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Attempted Recovery of Mercur …
Title Attempted Recovery of Mercury spacecraft at end of MA-4 mission
Description Attempted recovery of Mercury spacecraft at end of the Mercury-Redstone 4 (MA-4) mission. Notice the extended antenna on top of the capsule.
Date Taken 1961-07-21
Close-up view of Astronaut J …
Title Close-up view of Astronaut John Glenn being inserted into Mercury capsule
Description Close-up view of Astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. being inserted into his Mercury capsule (the Friendship 7) for the start of the Mercury-Atlas 6 mission.
Date Taken 1962-02-20
View of Mercury spacecraft h …
Title View of Mercury spacecraft heat shield seen after MR-2 flight
Description Mercury spacecraft #6 heat shield clearly shows the effects of re-entry heat as it is hoisted aboard the recovery ship downrange after the Mercury-Atlas 2 flight.
Date Taken 1964-04-14
Mercury's South Pole
title Mercury's South Pole
date 09.21.1974
description Mercury's south pole was photographed by one of Mariner 10's TV cameras as the spacecraft made its second close flyby of the planet September 21. The pole is located inside the large crater (180 kilometers, 110 miles) on Mercury's limb (lower center). The crater floor is shadowed and its far rim, illuminated by the sun, appears to de disconnected from the edge of the planet. Just above and to the right of the South Pole is a double ring basin about 100 kilometers (125 miles) in diameter. A bright ray system, splashed out of a 50 kilometer (30 mile) crater is seen at upper right. The stripe across the top is an artifact introduced during computer processing. The picture (FDS 166902) was taken from a distance of 85,800 kilometers (53,200 miles) less than two hours after Mariner 10 reached its closest point to the planet. The Mariner 10 mission, managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA's Office of Space Science, explored Venus in February 1974 on the way to three encounters with Mercury-in March and September 1974 and in March 1975. The spacecraft took more than 7,000 photos of Mercury, Venus, the Earth and the Moon. *Image Credit*: NASA/JPL/Northwestern University
Southwest Mercury
Title Southwest Mercury
Explanation The planet Mercury resembles a moon. Mercury [ http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/nineplanets/nineplanets/mercury.html ]'s old surface is heavily cratered [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap950924.html ] like many moons. Mercury [ http://bang.lanl.gov/solarsys/mercury.htm ] is larger than most moons but smaller than Jupiter [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951013.html ]'s moon Ganymede [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap950904.html ] and Saturn [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960717.html ]'s moon Titan [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap950923.html ]. Mercury is much denser and more massive than any moon, though, because it is made mostly of iron. In fact, the Earth [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960819.html ] is the only planet more dense. A visitor to Mercury's surface [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960121.html ] would see some strange sights. Because Mercury [ http://www.oulu.fi/~spaceweb/textbook/mercury.html ]rotates exactly three times every two orbits around the Sun [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951004.html ], and because Mercury [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/photo_gallery/PhotoGallery-Mercury.html ]'s orbit is so elliptical, a visitor to Mercury [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960912.html ] might see the Sun [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/gifcity/interv.html ] rise, stop in the sky, go back toward the rising horizon [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951114.html ], stop again, and then set quickly over the other horizon. From Earth [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951118.html ], Mercury's proximity to the Sun [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960727.html ] cause it to be visible only for a short time [ http://www.maths.qmw.ac.uk/~lms/research/skyeye.html#planet ] just after sunset or just before sunrise.
Shepard Completes His Missio …
On May 5, 1961, NASA astrona …
5/5/09
Description On May 5, 1961, NASA astronaut Alan Shepard piloted his Freedom 7 Mercury capsule in a 15-minute suborbital flight, becoming America's first astronaut....
