The Beach Abort was an uncrewed test in NASA's
Project Mercury
Project Mercury was the first human spaceflight program of the United States, running from 1958 through 1963. An early highlight of the Space Race, its goal was to put a man into Earth orbit and return him safely, ideally before the Soviet Un ...
, of the Mercury spacecraft
Launch Escape System
A launch escape system (LES) or launch abort system (LAS) is a crew-safety system connected to a space capsule. It is used in the event of a critical emergency to quickly separate the capsule from its launch vehicle in case of an emergency requiri ...
. Objectives of the test were a performance evaluation of the escape system, the parachute and landing system, and recovery operations in an off-the-pad abort situation.
The test took place at NASA's
Wallops Island
Wallops Island is a island in Accomack County, Virginia, part of the Virginia Barrier Islands that stretch along the eastern seaboard of the United States. It is just south of Chincoteague Island, a popular tourist destination.
Wallops Isla ...
, Virginia, test facility on May 9, 1960. In the test, the Mercury spacecraft and its Launch Escape System were fired from ground level. The flight lasted a total of 1 minute, 16 seconds. The spacecraft reached an apogee of and splashed down in the ocean with a range of .Top speed was a velocity of .
A Marine Corps helicopter recovered the spacecraft 17 minutes after launch. The test was considered a success, although there was insufficient separation distance when the tower jettisoned. Mercury Spacecraft #1, the first spacecraft off McDonnell's production line, was used in this test. Total payload weight was .
Mercury Spacecraft #1 is displayed at the
New York Hall of Science, Corona Park, NY. It is displayed indoors, suspended from the ceiling, with an escape tower of unknown provenance attached.
Gallery
File:Mercury capsule abort test.jpeg, Flight of the spacecraft and launch escape system. In frame 6 the two separate and the spacecraft lands by parachute in frame 10
File:Capsule Modes in Assembly Shop Wallops Island.tif, Technicians prepare a full-scale capsule which would be used for the test
See also
*
Boilerplate (spaceflight)
A boilerplate spacecraft, also known as a mass simulator, is a nonfunctional craft or payload that is used to test various configurations and basic size, load, and handling characteristics of rocket launch vehicles. It is far less expensive ...
References
External links
This New Ocean: A History of Project Mercury - NASA SP-4201Video of Mercury Beach Abort Test
{{Use American English, date=January 2014
Project Mercury
1960 in the United States
Test spaceflights
New York Hall of Science
Flight abort