Cosmic advancements in the United States was a result of extending the military to space travel. America was anxious for the Soviet Union’s advancements exploring the Cosmos in the late 1950s and Congress advised immediate action to deal with the problem (Howell, 2018). On October 4, 1957, SU propelled the world’s first satellite, named Sputnik out of the atmosphere (Howell, 2018). A potential military space program was sought after but President Eisenhower supported a non-militaristic space agency called NASA after some advising (Howell, 2018). When the United States decided to pursue more knowledge and physical contact with outer space, Project Mercury, named after a fast Roman god was begun. Project Mercury was initiated six days after NASA was formally structured, in October of 1958 (Dunbar, 2017b). America’s first man-driven space trip project was done in an almost five-year period of vigorous action in which over 2,000,000 from various state businesses and the aerospace industry organize their services in collaborative strength (Univ. Oregon, n.d.). Six man-driven space trips were done as a portion of a 25-flight program (Univ. Oregon, n.d.). This proved that humans could work without negative reactions of regular body functions for up to thirty-four hours (Univ. Oregon, n.d.). The origin of the energy that caused man-driven flight to be possible is unable to be determined, but the ideal has been present in the mind of humans throughout logged history (Univ. Oregon, n.d.). In 1958, reports and assessments commanded by administration and business signified possibility of man-driven travel in space (Univ. Oregon, n.d.). On October 7, 1958, operation began founding a nationwide man-driven space travel development (Univ. Oregon, n.d.).
The “Mercury Seven” were proclaimed "astronauts", which came from a mix of "aeronauts," as ballooning pioneers were called, and "Argonauts," the legendary Greeks in search of the Golden Fleece. These new explorers prepared to sail into the new, uncharted vastness of space (Dunbar, 2017b). The main goals for Project Mercury sending six flights of people between 1961 and 1963 were to revolve around the Earth, experiment with the ability for people to do their job in space and not to lose the human or his transportation to space (Dunbar, 2017a). Each astronaut had to go through a heavy interview process that included medical exams that were not only physical but mental and psychological (Dunbar, 2017a). The first astronauts were required to be in their thirties or below, under six feet tall, in great athletic shape, with experience in engineering and flying of at least 1,500 hours (Howell, 2018). The first astronauts were displayed as United States heroes who were countering communism with space (Howell, 2018). Thirty-two people were applying, but only eighteen were suggested for Project Mercury who lacked any medical concerns (Dunbar, 2017a). The first seven astronauts, known as the “Mercury Seven” were chosen on April 1, 1959 (Dunbar, 2017a). All of the space crafts that were driven by man were named by their drivers and implemented a seven in the name in honor of themselves (Dunbar, 2017c).
Technology didn’t evolve to a place where converting thoughts about flying and spacecrafts into reality until around the mid twentieth century (Greene, 2018). It was vital for engineers to find and use the easiest and utmost dependable tactics to system design. This meant that existing rockets would be used to take the capsules into orbit. Those rockets were based on captured designs from the Germans, who had designed and deployed them during World War II (Greene, 2018). Two kinds of rockets were utilized for Project Mercury (Dunbar, 2017c). Redstone rockets were used for the first two trips to Space (Dunbar, 2017c). An Atlas rocket was utilized for four man-driven trips that revolved around the Earth (Dunbar, 2017c). Redstone and Atlas rockets were first made to be used as missile weaponry for the United States military (Dunbar, 2017c). During takeoff, flying, and landing, the capsule needed to have been constructed strong enough to endure massive friction (Greene, 2018). There also needed to be a consistent emergency escape to detach the capsule from astronaut from the launch vehicle in case of impending failure, meaning that the pilot had to have manual control of the craft, the spacecraft had to have a retrorocket system capable of reliably providing the necessary impulse to bring the spacecraft out of orbit, and its design would allow it to use drag braking for re-entry (Greene, 2018). Spaceships needed the ability of also weathering landings in large bodies of water since, contrary to Soviets, NASA strategized landing in the ocean (Greene, 2018).