Date 5/5/09
Mercury: Photomosaic of Bore …
PIA02243
Sol (our sun)
Imaging Science Subsystem - …
Title Mercury: Photomosaic of Borealis Quadrangle H-1
Original Caption Released with Image H-1 Computer Photomosaic of the Borealis Area of Mercury The Borealis Region, located in Mercury's northern hemisphere, was imaged by the Mariner 10 spacecraft during its initial approach to the planet. The north pole is visible at the top of the image. The Image Processing Lab at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory produced this photomosaic using computer software and techniques developed for use in processing planetary data. The images used to construct the Borealis photomosaic were taken during Mariner's flyby of Mercury. The Mariner 10 spacecraft imaged Venus in February 1974 on the way to three encounters with Mercury in March and September 1974 and in March 1975. The spacecraft took 7,000 images of during its mission. The Mariner 10 mission was managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA's Office of Space Science.
Mercury: Beethoven Quadrangl …
PIA02255
Sol (our sun)
Imaging Science Subsystem - …
Title Mercury: Beethoven Quadrangle, H-7
Original Caption Released with Image Mercury: Computer Photomosaic of the Beethoven Quadrangle, H-7 The Beethoven Quadrangle, named for the 19th century classical German composer, lies in Mercury's Equatorial Mercator located between longitude 740 to 1440. The Mariner 10 spacecraft imaged the region during its initial flyby of the planet. The Image Processing Lab at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory produced this photomosaic using computer software and techniques developed for use in processing planetary data. The images used to construct the Beethoven Quadrangle were taken as Mariner 10 flew passed Mercury. The Mariner 10 spacecraft was launched in 1974. The spacecraft took images of Venus in February 1974 on the way to three encounters with Mercury in March and September 1974 and March 1975. The spacecraft took more than 7,000 images of Mercury, Venus, the Earth and the Moon during its mission. The Mariner 10 Mission was managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA's Office of Space Science in Washington, D.C.
Glenn Suits-Up for Launch
Title Glenn Suits-Up for Launch
Full Description Astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. dons his silver Mercury pressure suit in preparation for launch. On February 20, 1962 Glenn lifted off into space aboard his Mercury Atlas (MA-6) rocket and became the first American to orbit the Earth. After orbiting the Earth 3 times, Friendship 7 landed in the Atlantic Ocean 4 hours, 55 minutes and 23 seconds later, just East of Grand Turk Island in the Bahamas. Glenn and his capsule were recovered by the Navy Destroyer Noa, 21 minutes after splashdown.
Date 02/20/1962
NASA Center Johnson Space Center
Grissom Climbs into Liberty …
Title Grissom Climbs into Liberty Bell 7
Full Description Astronaut Virgil I. Grissom climbs into "Liberty Bell 7" spacecraft the morning of July 21, 1961. Backup Astronaut John Glenn assists in the operation. The Mercury-Redstone 4(MR-4) successfully launched the Liberty Bell 7 at 7:20 am EST on July 21, 1961. MR-4 was the second in a series of successful U.S. manned suborbital flights.
Date 07/21/1961
NASA Center Johnson Space Center
John Glenn OK
Title John Glenn OK
Full Description Astronaut John Glenn and technicians inspect artwork that will be painted on the outside of his Mercury spacecraft. John Glenn nicknamed his capsule "Friendship 7". On February 20, 1962 astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. lifted off into space aboard his Mercury Atlas (MA-6) rocket and became the first American to orbit the Earth. After orbiting the Earth 3 times, Friendship 7 landed in the Atlantic Ocean 4 hours, 55 minutes and 23 seconds later, just East of Grand Turk Island in the Bahamas. Glenn and his capsule were recovered by the Navy Destroyer Noa, 21 minutes after splashdown.
Date 02/02/1962
NASA Center Johnson Space Center
Astronaut Alan Shepard on U. …
Title Astronaut Alan Shepard on U.S. Champlain after recovery of Mercury capsule
Description Astronaut Alan B. Shepard is seen on the deck of the U.S. Champlain after the recovery of his Mercury capsule.
Date Taken 1988-03-25
Astronaut Alan Shepard on U. …
Title Astronaut Alan Shepard on U.S. Champlain after recovery of Mercury capsule
Description Astronaut Alan B. Shepard is seen on the deck of the U.S. Champlain after the recovery of his Mercury capsule.
