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Little Joe 5A

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Little Joe 5A
Mission Insignia
Mercury insignia
Mission Statistics
Mission Name: Little Joe 5A
Call Sign: LJ-5A
Number of
Crew Members:
0
Launch: March 18, 1961
Wallops Island
Landing: March 18, 1961
Duration: 5 min 25 s
Number of
Orbits:
suborbital
Apogee: 7.7 mi
12.4 km
Distance
Traveled:
18 mi
29 km
Maximum
velocity:
1,783 mph
2,869 km/h
Peak acceleration: 8 g (78 m/s²)
Mass: 1,141 kg
LJ-5A
Little Joe 5A being prepared for launch, Wallops Is., VA. (NASA)

Little Joe 5A was an unmanned Launch Escape System test of the Mercury spacecraft, conducted as part of the U.S. Mercury program. The mission used production Mercury spacecraft # 14. The mission was launched March 18, 1961, from Wallops Island, Virginia. The Little Joe 5A flew to an apogee of 7.7 miles (12 km) and a range of 18 miles (29 km). The mission lasted 5 minutes 25 seconds. Maximum speed was 1,783 mph (2869 km/h) and acceleration was 8 g (78 m/s²). Although Mercury spacecraft # 14 was recovered, the mission was a failure since the capsule escape rocket fired without the capsule, as in the previous Little Joe 5 mission. The failure led to the subsequent Little Joe 5B mission. Mass 1,141 kg.

Mercury spacecraft # 14 used in the Little Joe 5A mission, is currently displayed at the Virginia Air and Space Center, Hampton, VA .

See also