Facts about Mercury-Redstone 3
- 08
Freedom 7's capsule design featured a heat shield that had to withstand temperatures exceeding 1,200 degrees Celsius during reentry on Mercury-Redstone 3.
- 07
During Mercury-Redstone 3, Shepard experienced 11.2 times Earth's normal gravitational force at peak acceleration, subjecting his body to approximately 11 G-forces during the powered ascent phase.
- 06
Approximately 5 million Americans watched Mercury-Redstone 3 launch live on television, making it one of the most-viewed spaceflight events of the early Space Age.
- 05
Alan Shepard's capsule during Mercury-Redstone 3 was named Freedom 7, with the number seven honoring the seven Mercury astronauts selected for the program.
- 04
Mercury-Redstone 3's capsule was recovered by the USS Champlain aircraft carrier after splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean 486 kilometers downrange from Cape Canaveral.
- 03
Shepard's capsule during Mercury-Redstone 3 reached a maximum velocity of 2,609 kilometers per hour during its suborbital trajectory on May 5, 1961.
- 02
The 15-minute suborbital flight of Mercury-Redstone 3 used a Redstone rocket modified with an elongated fuel tank to achieve sufficient velocity for the mission's ballistic trajectory.
- 01
On May 5, 1961, astronaut Alan Shepard piloted Mercury-Redstone 3 to become the first American in space, reaching an altitude of 116.5 kilometers.