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1960 Aug 11 - Nation: USA. Launch Vehicle: Atlas.
  • Mercury-Atlas 1 (MA-1) mission malfunction discussed. Program: Mercury.

    Representatives of NASA, McDonnell, Ballistic Missile Division, Space Technology Laboratories, and Convair met at Cape Canaveral and later at Convair Astronautics (Aug. 30, 1960) to discuss the Mercury-Atlas 1 (MA-1) mission malfunction.

    James A. Chamberlin of the Space Task Group was appointed chairman of a joint committee to resolve the problems and to provide a solution prior to the Mercury-Atlas 2 (MA-2) mission. Work accomplished at this meeting is as follows: A complete analysis of Mercury-Atlas 1 flight data and correlation of the data with data of all previous Atlas flights; a special dynamic load analysis; study of vibration tests of spacecraft, adapter, and the Atlas upper tank section; and review of wind tunnel studies of buffeting loads on spacecraft, adapter, and the Atlas upper tank sections.


    Bibliography:

    • Grimwood, James M., Project Mercury: A Chronology, NASA Special Publication-4001.


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