Big Joe 1 (Atlas-10D) launched an unmanned Mercury boilerplate capsule from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on September 9, 1959. The mission aimed to evaluate the spacecraft's ablative heat shield, afterbody heating, reentry dynamics, attitude control, and recovery systems, with an Atlas missile serving as the booster. This flight marked the first spacecraft launch in Project Mercury. The capsule landed 490 nautical miles short of its intended destination, and the USS Strong (DD 758), a Desflot Four destroyer, recovered it 7 hours and 54 minutes after liftoff.
 |
| Photo: Alan Shepard at the blockhouse to watch the launch of the Atlas rocket test on September 9, 1959. |
 |
 |
Left: Postcard postmarked at Port Canaveral on September 9, 1959,
on launch day of Big Joe 1.
Right: Postcard postmarked at Port Canaveral on September 10, 1959,
the day the Mercury capsule returned to port. |
