Usage Conditions May Apply Usage Conditions Apply There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page. IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and image viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. More - https://iiif.si.edu View Manifest View in Mirador Viewer Usage Conditions May Apply Usage Conditions Apply There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page. IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and image viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. More - https://iiif.si.edu View Manifest View in Mirador Viewer Usage Conditions May Apply Usage Conditions Apply There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page. IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and image viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. More - https://iiif.si.edu View Manifest View in Mirador Viewer Usage Conditions May Apply Usage Conditions Apply There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page. IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and image viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. More - https://iiif.si.edu View Manifest View in Mirador Viewer Usage Conditions May Apply Usage Conditions Apply There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page. IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and image viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. More - https://iiif.si.edu View Manifest View in Mirador Viewer Usage Conditions May Apply Usage Conditions Apply There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page. IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and image viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. More - https://iiif.si.edu View Manifest View in Mirador Viewer Usage Conditions May Apply Usage Conditions Apply There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page. IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and image viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. More - https://iiif.si.edu View Manifest View in Mirador Viewer Usage Conditions May Apply Usage Conditions Apply There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page. IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and image viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. More - https://iiif.si.edu View Manifest View in Mirador Viewer

On May 24, 1962, M. Scott Carpenter orbited the Earth three times in this capsule, becoming the fourth American in space and the second to go into orbit. His mission, Mercury-Atlas 7 (MA-7), lasted 4 hours and 56 minutes and included a number of scientific objectives. Carpenter made observations of Earth's weather, land masses, horizon, sunrises, and sunsets. He deployed a balloon to measure drag and provide information on visibility, but it did not inflate properly. His attitude control fuel was excessive, however, so he spent 77 minutes drifting to conserve fuel. Due to spacecraft alignment error when the retrorockets were fired, and a three-second delay, "Aurora 7" splashed down 250 miles beyond the intended landing point, and Carpenter spent nearly 3 hours on the water before recovery.

In October 1967, the Smithsonian Institution received this artifact from the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.

Display Status

This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.

Object Details
Country of Origin United States of America Type SPACECRAFT-Crewed Manufacturer McDonnell Aircraft Corp.
Astronaut Scott M. Carpenter
Dimensions Overall: 112 in. tall x 73 in. wide, 2974 lb. (284.5 x 185.4cm, 1349kg)
Materials Skin & Structure: Titanium
Shingles: Nickel-steel alloy; Beryllium shingles removed
Ablation Shield: Glass fibers, resin
Inventory Number A19680263000 Credit Line Transferred from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Data Source National Air and Space Museum Restrictions & Rights Usage conditions apply
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.
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