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| MA-1 launch cover with Goldcraft cachet, postmarked Port Canaveral, July 29, 1960. |
Mercury-Atlas 1 (MA-1) was the first attempt to launch a Mercury capsule at Cape Canaveral on July 29, 1960. The spacecraft was unmanned and did not include a launch escape system. The Atlas rocket experienced a structural failure 58 seconds after liftoff, at an altitude of approximately 30,000 feet (9.1 km) and 11,000 feet (3.4 km) downrange. The vehicle exploded while passing through max q, and all telemetry signals were lost. Due to the rainy and overcast weather, the booster was out of sight from 26 seconds after launch, making it impossible to determine exactly what had occurred.
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| MA-1 launch cover with PAFB postmark July 29, 1960. |
The mission aimed to conduct a suborbital test flight and reentry of the spacecraft. The capsule was equipped with live separation rockets but carried dummy retrorockets. Several systems, including the cabin pressurization system and the astronaut couch, were not installed. Many Mercury engineers expressed concerns about the launch, citing that the weather would hinder flight observation. Some witnesses reported hearing an explosion, though this could not be confirmed. The capsule continued transmitting until it impacted the ocean, approximately 6 miles downrange. Salvage operations successfully retrieved the capsule, Atlas booster engines, and LOX vent valve from the ocean floor. The engines showed no signs of damage, aside from some deformation from the ocean impact, but the vent valve and an attached segment of piping exhibited noticeable fatigue cracks.
(Reference from
Mercury-Atlas 1)
