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| Little Joe 5 launch cover with Goldcraft cachet, postmarked Wallops Island, November 8, 1960. |
Little Joe 5 was an unmanned atmospheric test flight of the Mercury spacecraft conducted on November 8, 1960, as part of the U.S. Mercury program. The mission aimed to test a production Mercury capsule (#3) and the launch escape system during an ascent abort at maximum dynamic pressure. Launched from Wallops Island, Virginia, the flight experienced issues just sixteen seconds after liftoff when both the escape rocket and the tower jettison rocket fired prematurely. Additionally, the booster, capsule, and escape tower failed to separate as planned. Consequently, the entire assembly was destroyed upon impact with the Atlantic Ocean. Little Joe 5 reached an apogee of 10.1 miles (16.2 km) and traveled a distance of 13 miles (20.9 km). Some debris from the capsule and booster was later recovered from the ocean floor for post-flight analysis.
