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On May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard became the first American in space in the Mercury MR-3 capsule. This collection consists of two double-sided checklist cue cards for use on the Mercury MR-3 Flight in Freedom 7 including checklists for normal procedures as well as emergency procedure checklists for various situations.
On May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard became the first American in space in the Mercury MR-3 capsule. He named it Freedom 7, the number signifying the seven Mercury astronauts; NASA called the mission Mercury-Redstone 3 (MR-3). Lofted by a Redstone rocket, Shepard and his capsule attained a maximum speed of 5180 mph and rose to an altitude of 116 miles. The sub-orbital flight lasted 15 minutes and 22 seconds. Freedom 7 parachuted into the sea 302 miles from the launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida, and was retrieved by helicopter, along with Shepard. NASA gave Freedom 7 to the Smithsonian in 1962, the first manned spacecraft accessioned into the National Collection. It is also the only Mercury capsule of the original type flown by an astronaut.
NASM.XXXX.0898
United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
March 1, 1961
Donor unknown, material found in collection, NASM.XXXX.0898
0.05 Cubic feet (1 folder)
National Air and Space Museum Archives
This collection consists of two double-sided checklist cue cards for use on the Mercury MR-3 Flight in Freedom 7 including checklists for normal procedures including entrance, countdown, separation, capsule stabilization, retrograde, re-entry, and landing; as well as emergency procedure checklists for situations including abort, tower fails to jettison, capsule fails to separate, failure of ASCS automatic mode, failure of fly-by-wire mode, attitude gyro slaving failure, cabin depressurization, cabin re-pressurization, excessive CO2 partial pressure, emergency oxygen, alternate suit fan, main battery failure, standby battery failure, isolated battery failure, complete electrical failure, communications system failure, fire or fumes, periscope failure, failure to start retro sequence, failure to attain retro attitude, retro rockets fail to fire, failure to maintain retro attitude, retro package fails to jettison, ASCS cannot maintain re-entry attitude, .05G switch failure, drogue chute failure, antenna fairing fails to jettison, main chute failure, reserve chute failure, and landing bag fails to deploy.
Collection is in original order.
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Mercury MR-3 Flight Freedom 7 Checklist Cue Cards, NASM.XXXX.0898, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Astronautics
Space flight
Mercury MR-3 Flight Freedom 7
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Checklists