Little Joe 5 mission was to demonstrate the performance of the spacecraft and the escape system under the most adverse loading conditions to be expected during an Atlas launch. The spacecraft and booster did not separate and impacted about 12 miles from the launch point in 68 feet of water. Salvage operations were conducted by USS Opportune ARS 41, and the services of USS Bittern MHC 43 were requested to assist in recovery. 60% of the booster and 80% of the escape tower were recovered, providing NASA with the principal desired information. (Extracted from the book "PROJECT MERCURY ...one step into space" by Donald O. Schultz)
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| Little Joe 5 launch cover with Goldcraft cachet, postmarked Wallops Island, November 8, 1960. |
