Mercury Scout 1Spacecraft:(no serial number) Launch Vehicle: Blue Scout II D-8 Launched: 1 Nov 1961 |
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Description: 1st Mercury Scout unmanned orbital |
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Small satellite was to have verified the readiness of the worldwide Mercury tracking network. An attempt was made to launch Mercury-Scout 1 (MS-1) into orbit with a communications package further to qualify the radar tracking of the Mercury global network prior to manned orbital flight. Shortly after lift-off, the launch vehicle developed erratic motions and attending high aerodynamic loads, and was destroyed by the Range Safety Officer after 43 seconds of flight. No further attempts were planned. The Mercury-Atlas 4 (MA-4) mission and the successful Mercury-Atlas 5 (MA-5), flown on November 29, 1961, disclosed that the network met all requirements. The program insignia shown above is post factum. References:
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