Date Taken 1961-05-05
Mercury-Redstone 1-A liftoff
Title Mercury-Redstone 1-A liftoff
Description Mercury-Redstone 1-A liftoff from Cape Canaveral on Dec. 19, 1960.
Date Taken 1960-12-19
Full-length portrait of Merc …
Title Full-length portrait of Mercury Astronaut L. Gordon Cooper Jr. in spacesuit
Description Full-length portrait of Mercury Astronaut L. Gordon Cooper Jr., in spacesuit during Mercury-Atlas 9 prelaunch activities.
Date Taken 1963-02-26
Astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. …
Title Astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. in his Mercury spacesuit
Description Astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. in his Mercury spacesuit. This photograph was taken at Cape Canaveral during Mercury-Atlas 6 preflight training activity.
Date Taken 1964-02-27
X-48C in Langley Full-Scale …
An historic wind tunnel at N …
9/4/09
Description An historic wind tunnel at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., is helping test the prototype of a new, more fuel-efficient, quieter aircraft design. Boeing Research & Technology, Huntington Beach, Calif., has partnered with NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, to explore and validate the structural, aerodynamic and operational advantages of an advanced hybrid wing body concept called the blended wing body or BWB. NASA is flight testing one version of a 21-foot (6.4 m) wingspan BWB prototype, called the X-48B, at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, at Edwards AFB, Calif. The other one being tested in the Langley Full-Scale Tunnel is the X-48C. It has been modified to make it quieter. Those modifications include reducing the number of engines from three to two and the installation of noise-shielding vertical fins. The wind tunnel tests are assessing the aerodynamic effects of those modifications. NASA Langley owns the tunnel, but leased it to Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va., for more than 10 years for research and student engineering training. Cranfield Aerospace Ltd., Cranfield, England, built the ground-breaking prototypes to Boeing Research & Technology's specifications. Made primarily of advanced lightweight composite materials, the prototypes weigh about 400 pounds (181 kg) each. The Air Force is interested in a full-scale version's potential as a multi-role, long-range, high-capacity military aircraft. This is the second time this aircraft has been put through its paces at the historic tunnel that was built in 1930 and has been used to test everything from World War II fighters, to the Mercury capsule, to concepts for a supersonic transport. In 2006, preliminary tests helped engineers determine how it would fly during remotely piloted flights. Blended wing body designs are different than traditional tube and wing aircraft. One is that they rely primarily on multiple control surfaces on the wing for stability and control. Another is that they blend tube and wings for lower drag and better lift. Credit: NASA/Sean Smith
Date 9/4/09
Mercury Atlas
Name of Image Mercury Atlas
Date of Image 1961-02-24
Full Description The launch of the Mercury Atlas (MA-2), an unmarned suborbital Mercury capsule test on February 24, 1961.
Installing Mercury Capsule
Name of Image Installing Mercury Capsule
Date of Image 1959-01-01
Full Description This photograph depicts installation of the Mercury capsule and escape system on top of a booster prior to test firing of the Mercury-Redstone launch vehicle at the Marshall Space Flight Center.
Preparations for Redstone Fi …
Name of Image Preparations for Redstone Firing
Date of Image 1950-01-01
Full Description This photograph shows the installation of a Mercury capsule and escape system on top of a booster prior to test firing of the Mercury-Redstone at Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC's) Redstone Test Stand. Assembled by MSFC, the Mercury-Redstone was designed to place a marned space capsule in orbital flight around the Earth and recover both safely.
Officials Stand Before Mercu …
Name of Image Officials Stand Before Mercury-Redstone Booster
Date of Image 2004-04-15
Full Description This photograph shows a group of officials standing before a Mercury-Redstone booster at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Among those in the photograph are astronauts James Lovell, Walter Schirra, and Gus Grissom. Also pictured is Joachim Kuettner who managed responsibilities of MSFC's Mercury-Redstone program.
