This New Ocean: A History of Project Mercury

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

By

Loyd S. Swenson Jr.

James M. Grimwood

Charles C. Alexander

Published as NASA Special Publication-4201 in the NASA History Series, 1989.

Table of Contents

Preface

Part 1 - Research

• Chapter 1 - The Lure, the lock, the Key (to 1958)

  • Conquest of the Air
  • The Highway to Space
  • Postwar American Rocketry
  • Redstone and Atlas
  • Sputniks and Soul-Searching

• Chapter 2 - Exploring the Human Factor (1948 - 1958)

  • Beginnings of Space Medicine
  • Zero G
  • Multiple G
  • Environmental Control
  • Matter From Space
  • Space Radiation
  • A Reason for Research

• Chapter 3 - Aeronautics to Astronautics: NACA Research (1952 - 1957)

  • NACA Moves Toward Space
  • Reentry: Aerodynamics to Thermodynamics
  • A Moon for a Man
  • Air Force Provides a Need
  • Jockeying for Position

• Chapter 4 - From NACA to NASA (November 1957 - September 1958)

  • Missiles to Manned Ballistic Satellites
  • NACA's Metamorphosis Begins
  • Man in Space Soonest?
  • NACA Makes Ready
  • Birth of NASA
  • Other Means to the Same End
  • NASA Gets the Job

Part 2 - Development

• Chapter 5 - Specifications for a Manned Satellite (October - December 1958)

  • A Manned Satellite Plan
  • The People in Charge
  • "Aerospace" Technology
  • Calling for a Capsule Contractor
  • Shopping for the Boosters
  • Heat Sink Versus Ablation
  • Project Astronaut

• Chapter 6 - From Design into Development (January - June 1959)

  • Brickbat Priority
  • Awarding the Prime Contract
  • Heatshield Resolution
  • Applied Research
  • Costs and Cancellations
  • Supporting Agencies and Industries
  • Astronaut Selection

• Chapter 7 - Man-Rating the Machines (July - December 1959)

  • Mercury Team Takes Shape
  • Converging Technologies
  • Approaches to Reliability
  • Critical Components of the Capsule
  • Big Joe Shot
  • Little Joe Series
  • One World Network

• Chapter 8 - Machine-Rating the Men (January - June 1960)

  • Controlling the Hostile Environment
  • Suiting Up for Space
  • Seven Astronauts in Training
  • Looking Over Mercury and Beyond
  • Management Learns Its Limits
  • Is Perfect Reliability Possible?
  • Head and Hands of NASA

• Chapter 9 - From Development into Qualification: Flight Tests (July - December 1960)

  • Moving to the Launch Site
  • Atlas-Mercury One: A Complete Failure
  • Election Year Appraisals
  • Technical Sprint for Man in Space
  • Little Joe 5 Votes No
  • MR-1: The Four-Inch Flight
  • MR-1A: Suborbital Quality Proven

• Chapter 10 - Tests Versus Time in the Race for Space (January - April 1961)

  • Interregnum
  • MR-2: Ham Paves the Way
  • MA-2: Trussed Atlas Qualifies the Capsule
  • When is a Vehicle Man-Rated?
  • LJ-5A Still Premature
  • MR-BD Is Not MR-3
  • Vostok Wins the First Lap
  • "News Will be Worse Before it is Better:" MA-3 and LJ-5B

  Part 3 - Operations

  • Chapter 11 - Suborbital Flights into Space

    • Final Preparation for MR-3
    • Last-Minute Qualms
    • Shepard's Ride
    • Briefing the Briefers
    • Precipitation From MR-3
    • Second Suborbital Trial
    • Liberty Bell Tolls
    • Titov Widens the Gap

  • Chapter 12 - Final Rehearsal

    • Mercury Orbits At Last
    • Space Task Group Gets a New Home and Name
    • Wires Get Crossed: Mercury-Scout 1
    • Man or Chimpanzee for MA-5?
    • Training Primates and Men
    • Chimpanzee Into Orbit
    • Now a Man in Orbit?

  • Chapter 13 - Mercury Mission Accomplished

    • Preparing a Man to Orbit
    • Buildup for the Space Offensive
    • An American in Orbit
    • The Hero
    • Program Growth
    • The Slayton Case
    • MA-7 Preparations
    • Flight of Aurora 7

  • Chapter 14 - Climax of Project Mercury

    • Longer Legs for Mercury
    • Preparations for MA-8
    • The Textbook Flight
    • Redevelopment for MA-9
    • Faith 7 for 22 Orbits
    • Whither Gemini?
  Epilogue

  Notes on Sources and Selected Bibliography

  • Note on Sources
  • Persons Interviewed
  • Selected Bibliography (1) - Basic Reports on Project Mercury
  • Selected Bibliography (2) - NASA Project Mercury Working Papers
  • Selected Bibliography (3) - Biblographical Aids
  • Selected Bibliography (4) - Official Reports and Documents
  • Selected Bibliography (5) - Books
  • Selected Bibliography (6) - Journal Articles
  • Selected Bibliography (7) - Unpublished Works
  • Selected Bibliography (8) - Postflight Reports

  Appendices

  • Appendix A - Functional Organization of Mercury
  • Appendix B - Workflow Organization of Mercury
  • Appendix C - Organization Charts(Please be aware that this file contains graphics-laden organizational charts that will take significant time to download).
  • Appendix D - Flight Data Summary
  • Appendix E - Personnel Growth
  • Appendix F - Project Mercury Cost Summaries
  • Appendix G - Project Mercury Tracking Net

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  A special thanks to David Woods for formatting this book.
  Also thanks to Chris Gamble for proofreading.

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  For Additional Information Contact Roger D. Launius, NASA Chief Historian, roger.launius@.hq.nasa.gov