Mercury astronauts had to be prepared to make emergency landings anywhere on sea or land under their orbital track. In case of a splashdown at sea, each astronaut was provided with a survival kit that included a liferaft. One Mercury astronaut did use his raft, Scott Carpenter, who landed 400 km (250 miles) past his intended landing zone at the end of his 3-orbit, 5-hour Mercury-Atlas 7 mission on May 24, 1962. He waited in his raft until rescue aircraft and ships arrived.
Transferred from NASA in 1977.
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
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