Project Mercury Overview

Initiated in 1958, completed in 1963, Project Mercury was the United States' first man-in-space program. The objectives of the program, which made six manned flights from 1961 to 1963, were specific.

Objectives and Guidelines

The objectives of the Mercury Project, as stated at the time of project go-ahead, were as follows: 1. Place a manned spacecraft in orbital flight around the earth. 2. Investigate man's performance capabilities and his ability to function in the environment of space. 3. Recover the man and the spacecraft safely.

Overview – Astronaut Selection

Now that men had been chosen to serve as the focal points for all this effort, new spirits animated the Space Task Group. Indeed, the Nation as a whole began to participate vicariously in Project Mercury when, on April 9, 1959, at a press conference the public met the seven men chosen to be this Nation’s nominees for the first human voyagers into space.

Overview – Summary

The United States' first manned space flight project was successfully accomplished in a 5 year period of dynamic activity which saw more than 2,000,000 people from many major government agencies and much of the aerospace industry combine their skills, initiative, and experience into a national effort.

Uncrewed Missions

There were 20 unmanned Project Mercury missions in all. Learn more about them.

Crewed Flights Summary

Mercury, America's first human space flight program, introduced the nation to its first astronauts. There were six total flights with six astronauts flown. Total flight time for these missions was 53 hours, 55 minutes and 27 seconds.

Mercury 7 History Resources

Biographies of the Mercury 7 astronauts, documents, and a bibliography for further reading are presented in this collection of resources prepared for the fourtieth anniversary of the selection of the Mercury 7.

Mercury Spacecraft Technical Diagrams

In this collection of technical diagrams, details of the Mercury-Redstone launch vehicle and the Mercury spacecraft come to light.

Larson and Myers Oral History Interview

Learn more about the NASA and U.S. Naval School of Aviation Medicine joint research program that became known as the Gallaudet Eleven by reading an oral history interview with two of the participants, Harry Larson and David Myers.