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This is a Project Mercury retro rocket that decelerated or slowed down the one-person Mercury spacecraft in its orbit for reentry into Earth's atmosphere prior to recovery. An assembly of three of the solid-fuel motors was fitted onto the heat shield of the spacecraft. Any two of the motors could provide a safe reentry.

Each rocket produced about 1,000 pounds of thrust for ten seconds. The retro rockets were fired with five second delays between each one in order to gradually decrease the spacecraft's velocity sufficient for reentry. This motor was donated to the Smithsonian in 1973 by the Thiokol Chemical Corp.

 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 PROPULSION-Rocket Engines Manufacturer Thiokol Chemical Corporation
 Dimensions 3-D (Tank): 30.5 × 29.2 × 39.4cm (1 ft. × 11 1/2 in. × 1 ft. 3 1/2 in.)
 Materials Ferrous Alloy (Steel)
Non-Magnetic Metals
Possible Phenolic Resin
Uncharacterized Textile (and Possible Rubber Coating)
Paints
Rubber
Plastic
Paper
Ink
Adhesive Tape
 Inventory Number A19731457000 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.