Early Rocketry Models
Name of Image Early Rocketry Models
Date of Image 1967-10-17
Full Description Photographed are models of early rocketry: The Atlas Mercury, Redstone Mercury, and Saturn C-1.
Lobate Scarps within the Hum …
PIA02426
Sol (our sun)
Imaging Science Subsystem - …
Title Lobate Scarps within the Hummocky Plains East of Caloris Basin
Original Caption Released with Image Plains material east of the Caloris basin is shown this image (FDS 191) acquired during the spacecraft's first encounter with Mercury. Several west-facing lobate scarps occur in the hummocky plains interpreted as Caloris ejecta and may be short flow fronts of partially melted ejecta which flowed back toward the basin after deposition. The Mariner 10 mission, managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA's Office of Space Science, explored Venus in February 1974 on the way to three encounters with Mercury-in March and September 1974 and in March 1975. The spacecraft took more than 7,000 photos of Mercury, Venus, the Earth and the Moon. Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Northwestern University
Large Mercurian Crater
PIA02424
Sol (our sun)
Imaging Science Subsystem - …
Title Large Mercurian Crater
Original Caption Released with Image This image (FDS 166), acquired during the spacecraft's first encounter with Mercury, features a 140 kilometer diameter crater and it's surrounding zone of secondary craters. The narrow width of the rim facies, the prominent subradial secondary crater chains, and grooves are representative of the larger mercurian craters. The Mariner 10 mission, managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA's Office of Space Science, explored Venus in February 1974 on the way to three encounters with Mercury-in March and September 1974 and in March 1975. The spacecraft took more than 7,000 photos of Mercury, Venus, the Earth and the Moon. Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Northwestern University
Antoniadi Ridge
PIA02430
Sol (our sun)
Imaging Science Subsystem - …
Title Antoniadi Ridge
Original Caption Released with Image Antoniadi Ridge, over 450 kilometers long, runs along the right side of this image. The ridge transects a large crater (80-km in diameter) and in turn appears to be interrupted by an irregular rimless depression on the floor of the crater. This ridge also crosses smooth plains to the north and intercrater plains to the south of the large crater. This image (FDS 27325) was acquired during the spacecraft's first encounter with Mercury. The Mariner 10 mission, managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA's Office of Space Science, explored Venus in February 1974 on the way to three encounters with Mercury-in March and September 1974 and in March 1975. The spacecraft took more than 7,000 photos of Mercury, Venus, the Earth and the Moon. Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Northwestern University
Astronaut Escape Testing
Title Astronaut Escape Testing
Full Description Mercury-Redstone 3 (MR-3) flight configuration with cherry picker, on one of many tests conducted to evaluate astronaut escape feasibility.
Date 4/29/1961
NASA Center Kennedy Space Center
Astronaut John Glenn being H …
Title Astronaut John Glenn being Honored
Full Description Astronaut John Glenn, Jr. is honored by President John F. Kennedy after his historical first manned orbital flight. The ceremony is being held at the Manned Spacecraft Center in Langley, Virginia. The Center moved to Houston, Texas later that year, where it continues to reside.
Date 2/23/1962
NASA Center Johnson Space Center
Cooper and Capsule on Deck
Title Cooper and Capsule on Deck
Full Description Recovery personnel bring the Mercury space capsule "Faith 7" onboard the recovery ship U.S.S. Kearsarge with astronaut Gordon Cooper still inside. Once secured on deck, Cooper will jettison the Capsule's hatch allowing for his removal.
Date 05/16/1963
NASA Center Johnson Space Center
Cooper Egressing "Faith 7
Title Cooper Egressing "Faith 7
Full Description Astronaut L. Gordon Cooper is assisted in backing out of his Mecury capsule "Faith 7" after a 600,000 mile, 22.9 orbit journey around the Earth. He elected to remain in the spacecraft until it was hoisted to the deck of the Kearsarge, as did Astronaut Walter Schirra during the previous mission.
