Little Joe — mission imagery
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Failure

LJ-5

Little JoeNational Aeronautics and Space AdministrationLaunch Area 1
Tuesday, November 8, 1960 · 03:18 PM UTCAdd to Calendar

This mission is complete.

Vehicle

Little Joe

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Vehicle details are not available yet.

HeightN/A
LEO PayloadN/A
Launches147
Successes122

Provider

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

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USA • Founded 1958

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and...

Mission Brief

Suborbital test flight of the Mercury spacecraft, conducted as part of the U.S. Mercury program. The objective was to test a production Mercury capsule and the launch escape system during an ascent abort at maximum dynamic pressure. Sixteen seconds after liftoff, the escape rocket and the tower jettison rocket both fired prematurely. Furthermore, the booster, capsule, and escape tower failed to separate as intended. The entire stack was destroyed on impact with the Atlantic Ocean.

PayloadLJ-5
OrbitSuborbital
CustomerMercury
Stages0
PadLaunch Area 1, Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA

Mission Timeline

14 / 14100%
Site lock

Launch Site

Launch Area 1, Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA

LAUNCH SITE
37.939°N, 75.457°W

Schedule History

No delays or schedule changes recorded.