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Product Name: PROJECT MERCURY PROGRESS

Product Description

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA. -- Project Mercury, the first stop in the United States manned space flight program, has been vigorously pursued by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration since the project was begun two and one-half years ago. Carrying the nation's highest priority (DX) the project has had extensive support by the Department of Defense, other Government agencies, the scientific community, and U.S. Industry. Main purpose of Mercury is to provide vitally needed information for future, more advanced, manned space flights. Progress to Date With the launching of a man into suborbital flight, Mercury reaches a milestone -- first major event in the research and development process which got underway in early October 1958. Subject to successful completion of other tests, orbital flight by an American astronaut is scheduled late this year. Project Mercury has been built on a solid body of scientific knowledge and has involved a wide variety of ground and flight tests, engineering problems and operational planning. It has involved hundreds of wind tunnel and aircraft drop tests, under direction of NASA's Space Task Group and supported by the entire NASA staff and plant. Ten major rocket launches have succeeded out of 13 tries. Specially modified rocket boosters have been put in production; the McDonnel Mercury spacecraft has gone through the entire process of design, engineering, production and test, and 12 capsules have been completed and delivered; the seven astronauts and the operating forces have been trained, and a worldwide network of communications and tracking stations is in the final phase of construction. Cost of the program is expected to total about 400 million dollars for the entire process from design and production, through the planned series of orbital flights. A high-priority project, Mercury has incurred overtime work by NASA staff and the contracting personnel. For many months the McDonnel plant at St. Louis, Missouri, and the NASA and other employees at Cape Canaveral, have been on a three-shift, seven-day week. A number of NASA employees work as much as 60 hours each week. As with all research and development projects, Mercury has kept pace with scientific and technological advances as the work progressed, and its flight schedules -- now coming into the phase of increasing frequency -- have followed a steady course. Organization Project Mercury was born a few days after the NASA was born October 1, 1958. It followed closely the formation of the NASA Space Task Group under the Office of Space Flight Programs. Space Task Group, located at Langley Field, Virginia, has a staff of more than 700 headed by Robert R. Gilruth, Director. Gilruth was formerly Assistant Director of NASA's Langley Research Center. Walter C. Williams, Associate Director, who heads Mercury flight operations, was drawn from the Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, where he directed NASA's high speed and altitude research flights. Greatest government support of Mercury has been given by the Department of Defense. From its large pool of experienced aeronautical engineering test pilots, NASA selected its seven astronauts. The Army, Navy and Air Force are supplying valuable medical services and personnel. Each of the services is providing communications and tracking equipment and facilities for sections of the Mercury network. By agreement with the Department, NASA reimburses the individual armed forces for services above their normal operations. The Air Force Space Systems Command also supplies Atlas rocket boosters and launch services, air rescue units, map-making and charting, aircraft for astronaut flight and zero G training, use of the Atlantic Missile Range, and animal specimens for the flight programs. The U.S. Army is furnishing a tracking base at its White Sands Missile Range and amphibious vehicles for recovery needs near the launch site. The Redstone rocket, originally developed by the Army and now produced by NASA and industry, is the prime launcher for the Mercury suborbital flight series. The Navy, whose main responsibility is location, recovery and delivery of the capsule and astronaut following flight, provides ships, aircraft, early warning craft, amphibious and service vessels, Marine helicopters, and associated gear from the Atlantic fleet. The Navy is assisting with the construction and operation of tracking and communications stations on its Pacific Missile Range. Much of the progress of the Mercury project to date is due to the assistance and capability of American industry. A large share of its work has been performed by the hundreds of contractors and subcontractors from many segments of industry.

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In the next week or so, the Project Mercury's third Redstone launch will take place at Cape Canaveral. In this connection, James E. Webb, Administer or National Aeronautic and Space Administration, stated: "Our nation's space program will soon... more