In order to better withstand the high "G" loads of launch and reentry, each astronaut in Project Mercury, the first U.S. human spaceflight program, had form-fitting fiberglass couches cast for his body. This couch was used in the Mercury Procedures Trainer, a simulator, by Alan B. Shepard, Jr., the first American in space. Shepard flew a short suborbital hop in May 1961, and was the backup for L. Gordon Cooper's thirty-four-hour orbital mission in May 1963. He hoped to fly in space again on the next mission, but NASA decided to end the Mercury program to move on to its next project, Gemini. Shepard did not go into space again until 1971, when he commanded the Apollo 14 lunar-landing mission.
Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV), the simulator contractor, transferred this artifact to the National Air and Space Museum on behalf of the NASA Manned Spacecraft Center (now Johnson Space Center) in 1968.
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
EQUIPMENT-Training Devices
Manufacturer
McDonnell Aircraft Corp.
Dimensions
Approximate: 53 in. tall x 24 in. wide x 10 in. deep (134.62 x 60.96 x 25.4cm); weight 35 lb. (15.9kg)
Materials
fiberglass
Inventory Number
A19690076000
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.