Mercury
In-active Human Rated Capsule Crew Capacity: 1 Diameter: 1.8 m Height: 3.3 m()
May 5, 1961
Human transportation to upper Earth atmosphere and low Earth orbit.
Flight Life
Between 15 minutes and 3 days.
Description
The Mercury spacecraft's principal designer was Maxime Faget, who started research for manned spaceflight during the time of the NACA. With 100 cubic feet (2.8 m3) of habitable volume, the capsule was just large enough for a single crew member. Inside were 120 controls: 55 electrical switches, 30 fuses and 35 mechanical levers. The heaviest spacecraft, Mercury-Atlas 9, weighed 3,000 pounds (1,400 kg) fully loaded. Its outer skin was made of René 41, a nickel alloy able to withstand high temperatures.
History
The Mercury spacecraft was the manned capsule used for suborbital and orbital launches during the Project Mercury, the first human spaceflight program of the United States, from 1958 through 1963.
New Shepard
NS-38
West Texas Suborbital Launch Site/ Corn Ranch - Corn Ranch, Van Horn, TX, USANS-38 is the 17th crewed flight for the New Shepard program and the 38th in the New Shepard program's history.
Electron
The Cosmos Will See You Now (Open Cosmos Constellation Launch 1)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A - Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New ZealandFirst 2 satellites of UK-based Open Cosmos' secure LEO broadband constellation designed to provide independent and resilient connectivity infrastruct…
Falcon 9
Starlink Group 17-30
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USAA batch of 25 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
Long March 12
SatNet LEO Group 19
Commercial LC-2 - Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of ChinaA batch of 9 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites for the Chinese state owned SatNet constellation operated by the China Satellite Network Group.…
Falcon 9
Starlink Group 6-100
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USAA batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
Falcon 9
NROL-105
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USATwelfth batch of satellites for a reconnaissance satellite constellation built by SpaceX and Northrop Grumman for the National Reconnaissance Office …
Ceres-2
Demo Flight
Launch Area 95A - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of ChinaFirst test launch of Galactic Energy’s Ceres-2 rocket.
Long March 3B/E
Shijian 32
Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) - Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of ChinaChinese experimental spacecraft of unknown purposes.
Ceres-1S
Tianqi 37-40
Rizhao offshore launch location - Haiyang Oriental Spaceport4 small satellites for LEO Internet of Things (IoT) communication purposes.
Long March 2C
AlSat 3A
Launch Area 94 (SLS-2 / 603) - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of ChinaEarth observation satellite built by China's CAST for the Algerian Space Agency.