Date 05/16/1963
NASA Center Johnson Space Center
Freedom 7 Prelaunch
Title Freedom 7 Prelaunch
Full Description Astronaut Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom wishes Alan B. Shepard a safe flight just before insertion into the Freedom 7 spacecraft mated on the Redstone rocket.
Date 5/5/1961
NASA Center Kennedy Space Center
Ham Launch
Title Ham Launch
Full Description Mercury-Redstone 2 (MR-2) Launch with chimpanzee Ham aboard. Monkeys had been flown into space before, but Ham was the first higher primate to test a spacecraft.
Date 1/31/1961
NASA Center Kennedy Space Center
John Glenn Entering Friendsh …
Title John Glenn Entering Friendship 7
Full Description Overall view of astronaut John Glenn, Jr., as he enters into the spacecraft Friendship 7 prior to MA-6 launch operations at Launch Complex 14. Astronaut Glenn is entering his spacecraft to begin the first American manned Earth orbital mission.
Date 2/20/1962
NASA Center Kennedy Space Center
Launch of Freedom 7
Title Launch of Freedom 7
Full Description Launch of Freedom 7, the first American manned suborbital space flight. Astronaut Alan Shepard aboard, the Mercury-Redstone (MR-3) rocket is launched from Pad 5.
Date 5/5/1961
NASA Center Kennedy Space Center
Kuiper Crater
PIA02411
Sol (our sun)
Imaging Science Subsystem - …
Title Kuiper Crater
Original Caption Released with Image The Mariner 10 Television-Science Team has proposed the name "Kuiper" for this very conspicuous bright Mercury crater (top center) on the rim of a larger older crater. Prof. Gerard P. Kuiper, a pioneer in planetary astronomy and a member of the Mariner 10 TV team, died December 23, 1973, while the spacecraft was enroute to Venus and Mercury. Mariner took this picture (FDS 27304) from 88,450 kilometers (55,000 miles) some 2 1/2 hours before it passed Mercury on March 29. The bright-floored crater, 41 kilometers (25 miles) in diameter, is the center of a very large bright are which could be seen in pictures sent from Mariner 10 while Mercury was more than two million miles distant. The larger crater is 80 kilometers (50 miles) across. The Mariner 10 mission, managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA's Office of Space Science, explored Venus in February 1974 on the way to three encounters with Mercury-in March and September 1974 and in March 1975. The spacecraft took more than 7,000 photos of Mercury, Venus, the Earth and the Moon. Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Northwestern University
Hero Rupes Scarp
PIA02413
Sol (our sun)
Imaging Science Subsystem - …
Title Hero Rupes Scarp
Original Caption Released with Image After passing Mercury the first time and making a trip around the Sun, Mariner 10 again flew by Mercury on September 21 at 1:59 PMPDT. This encounter brought the spacecraft in front of Mercury in the southern hemisphere. Hero Rupes, the large scarp visible running across the bottom of the image, is thought to thought to have been formed by global tectonic forces, possibly due to shrinkage of the planet as it cooled. Mariner 10 was looking obliquely across Mercury's southern hemisphere when it acquired this dramatic shot near the beginning of its southern hemisphere pass (FDS166618). The Mariner 10 mission, managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA's Office of Space Science, explored Venus in February 1974 on the way to three encounters with Mercury-in March and September 1974 and in March 1975. The spacecraft took more than 7,000 photos of Mercury, Venus, the Earth and the Moon. Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Northwestern University
Similarities to Lunar Highla …
PIA02414
Sol (our sun)
Imaging Science Subsystem - …
Title Similarities to Lunar Highlands
Original Caption Released with Image After passing Mercury the first time and making a trip around the Sun, Mariner 10 again flew by Mercury on September 21 at 1:59 PMPDT. This encounter brought the spacecraft in front of Mercury in the southern hemisphere. Much of Mercury looks like the lunar highlands, a scene carved by billions of years of impact craters. This image (FDS 166724)was taken when Mariner 10 was near its closest approach to the planet during the second encounter, about 50,000 km. This image is found near the center of the area not imaged during the first encounter. The Mariner 10 mission, managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA's Office of Space Science, explored Venus in February 1974 on the way to three encounters with Mercury-in March and September 1974 and in March 1975. The spacecraft took more than 7,000 photos of Mercury, Venus, the Earth and the Moon. Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Northwestern University
Photomosaic of Mercury - Out …
PIA03104
Sol (our sun)
Imaging Science Subsystem - …
Title Photomosaic of Mercury - Outbound View
Original Caption Released with Image After passing on the darkside of the planet, Mariner 10 photographed the other, somewhat more illuminated hemisphere of Mercury. The north pole is at the top, two-thirds down from which is the equator. The Mariner 10 spacecraft was launched in 1974. The spacecraft took images of Venus in February 1974 on the way to three encounters with Mercury in March and September 1974 and March 1975. The spacecraft took more than 7,000 images of Mercury, Venus, the Earth and the Moon during its mission. The Mariner 10 Mission was managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA's Office of Space Science in Washington, D.C.
