fifth united_states manned space mission nasa mercury program earth times spacecraft october hour flight focused mainly technical evaluation scientific experimentation longest manned flight achieved space race day record set soviet earlier year confirmed mercury spacecraft ahead day mission followed planning began mission february aiming seven orbit flight build previous orbit missions nasa officially announced mission june flight plan finalized late july mission focused engineering tests scientific experimentation mission finally launched morning october having delayed weeks problems series minor problems launch faulty temperature controller pressure suit technical problems noted flight spacecraft automated passive flight modes prolonged periods pilot monitored carried minor scientific experiments capsule landed pacific_ocean half mile recovery carrier hoisted aboard scientific results mission mixed astronaut returned healthy hours confinement low gravity environment observation earth surface proved heavy cloud cover bad photographic public political reaction muted compared earlier missions cuban missile crisis soon eclipsed space race news mission technical success engineering objectives completed significant spacecraft fuel expected confirmed capabilities mercury spacecraft allowed nasa plan confidence day long flight early goal mercury program crew backup crew mission parameters mass kilograms period min background united_states soviet_union flown solo space race widespread perception united_states falling missions lasted minutes soviet missions earth second remained orbit day new high powered coming mercury missions expected reduce gap countries nasa announced missions end november shortly mercury test flight carried twice earth planned flight primary crew backup follow mission backup february draft planning began mission goal seven intermediate step day long orbit flight decision seven driven mission rules recovery operations seventh orbit required significant additional recovery forces able reach capsule trajectory eighteen hours orbit profile effects recovery plans recovery point moved pacific_ocean atlantic march nasa announced medically unfit replaced prime crew mission decision replace carpenter official backup justified large training carpenter managed preparing long delayed mission success missions pressure began mount fly extended mission june nasa announced plan upcoming mission named prime crew backup repeating backup fly pattern set previous missions pattern repeated flown cooper planned cancelled flown cooper backup soviet_union flown flights time landed putting sides space race flights soviets flown longer mercury program gaining momentum orbit mission currently planned press speculation day mission mid august soviet_union launched missions day craft intersecting despite speculation attempt rendezvous completed missions respectively days landing minutes august far ahead currently planned mercury nasa quickly considered prospect modifying capsule active rendezvous capability technology developed program examining time safety implications proposal decided abandon idea continue planned orbit mission mission objectives original flight plan issued july revised slightly august september remained broadly unchanged launch improvement situation frequent extensive alterations making difficult pilot train efficiently aim flight engineering oriented mission focusing operation spacecraft scientific experimentation help way future long duration mission chose capsule reflection focus mathematical symbol appropriate engineering evaluation refer seven mercury mission objectives involved evaluating performance spacecraft effect prolonged pilot specific spacecraft systems evaluated tested worldwide tracking communications network tested stand extended mission flight control experiments included manually turning spacecraft pitch manoeuvres determine easy control spacecraft attitude realignment onboard flight leaving spacecraft drift orbit non engineering scientific experiments planned requiring active involvement astronaut completely passive involved astronaut watching high powered passing australia arc lamp passing second involved sets photographs taken camera conventional color photographs earth orbit focusing geological features cloud patterns photographs taken set colored filters provided intended help clouds surface features turn help improve cameras future weather satellites passive experimentation packages sets radiation sensitive photographic films space flight center set different experimental materials attached outside spacecraft test performance entry spacecraft modifications spacecraft identical preceding mercury flights spacecraft heating blankets removed motors save weight bomb added ejected time main parachute deployed help recovery crews find spacecraft landed number modifications reaction control system communications equipment upgraded modified previous flight included fuel new fuel instead original completely eliminate problems instability allow released immediately attaining thrust instead held pad moments mission preparation capsule built mission delivered january assigned mission accepted nasa plant july delivered august late july launch date set september delays delivery series technical concerns safety rocket motors caused pushed weeks modified propulsion system concern tests earlier year failures caused years late early static firing tests experienced pump failure explosion engine followed missile april exploded immediately failure analysis incidents failed locate specific cause pump explosions occurred running hardware modifications movement inlet valve flight ready open position decided thorough deemed flight worthy september tests scheduled continue september allowed probable launch october static firing test pad expose failure mode question carried september reported ready assembly september concerns raised radiation belt produced orbit recent nuclear tests dangerous manned space missions extensive study announced early september declared safe fly outside capsule expected receive study concluded effect spacecraft structure reduce experienced astronaut established tolerance limits began training mission early july logging hours hours spacecraft included multiple systems tests simulated flights culminating half hour simulated flight september spacecraft fully stacked pad highlights training period included visit president september mission reported ready weather october major concern weather major tropical storm atlantic worries series pacific pose problem recovery operations evening october decision taken launch morning launch awakened morning october breakfast including day brief physical left entered spacecraft found sandwich left glove compartment began pre launch checks launch countdown proceeded planned minute hold allow tracking station repair radar set countdown resumed proceeded delays proceeded smoothly clockwise roll reached second approached required threshold trigger system later identified slight main engines kept control half minutes flight capsule cut ask turtle today announced switching board voice recorder broadcast radio circuit leave answer mission communications noted correct answer recorded turtle club joke astronaut corps challenged question correct response bet sweet ass failure buying round drinks noted later wasn ready world hear chose use board recorder avoid saying answer air flying slightly trajectory engines