Mercury spacecraft 12 was originally delivered to Cape Canaveral as a backup for the MA-8 capsule (Sigma 7 flown by Walter Schirra). However, the capsule was returned to McDonnell and reconfigured for an extended 1-day Mercury mission. This reconfigured capsule, labeled 12B, was never assigned to a flight and thus was never re-delivered to the Cape or flown.
In 1967 NASA transferred Mercury 12B to the Smithsonian Institution.
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-Parts & Structural Components
Manufacturer
McDonnell Aircraft Corp.
Dimensions
3-D (Shingle "7C"): 62.9 × 51.4 × 4.4cm (2 ft. 3/4 in. × 1 ft. 8 1/4 in. × 1 3/4 in.)
3-D (Shingle "1C"): 66 × 50.2 × 2.5cm (2 ft. 2 in. × 1 ft. 7 3/4 in. × 1 in.)
3-D (Shingle "1B"): 56.5 × 40 × 1.9cm (1 ft. 10 1/4 in. × 1 ft. 3 3/4 in. × 3/4 in.)
Materials
HAZ MAT: Cadmium
Non-Magnetic White Metal (Possible Rene 41)
Paint
Ferrous Alloy
Adhesive Tape
Ink
Possible Beryllium
Inventory Number
A19680249001
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.