1961-11-01 USA Mercury Scout MS-1

A Mercury-Scout 1 (MS-1) launch cover from "Swanson" featuring a rubber-stamped cachet, postmarked at Patrick Air Force Base with a machine cancel on November 1, 1961.

Mercury-Scout 1 (MS-1) was launched aboard an Air Force Blue Scout II rocket from Cape Canaveral to test and qualify the worldwide Mercury tracking network in preparation for manned orbital flights.

The mission failed shortly after liftoff when the rocket developed erratic motions caused by crossed pitch and yaw guidance wiring. The vehicle was destroyed by the Range Safety Officer approximately 43 seconds after launch. NASA subsequently determined that further Mercury-Scout missions were unnecessary after the successful Mercury-Atlas 4 and 5 flights demonstrated the tracking network’s readiness.

(Reference from Mercury-Scout 1)