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| Mercury-Atlas 7 (Aurora 7) Launch Cover. A SpaceCraft illustrated cachet cover with a 4¢ Project Mercury stamp affixed, bearing a Patrick Air Force Base cancellation dated May 24, 1962 (launch day), the second US manned orbital flight. It features a "Project Mercury/Man in Space" illustrated cachet. Signed by Scott Carpenter. |
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| Photo: "Aurora 7" capsule atop an Atlas rocket, May 17, 1962. |
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| Photo: Scott Carpenter suiting up for the Mercury-Atlas 7 spaceflight on May 24, 1962. |
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| Photo: Scott Carpenter stepping out of the transfer van to the launching pad, May 14, 1962. |
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| Swanson rubber stamp cachet on plain cover. Signed by Scott Carpenter, Hermann Oberth and Wernher von Braun. |
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| Photo: Scott Carpenter took this photo of the booster rocket falling away from his spacecraft. |
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| Photo: Tracking the Aurora 7 flight path. |
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| Sokolsky illustrated cover, postmarked at Port Canaveral on launch day May 24, 1962. Scott Carpenter piloted his Aurora 7 spacecraft, made three earth orbits. A typo error on the cover: should be "Three" instead of "Two" orbits around the earth. |
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| Photo: The objective of the tethered balloon experiment is to measure differences in atmospheric drag between the perigee (100 miles) and the apogee (160 miles) of the orbit, and evaluate the relative merit of various colors for optimum visibility in space at short and long ranges. The balloon failed to inflate properly so no valuable data was obtained. |
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| Mercury-Atlas 7 (Aurora 7) spacecraft released off Point Arguello, CA,. Pacific Missile Range (nearest post office at Lompoc, CA) to coordinate spacecraft's final approach for Atlantic ocean splashdown. However the release resulted an overshot in the landing site. |
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| Photo: Location on map where Scott Carpenter landed after his orbital flight. |
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| Photo: "AIRCRAFT carrier Intrepid, whose helicopter picked up astronaut after his capsule overshot mark in landing, is shown en route to the scene." |
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| Photo: Scott Carpenter and a paramedic on a life raft waiting for recovery. |
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| Photo: Scott Carpenter hoisted from the life raft after spending 3 hours in the Atlantic. |
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| Photo: Scott Carpenter took a short nap on the rescue helicopter while enroute to USS Intrepid. |
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| Mercury MA-7 launch cover with details of the recovery, autographed by Commander John M "Wondy" Wondergem (commander of Helicopter Squadron HS3 in the Atlantic Fleet). Commander Wondergem recovered Scott Carpenter in the "Sigma 7" space capsule of Project Mercury. |
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| Photo: "CAPT. JOHN WONDERGEM, now an officer on the Eighth Naval District staff, smiles and shows picture of a helicopter he piloted which picked up Astronaut Scott Carpenter in 1962. Recovery missions then were less precise and there was difficulty in locating Scott at first. His space capsule leaked and he got soaked before getting aboard this "chopper". Photo by The Times-Picayune. August 6, 1971" |
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| USS Intrepid Captain's Cover was the prime recovery ship that was designated to recover Aurora 7. A helicopter from USS Intrepid was sent to pick up Scott Carpenter after Aurora 7 capsule landed off course. Signed by Scott Carpenter and the ship's Commanding Officer J. L. Abbot, JR. |
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| Photo: "Astronaut Scott Carpenter strides across the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid after he was plucked from the sea. With him is an Air Force doctor. (AP)" |
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| USS John R. Pierce was the ship that recovered Aurora 7 capsule, 6 hours and 34 minutes after splashdown in the Atlantic ocean. |
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| USS John R. Pierce Aurora 7 recovery ship cover, hand cancelled May 24 , 1962 on USS John R. Pierce. Signed by Scott Carpenter. |
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| Photo: Scott Carpenter answering a question at news conference on May 27, 1962. |
