Little Joe | LJ-5

Launch Provider & Rocket

• Provider: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Government)
• Rocket: Little Joe — Little Joe family

Mission

Suborbital test flight of the Mercury spacecraft, conducted as part of the U.S. Mercury program. The objective was to test a production Mercury capsule and the launch escape system during an ascent abort at maximum dynamic pressure. Sixteen seconds after liftoff, the escape rocket and the tower jettison rocket both fired prematurely. Furthermore, the booster, capsule, and escape tower failed to separate as intended. The entire stack was destroyed on impact with the Atlantic Ocean.

• Type: Test Flight
• Orbit: Suborbital (Sub)

Launch Site

• Pad: Launch Area 1
• Location: Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA
• View on map

Program

• Mercury — Project Mercury was the first human spaceflight program of the United States, running from 1958 through 1963. (Wikipedia)