cut seconds earlier planned engine burned seconds longer intended giving extra feet second velocity putting spacecraft slightly higher orbit planned initial analysis trajectory confirmed capsule remain stable orbit seven ensuring need early orbit activities separating stabilized spacecraft slowly correct attitude deliberately kept motion slow conserve fuel able position capsule half percent fuel reserves briefly tracked spent rotating slowly past attempt spacecraft moved atlantic turned attention testing manual control spacecraft found sloppy compared fly wire system crossing eastern coast africa began feel problem apparent ground controllers having debate flight surgeon safe continue mission ended orbit flight director followed surgeon advice problem settle gave second orbit eventually stabilized problem time slowly suit control high cooling setting compared heat lawn texas australia watched launched ground clouds able lightning lit outline brisbane night pass pacific tested capsule board found difficult use quickly covered soon sun rose crossing mexico reported configuration capsule running entirely automatic input pilot began second orbit began testing maneuver earth main window reference second orbit confirmed existence shower small bright particles reported night section practiced manoeuvres moon known stars reference points second proved difficult work small windows mercury capsule gave limited field view making hard identify travelling pacific fell automatic flight hawaiian tracking station qualities manual control system began orbit disconnected spacecraft turned electrical power system let capsule drift took advantage quiet period test spatial awareness motor control found broadly unaffected eat light meal powered spacecraft indian_ocean continued pacific hawaii given clearance orbit mission crossed california shut electrical power second period drifting flight occupied taking photographs onboard camera fourth orbit drifting inverted spacecraft earth continued photography attempted unsuccessfully spot echo satellite passing approached california spoke briefly minute conversation broadcast live united_states radio television problems began pressure suit water concerned internal temperature avoided opening clean fear suit temperature fifth orbit begun relax commenting rest december small cord exercise device little bit stretching dropping manual attitude control reported sudden burst high fuel use atlantic returned observation photography failed spot planned high power light near south_africa cloud cover brightly lit city philippines reported fuel status half planned eighty percent remaining manual automatic fuel tanks passing ecuador end fifth orbit asked tracking station message pass spanish comments beautiful country appeared orbit ending later noted furious point preparing entry didn want distracted making public statements sixth orbit dominated preparations entry able set photographs south_america try set spatial orientation tests armed passing western pacific fired mission time automatic control system held capsule steady rock period stopped firing noted system burned quarter fuel process recovery spacecraft continued entry orbit burn high power capsule correct orientation noting attitude control felt sloppy enabled rate control system automatic control method fuel high rate maintain control entry specific engineering request dismayed fuel quickly local recovery group prime target area central pacific consisted aircraft carrier center landing area destroyers path search aircraft assigned area recovery helicopters based aboard picked capsule radar miles landing miles landing path destroyer uss reported sonic boom passed overhead feet deployed parachute main parachute feet landing surprisingly precise miles target point miles joked course recovery carrier number elevator capsule hit water sank surface seconds swimmers dropped helicopters help climb prefer towed carrier sent line minutes landing hoisted aboard minutes later blew explosive hatch climbed waiting crowd examinations showed clear hand operating heavy switch felt provided important fellow pilot hatch expulsion accident liberty bell mission maintained hatch blew input fact seen evidence blown hatch early sunk capsule mechanical malfunction remained aboard days medical tests spacecraft midway island transferred aircraft transport returned analysis long term intention putting permanent display spent entered atmosphere october day launch burned display capsule currently displayed united_states astronaut hall fame near florida post flight post flight analysis reported major troublesome suit temperature controls engineering objectives mission deemed successfully completed fuel conservation measures found worked particularly fuel anticipated consumed despite technical changes official report gave credit pilot medical analysis found significant effects hours noted received significant radiation exposure analysis radiation sensitive plates confirmed low radioactive inside spacecraft materials tested deemed broadly satisfactory despite difficulty comparing scientifically light observation experiments unsuccessful target locations covered thick cloud cover able view lightning near noted lights city miles filtered photography weather_bureau worked planned photographs taken conventional color photography successful photographs excess cloud cover end conventional photographs scientific examination problems noted sheer cloud coverage worldwide provide problems future activity kind africa south western united_states perfectly clear medical examination disclosed significant degree caused sitting inside cramped capsule hours post flight report noted seen previous missions emphasized remarkable visual effect thick band atmosphere visible horizon unimpressed view earth space detail compared high flying aircraft told new compared flight feet overall concluded list aircraft flown displacing naval engined fighter mission textbook gave public lecture returning houston received city cuban missile crisis steadily escalating september helped drive discussion successful flight news schedules public concern relative effectiveness soviet american space launchers displaced pressing concern soviet military rockets visited washington receive president kennedy october day kennedy seen photographs missile sites cuba meeting friendly informal despite circumstances later noted took aside sounded potential political career way sounded year earlier unlike turned suggestion chose remain nasa later career saw commanding backup crew mission prime crew mission flew active rendezvous spacecraft earlier plans conduct orbit docking cancelled finally commanding apollo mission retired nasa summer astronaut fly mercury apollo success preparation considerably easier cause observers suggest program ended abruptly order conclude clear note success potentially catastrophic flight view shared nasa planners pressing day mercury mission began technically feasible prepare spacecraft long duration mission involved board weight possible offset additional required changes capsule hardware justify removal pounds control equipment pounds radio equipment pounds found total alterations listed missions spacecraft equipped cameras building photographic work weight power limitations restrict scientific experiments scheduled spacecraft location spacecraft display united_states astronaut hall fame florida
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