On May 5, 1961, Alan B. Shepard, Jr. 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, and both were taken aboard the recovery ship, the USS Lake Champlain (CV-39). Lieutenant (junior grade) Robert J. Jaczko, Sr. was the Public Information Officer for the ship at the time of Shepard's historic flight and was responsible for the press corps aboard for the event.

NASM.2018.0024

Arranged and described by Jessamyn Lloyd in 2018, encoded by Jessamyn Lloyd in 2020.

United States. Navy

1961

Robert J. Jaczko, Sr., Gift, 2018, NASM.2018.0024

0.05 Cubic feet (1 folder)

This collection consists of twenty-one U.S. Navy photographs compiled for the press kit prepared for the Mercury-Redstone 3 (MR-3) mission as well as a teletype news article about the recovery.

No restrictions on access.

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Photographs

Correspondence

This collection is in original order.

This collection consists of twenty-one U. S. Navy photographs compiled for the press kit prepared for the Mercury-Redstone 3 (MR-3) mission. The photographs show the recovery mission as well as Alan B. Shepard, Jr. during debriefing. There is also a photograph showing the press corps that was selected to be aboard the USS Lake Champlain (CV-39), which is signed on the reverse by many of the reporters. The photographs are all black and white and measure 8 by 10 inches each. The collection also contains a teletype news story filed by the United Press International (UPI) aboard the ship, and a color post card showing the recovery of Freedom 7 by helicopter.

Photographs

Correspondence

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Shepard, Alan B. (Alan Bartlett), 1923-1998

Mercury MR-3 Flight Freedom 7 Recovery Photographs, NASM.2018.0024, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

National Air and Space Museum Archives