Mercury's Caloris Basin
PIA03102
Sol (our sun)
Imaging Science Subsystem - …
Title Mercury's Caloris Basin
Original Caption Released with Image Mercury: Computer Photomosaic of the Caloris Basin The largest basin on Mercury (1300 km or 800 miles across) was named Caloris (Greek for "hot") because it is one of the two areas on the planet that face the Sun at perihelion. The Image Processing Lab at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory produced this photomosaic using computer software and techniques developed for use in processing planetary data. The Mariner 10 spacecraft imaged the region during its initial flyby of the planet. The Mariner 10 spacecraft was launched in 1974. The spacecraft took images of Venus in February 1974 on the way to three encounters with Mercury in March and September 1974 and March 1975. The spacecraft took more than 7,000 images of Mercury, Venus, the Earth and the Moon during its mission. The Mariner 10 Mission was managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA's Office of Space Science in Washington, D.C.
Photomosaic of Mercury - Inb …
PIA03103
Sol (our sun)
Imaging Science Subsystem - …
Title Photomosaic of Mercury - Inbound View
Original Caption Released with Image This is a mosaic of images taken of Mercury taken from 125,000 miles away. The tiny, brightly rayed crater (just below center top) was the first recognizable feature on the planet's surface and was named in memory of astronomer Gerard Kuiper, a Mariner 10 team member. The Mariner 10 spacecraft was launched in 1974. The spacecraft took images of Venus in February 1974 on the way to three encounters with Mercury in March and September 1974 and March 1975. The spacecraft took more than 7,000 images of Mercury, Venus, the Earth and the Moon during its mission. The Mariner 10 Mission was managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA's Office of Space Science in Washington, D.C.
3D Mercury Transit
Title 3D Mercury Transit
Explanation Mercury is now [ http://www.astronomy.com/ASY/CS/forums/314872/ ShowPost.aspx ] visible shortly before dawn, the brightest "star" just above the eastern horizon. But almost two weeks ago Mercury [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap061114.html ] actually crossed the face of the Sun for the second time in the 21st century. Viewed with red/blue glasses [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/Help/VendorList.html ], this stereo anaglyph combines space-based images of the Sun and innermost planet in a just-for-fun 3D [ http://www.sungazer.net/3dtransit.html ] presentation of the Mercury transit [ http://www.transitofvenus.org/mercury.htm ]. The solar disk image is from Hinode [ http://solarb.msfc.nasa.gov/index.html ]. (sounds like "hee-no-day", means sunrise). A sun-staring observatory, Hinode was launched from Uchinoura Space Center and viewed the transit [ http://solar-b.nao.ac.jp/news_e/20061109_e.shtml ] from Earth orbit. Superimposed on Mercury's dark silhouette is a detailed image [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap011124.html ] of the planet's rugged surface based on data from the Mariner 10 [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/tmp/1973-085A.html ] probe that flew by Mercury in 1974 and 1975.
