Mercury capsule
First American spacecraft
A Mercury capsule was the spacecraft used in NASA's Project Mercury (1958–1963), America's first human spaceflight program.
The cone-shaped, one-person capsule was designed to orbit Earth and return safely, carrying astronauts like John Glenn and Alan Shepard.
The Mercury capsule splashed down in the Atlantic after reentry.
- spacecraftVehicle for outer space
- astronautSpacecraft crew member
- right stuffRequisite abilities and character
- NASAFederal space exploration bureau
- space raceContest for orbital superiority
Glenn · Shepard · orbit · Gemini · Apollo · rocket · Atlas · Redstone · heatshield · parachute · splashdown · Freedom · reentry · window · couch · periscope · retrorocket · weightless
Mercury capsuleSpace Shuttle
Reusable orbital spacecraft
International Space Station · Skylab · Mir · Saturn V · James Webb Space Telescope
mercury, capsule, mercurial, mercuric, mercurous, capsules, encapsulate, encapsulation, encapsulated