| Insignia | Mercury insignia.png |
|---|---|
| Operator | NASA |
| Mission duration | 5 minutes, 25 seconds |
| Distance travelled | 14 km (9 miles) |
| Suborbital apogee | 4.5 km (2.8 miles) |
| Spacecraft | Mercury No.14 |
| Manufacturer | McDonnell Aircraft |
| Launch mass | 1,141 kilograms (2,515 lb) |
| Launch date | April 28, 1961, 14:03 UTC |
| Launch rocket | Little Joe |
| Launch site | Wallops LA-4 |
| Landing date | April 28, 1961, 14:08 UTC |
| Previous mission | Little Joe 5A |
| Programme | Project Mercury Abort Tests |
Little Joe 5B was an uncrewed launch escape system test of the Mercury spacecraft using a production capsule, conducted as part of the US Mercury program. The mission was launched April 28, 1961, from Wallops Island, Virginia and flew to an apogee of 2.8 miles (4.5 km) and a range of 9 miles (14 km), lasting 5 minutes 25 seconds. Maximum speed was 1,780 mph (2865 km/h) and acceleration was 10 g (98 m/s²). The mission was a success and the spacecraft was recovered.[1]
Mercury spacecraft #14A, which was also launched in the Little Joe 5A test, was reused in this mission; it is on display at the Virginia Air and Space Center in Hampton, Virginia.[2]
See also
References
- ^ Loyd S. Swenson Jr.; James M. Grimwood; Charles C. Alexander (1966). "10". This New Ocean: A History of Project Mercury - NASA SP-4201. NASA Special Publication-4201 in the NASA History Series. p. 9. Archived 2009-04-07 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
- ^ "Spacecraft". Virginia Air & Space Science Center. Retrieved March 20, 2023.