotic "mechanical astronaut". Mercury spacecraft No. 8 and Atlas No. 8 100-D were used in the mission.
Low Earth Orbit
1 Payload
Rocket
Launch Site
Stats
Atlas LV-3B
4th
Mission
2nd
Mission of 1961
1961
15th
Orbital launch attempt