Mercury Astronauts and a Red …
Title Mercury Astronauts and a Redstone
Explanation Space suited project Mercury [ http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/history/mercury/mercury.html ] astronauts John H. Glenn [ http://politicsusa.com/PoliticsUSA/resources/almanac/ohs1.html.cgi ], Virgil I. Grissom [ http://repos.msfc.nasa.gov/history/mm/grisbio.html ], and Alan B. Shepard Jr. [ http://repos.msfc.nasa.gov/history/mm/shepbio.html ] (left to right) are pictured here posing in front of a Redstone rocket [ http://www.redstone.army.mil/history/pioneer.html ] in this 1961 NASA publicity photo. Project Mercury [ http://www.osf.hq.nasa.gov/mercury/ ] was the first U.S. program designed to put humans in space. It resulted in 6 manned flights using one-man capsules and Redstone and Atlas rockets. Shortly after the first U.S. manned flight on May 5, 1961, a suborbital flight piloted by Alan Shepard, President Kennedy announced the goal of a manned lunar landing by 1970. This goal was achieved by NASA's Apollo program [ http://bang.lanl.gov/solarsys/apo14.htm ] and Shepard himself walked on the moon as a member of the Apollo 14 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951209.html ] mission.
Mercury's Caloris Basin
Title Mercury's Caloris Basin
Explanation Mercury [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap950814.html ], the closest planet to the Sun [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap950813.html ], has a surface with so many craters it resembles the Earth [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap950622.html ]'s Moon [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap950707.html ]. The largest surface feature on Mercury [ http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/nineplanets/nineplanets/mercury.html ] is the Caloris Basin, which resulted from a collision with an asteroid [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951020.html ]. The basin, which is more that 1000 kilometers across, is visible as the large circular feature at the bottom of the above photograph. Similar features, such as the Mare Orientale [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960112.html ], are seen on the Moon. The Caloris Basin gets very hot because it is near the "sub-solar point" - the point on Mercury [ http://bang.lanl.gov/solarsys/mercury.htm ]'s surface that is directly under the Sun [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951004.html ] when Mercury [ http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/welcome/mercury.htm ] is closest to the Sun [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951024.html ].
Mercury And The Sun
Title Mercury And The Sun
Explanation Just days before the peak of the Leonid meteor shower [ http://www.arm.ac.uk/leonid/latest.html ], skywatchers were offered another astronomical treat as planet Mercury [ http://pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/welcome/mercury.htm ] crossed the face of the Sun on November 15. Viewed from [ http://space.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] planet Earth, a transit of Mercury [ http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/OH/transit99.html ] is not all that rare. The last [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap991106.html ] occurred in 1993 and the next will happen in 2003. Enjoying a mercurial transit does require an appropriately filtered telescope, still the event can be dramatic as the diminutive well-done [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap991111.html ] world drifts past [ http://www2.astronomy.com/astro/Magazine/Astindex/1999/99Nov/ Transit.html ] the dominating solar disk. This slow loading gif animation [ http://lambic.physics.montana.edu/~handy/trace/mercury/ ] is based on images recorded by the earth-orbiting TRACE [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980515.html ] satellite. The false-color TRACE images [ http://canopy.lmsal.com/schryver/Public/mercury.html ] were made in ultraviolet light and tend to show the hot gas just above the Sun's visible surface. Mercury's disk is silhouetted [ http://chippewa.nascom.nasa.gov/~dcm/transit/transit.html ] against the seething plasma as it follows a trajectory near the edge of the Sun.
MA-1 Capsule Reassembled Aft …
Title MA-1 Capsule Reassembled After Explosion
Full Description The main objectives of Mercury Atlas-1's (MA-1) were to recover the capsule and test the integrity of the Mercury capsule structure and afterbody shingles. About one minute after liftoff MA-1 exploded and the remaining debris landed 7 miles off the Florida shore. The debris was collected and engineers attempted to reassemble MA-1 to determine the cause of the explosion.
