Place a man into earth orbit, observe his reactions to the space
environment and safely return him to earth to a point where he could
be readily found.
The Mercury flight plan during the first orbit was to maintain
optimum spacecraft attitude for radar tracking and communication
checks.
Launch:
February 20, 1962. 9:47:39 am EST. Cape Canaveral Launch Complex
14. Powered flight lasted 5 minutes 1 second and was completed
normally.
The mercury countdown began on 1/27/62 and was performed in two
parts. Precount checks out the primary spacecraft systems, followed
by a 17.5 hour hold for pyrotechnic checks, electrical connections
and peroxide system servicing. Then the countdown began. The launch
countdown proceeded to the T-13 minute mark and then was canceled
due to adverse weather conditions. After cancellation, the mission
team decided to replace the carbon dioxide absorber unit and the
peroxide system had to be drained and flushed to prevent corrosion.
Launch vehicle systems were then revalidated and a leak was
discovered in the inner bulkhead of the fuel tank that required 4-6
days to repair. The launch was rescheduled to 2/13/62 and then to
2/14/62 to all the bulkhead work to complete. The precount picked up
again on 2/13/62, 2/15/62 and 2/16/62 but was canceled each time due
to adverse weather. The launch was then rescheduled for 2/20/62.
During the launch countdown on 2/20/62, all systems were energized
and final overall checks were made. the count started at T-390
minutes by installing and connecting the escape-rocket igniter. The
service structure was then cleared and the spacecraft was powered to
verify no inadvertent pyrotechnic ignition. The personnel then
returned to the service structure to prepare for static firing of
the reaction control system at T-250 minutes.
The spacecraft was then prepared for boarding at T-120 minutes.
The hatch was put into place at T-90 minutes. During installation a
bolt was broken, and the hatch had to be removed to replace the bolt
causing a 40 minute hold. From T-90 to T-55 final mechanical work
and spacecraft checks were made and the servicewas evacuated and
moved away from the launch vehicle. At T-45 minutes, a 15 minute
hold was required to add fuel to the launch vehicle and at T-22
minutes and additional 25 minutes was required for filling the
liquid-oxygen tanks as a result of a minor malfunction in the ground
support equipment used to pump liquid oxygen into the launch
vehicle. At approximately T-35 minutes, filling of the liquid-oxygen
tanks began and final spacecraft and launch vehicle systems checks
were started.
At T-10 minutes the spacecraft went on internal power. At T-6min
30 seconds, a 2 minute hold was required to make a quick check of
the network computer at Bermuda. The launch vehicle went on internal
power at T-3 minutes. At T-35 seconds the spacecraft umbilical was
ejected and at T-0 the main engines started. Liftoff occured at T+4
seconds at 9:47:39am EST.
Orbit:
Altitude: 162.2 x 100 statute miles
Inclination: 32.54
Orbits: 3
Period: 88min 29sec
Duration: 0 Days, 4 hours, 55 min, 23 seconds
Distance: 75,679 statute miles
Velocity: 17,544 mph
Max Q: 982 psf
Max G: 7.7
Landing:
February 20, 1962. 14:43:02 am EST. 800 miles southeast of
Bermuda.
Recovered by the destroyer USS Noa. Lookouts on the destroyer
sighted the main parachute at an altitude of 5,000 ft from a range
of 5nm. The Noa had the spacecraft aboard 21 minutes after landing
and astronaut John
Glenn remained in the spacecraft during pickup. Original plans
had called for egress through the top hatch but Glenn was becoming
uncomfortably warm and it was decided to exit by the easier egress
path.
Mission Highlights:
Mission Successful. First American in orbit. Total time weightless
4 hours 48min 27sec. During the flight only two major problems were
encountered: (1) a yaw attitude control jet apparently clogged at
the end of the first orbit, forcing the astronaut to abandon the
automatic control system for the manual-electrical fly-by-wire
system; and (2) a faulty switch in the heat shield circuit indicated
that the clamp holding the shield had been prematurely released- a
signal later found to be false. During reentry, however, the
retropack was not jettisoned but retained as a safety measure to
hold the heat shield in place in the event it had loosened.
Forgotten Founders Historic Documents and Coins of Freedom - By Stanley
L. Klos - Last Exhbit at the 2008 GOP Convention:
http://www.pinellasrepublican.org/
Forgotten Founders Historic Documents and Coins of Freedom - By Stanley
L. Klos
Uncommon Sense: President Obama and
US China Trade 1784-2009
The United Colonies 1st
government began in a Philadelphia Tavern
and the United States 1st federal government ended in a
NYC Tavern!
The Founders convened the government in 11 different capitol buildings and
experienced 15 years of challenges that
included war,
hyper-inflation, a failed
constitution, judicial corruption, armed citizen and U.S. Army rebellions.
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