_1.jpg) The launch of Mercury-Atlas 4 | |
| Names | Mercury-Atlas 4 MA-4 |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Test flight |
| Operator | NASA |
| Harvard designation | 1961 Alpha Alpha 1 |
| COSPAR ID | 1961-025A |
| SATCAT no. | 183 |
| Mission duration | 1 hour, 49 minutes, 20 seconds |
| Distance travelled | 41,919 kilometers (26,047 mi) |
| Orbits completed | 1 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Mercury #8A |
| Manufacturer | McDonnell Aircraft |
| Launch mass | 1,224.7 kilograms (2,700 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | September 13, 1961, 14:04:16 UTC[1]: 2 |
| Rocket | Atlas LV-3B 88-D |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral LC-14 |
| End of mission | |
| Recovered by | USS Decatur |
| Landing date | September 13, 1961, 15:53:36 UTC |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Perigee altitude | 85.93 nautical miles (159.14 km; 98.89 mi)[1]: 2 |
| Apogee altitude | 120.02 nautical miles (222.28 km; 138.12 mi)[1]: 2 |
| Inclination | 32.5 degrees |
| Period | 88.38 minutes |
| Epoch | September 13, 1961[2] |
Project Mercury Mercury-Atlas series | |
Mercury-Atlas 4 (MA-4) was an uncrewed test flight within NASA's Project Mercury program, launched on September 13, 1961, at 14:04:16 UTC[1] from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 14. The mission's primary purpose was to evaluate the Mercury spacecraft's performance in orbit and to test the Mercury Space Flight Network. Despite initial technical challenges, Mercury-Atlas 4 successfully met its goals. The mission involved testing the Mercury spacecraft, specifically Mercury #8A, which completed one orbit around Earth. This successful flight provided important data and insights for NASA's Project Mercury, supporting the planning and development of upcoming crewed missions in the program.
- ^ a b c d Morrison, A.; Chown, M. C. (December 1964). Photography of the Western Sahara desert from the Mercury MA-4 spacecraft (PDF) (Technical report). McGill University and NASA. CR-124. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 13, 2023. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
- ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "SATCAT". Jonathan's Space Pages. Retrieved March 23, 2014.