Date 07/29/1960
NASA Center Johnson Space Center
Project Mercury - AWT Gimbal …
Title Project Mercury - AWT Gimbaling Rig
Full Description The Gimbal Rig, formally known as the MASTIF of Multiple Axis Space Test Inertia Facility, was engineered to simulate the tumbling and rolling motions of a space capsule and train the Mercury astronauts to control roll, pitch and yaw by activating nitrogen jets, used as brakes and bring the vehicle back into control. This facility was built at the Lewis Research Center, now John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field.
Date 10/29/1957
NASA Center Glenn Research Center
Shepard Hoisted from Mercury …
Title Shepard Hoisted from Mercury Capsule
Full Description A U.S. Marine helicopter recovery team hoists astronaut Alan Shepard from his Mercury spacecraft after a successful flight and splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. On May 5th 1961, Alan B. Shepard Jr. became the first American to fly into space. His Freedom 7 Mercury capsule flew a suborbital trajectory lasting 15 minutes 22 seconds. His spacecraft landed in the Atlantic Ocean where he and his capsule were recovered by helicopter and transported to the awaiting aircraft carrier U.S.S. Lake Champlain.
Date 07/20/1961
NASA Center Johnson Space Center
Solar System Montage
Title Solar System Montage
Full Description This is a montage of planetary images taken by spacecraft managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA. Included are (from top to bottom) images of Mercury, Venus, Earth (and Moon), Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. The spacecraft responsible for these images are as follows: the Mercury image was taken by Mariner 10, the Venus image by Magellan, the Earth image by Galileo, the Mars image by Viking, and the Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune images by Voyager. Pluto is not shown as no spacecraft has yet visited it. The inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Moon, and Mars) are roughly to scale to each other, the outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) are roughly to scale to each other. Actual diameters are given below: Sun 1,390,000 km Mercury 4,879 km Venus 12,104 km Earth 12,756 km Moon 3,475 km Mars 6,794 km Jupiter 142.984 km Saturn 120,536 km Uranus 51,118 km Neptune 49,528 km Pluto 2,390 km
Date 04/09/1999
NASA Center Jet Propulsion Laboratory
View of Mercury Control Cent …
Title View of Mercury Control Center prior to MA-8 flight
Description View of Mercury Control Center prior to the Mercury-Atlas 8 (MA-8) flight of the Sigma 7.
Date 09.10.1962
MESSENGER Passes Mercury
Title MESSENGER Passes Mercury
Explanation Two days ago, the MESSENGER spacecraft became only the second spacecraft in human history to swoop past Mercury. The last spacecraft to visit the Sun's closest planet was Mariner 10 [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariner_10 ] over 35 years ago. Mariner 10 was not able to photograph Mercury [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040912.html ]'s entire surface [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030216.html ], and the images it did send back [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/photo_gallery/photogallery-mercury.html ] raised many questions. Therefore, much about planet Mercury [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_%28planet%29 ] remains unknown. This week's flyby of MESSENGER [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MESSENGER ] was only the first of three flybys. Over the next few years MESSENGER will swing past [ http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/the_mission/MESSENGERTimeline/TimeLine_content.html ] twice more and finally enter Mercury's orbit in 2011. MESSENGER is currently moving too fast to enter orbit around Mercury now. The above image [ http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/gallery/sciencePhotos/image.php?gallery_id=2&image_id=117 ] was taken two days ago during MESSENGER's flyby and shows part of Mercury's surface that has never been imaged [ http://www.planetary.org/blog/article/00001299/ ] in detail before. Many more detailed images of Mercury [ http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/gallery/sciencePhotos/index.php ] are expected to be sent back over the next few days. The data acquired by MESSENGER [ http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/messenger/main/index.html ] will hopefully help scientists better understand [ http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/messenger/main/Land_of_Confusion_f.html ] how Mercury's surface was formed, and why it is so dense.
Mercury transit of the Sun
Title Mercury transit of the Sun
Completed 2003-05-07
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