Mercury-Redstone 3

Mercury-Redstone 3, or Freedom 7, was the first United States human spaceflight, on May 5, 1961. It was piloted by astronaut Alan Shepard. It was the first flight with people of Project Mercury. The project had the objective of putting an astronaut into orbit around the Earth and returning him safely. Shepard's mission was a 15-minute suborbital flight with the primary goal of demonstrating his ability to withstand the high g-forces of launch and re-entry.

Mercury-Redstone 3 Media

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  Mercury-Redstone 3 Launch MSFC-6100884

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  Timeline of Mercury Redstone flight, 5 May, 1961

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  President Kennedy watching the flight on TV together with the First Lady, Vice President Johnson and others

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  Alan Shepard in Freedom 7 spacecraft before launch

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  Photo taken by 70 mm Earth-Sky Camera mounted on the spacecraft

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  HUS-1 helicopter from USS Lake Champlain recovering Alan Shepard from the Freedom 7 capsule

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  Alan Shepard on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Lake Champlain after recovery of Freedom 7

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  Freedom 7 formerly on display at the U.S. Naval Academy (now displayed at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.)

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  Mercury-Redstone 3 – Patch