Little Joe 5A
Uncrewed test launch of a Mercury capsule
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Little Joe 5A was an uncrewed launch escape system test of the Mercury spacecraft, launched March 18, 1961, from Wallops Island, Virginia as part of the U.S. Mercury program in a second attempt of the failed Little Joe 5 flight. The mission used production Mercury spacecraft #14 atop a Little Joe booster rocket. The rocket flew to an altitude of 7.7 miles (12 km) and a range of 18 miles (29 km), lasting 5 minutes 25 seconds; maximum speed was 1,783 miles per hour (2,869 km/h) and acceleration was 8 G (78 m/s²). Unfortunately, the LJ-5 failure sequence was repeated when capsule escape rocket again ignited prematurely with the capsule remaining attached to the booster. In this flight however, a ground command was sent to separate the capsule from the booster and escape tower; this allowed the parachutes to deploy, and the capsule was recovered with only minor damage.[1]
Little Joe 5A being launched from Wallops Island | |
| Mission type | Abort test |
|---|---|
| Operator | NASA |
| Mission duration | 5 minutes, 25 seconds |
| Distance travelled | 29 kilometres (18 mi) |
| Apogee | 12.4 kilometres (7.7 mi) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Mercury No.14 |
| Manufacturer | McDonnell Aircraft |
| Launch mass | 1,141 kilograms (2,515 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | March 18, 1961, 16:49 UTC |
| Rocket | Little Joe |
| Launch site | Wallops LA-1 |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | March 18, 1961, 16:54 UTC |
Project Mercury Abort Tests | |
The spacecraft used in this mission was used again on the subsequent Little Joe 5B mission, in a third attempt to achieve mission objectives. It is currently displayed at the Virginia Air and Space Center, Hampton, Virginia.[2]