A big obstacle in Project Mercury was identifying the potential physiological and psychological responses, particularly negative ones (Carpentier et al., 2018). Health remedies in Space have been thought of as an addition to treatment for flying (Carpentier et al., 2018). Experts did not know much about what all a human could endure in a weightless setting (Carpentier et al., 2018). Some hypothesized that buoyancy could potentially cause circulatory failure, incomprehension, stomach and urinary disruptions, and muscular problems (Carpentier et al., 2018). All astronauts were given particular spacesuits for reinforcement in sustaining their system to support life and was about twenty pounds (Carpentier et al., 2018). NASA had to ensure that people would be kept safe from various potential concerns in Space such as radiation, microgravity, and noise before sending man to Space (CSC, n.d.). Upon returning to the planet’s atmosphere, one must endure at least 3,000 degrees of heat which required the United States’ first manned spacecraft to be a capsule fit for one man that was shaped like a cone and covered with an ablative heat shield (Dunbar, 2017a). Medical experts were not confident in man’s ability to handle the isolation of being in a small capsule in outer Space (CSC, n.d.).
Chimpanzees were used for space research because of their similar organ and skeleton builds compared to humans, as well as their ability to receive training (CSC, n.d.). HAM’s successful trip made the path for Alan Shepherd making the first trip to sub-orbital Space (CSC, n.d.). On November 29th, 1961, Enos, the Chimpanzee examined the first orbiting Mercury capsule (CSC, n.d.). In assisting with lessening the collision of arrival, a safeguard for temperature and sack for coming down were constructed to sink before landing (CSC, n.d.). When an error occurred the spacecraft traveled forty miles more than expected, landing with a strength that obliterated the heat shield causing water to invade the space (CSC, n.d.). HAM was in good condition after the incident even though he had to be rescued four hours later for a fifteen minute mission (CSC, n.d.). This helped NASA prepare a stronger heat shield for the first astronauts’ trip a quarter of a year after (CSC, n.d.). NASA managed numerous test flights prior to flying their astronauts in Project Mercury which flights assisted NASA with identifying and repairing issues (Dunbar, 2017c). The Science Center displays the real MR-2 spacecraft that HAM used and has paintings done by rescue teams to keep track of events that occurred during each practice run (CSC, n.d.). The Navy practiced spacecraft conductor and capsule rescue with the MR-2 which were helpful for future events of man-driven launches (CSC, n.d.). The National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution loaned the spacecraft to the California Science Center (CSC, n.d.).
John Glenn’s Friendship 7 got renewed fame because it is the suspenseful point of the film, Hidden Figures, which was first a novel by Margot Lee Shetterly (Neufeld, 2017). White computer women were employed at Langley Research Center so that men could prioritize other work (Neufeld, 2017). After WWII, a labor shortage made Langley search past white women and create a segregated part called, West Computing, for black women (Neufeld, 2017). Katherine Coleman Goble Johnson joined the unit in 1953 as one of the first Black grad students at West Virginia University (Neufeld, 2017). Five years after joining Langley, the center merged into NASA and Project Mercury (Neufeld, 2017). The flight calculations that were done for the capsule’s orbit returning to the atmosphere were done by Katherine Goble (Neufeld, 2017). Computing the accurate position over the Earth to send the retrorockets to land in the perfect spot was a vital inquiry and challenge (Neufeld, 2017). Glenn’s flight was the indication that the United States could compete with the Soviet Union in the Space Race during the Cold War (SI, n.d.). The Space Race was like war and the Atlas rocket that flew Glenn’s spacecraft was an altered ICBM that was meant to be used for nuclear warfare (SI, n.d.). All of the “Mercury Seven” knew what risks they were taking (SI, n.d.). When Glenn did his three-orbit mission, he was successful, but problems arose when the automatic controls (SI, n.d.). Returning to the atmosphere was difficult when a damaged telemetry signal identified that the heat shield was potentially loose, which would be extremely problematic for him to return home safely (SI, n.d.).
From Project Mercury, NASA learned how astronauts could be placed in orbit about Earth, how man could exist and labor in space, and how to control a spaceship in orbit. These lessons were very important. NASA used them in later space programs (Dunbar, 2017c) After Mercury, were the Gemini missions, where NASA learned more. Both Mercury and Gemini got NASA ready for the Apollo missions which landed humans on the moon (Dunbar, 2017c). Project Mercury pioneered the path for the following programs Gemini and Apollo to take place for more man-driven spacecraft (Dunbar, 2017a). Although the memory of Project Mercury is not substantially noticed today, it is still the innovative venture of Project Mercury and its participants that thrusted the United States’ space program to the amazing achievement in 1969, of grasping the task to walk on the moon first (Dunbar, 2017b).