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1959 · National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Big Joe 1

partial failureAtlas LV-3B | Big Joe 1

Suborbital flight with the objective of testing the Mercury spacecraft ablative heat shield. The Atlas booster section failed to jettison, leading to a lower apogee. It was nonetheless sufficient to satisfy the Mercury spacecraft team.

Overview

Date / time
September 9, 1959 at 08:19 AM UTC
Outcome
partial failure
Launch site
Space Launch Complex 14
Mission
Big Joe 1
Mission type
Test Flight
Orbit achieved
Suborbital
Launch vehicle
Atlas LV-3B →
Launch provider
National Aeronautics and Space Administration →