Mercury-Atlas 3

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Mercury-Atlas 3
Mission Insignia
Mercury 2 insignia
Mission Statistics
Mission Name: Mercury-Atlas 3
Call Sign: MA-3
Number of
Crew Members:		 0
Launch: April 25, 1961
16:15 UTC
Cape Canaveral
LC-14
Landing: April 25, 1961
16:23 UTC
Duration: 7 min 19 s
Number of
Orbits:		 suborbital
Apogee: 4.5 mi
7.2 km
Distance
Traveled:		 1.1 mi
1.8 km
Maximum
velocity:		 1,177 mph
1,894 km/h
Peak acceleration: 11 g (108 m/s²)
Mass: 1,179 kg
MA-3
Launch of MA-3 (NASA)
Example of the Mercury spacecraft launch escape system operation. This is not MA-3. (NASA)

Mercury- Atlas 3 (MA-3) was launched unmanned on April 25, 1961 at 16:15 UTC, from Launch Complex 14 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. The mission was terminated by the range safety officer after approximately 43.3 seconds due to failure of the launch vehicle to follow its roll and pitch programs.

Although the launch-vehicle was destroyed as a result of a malfunction, considerable benefit was derived from the flight test. The launch escape system saved the Mercury spacecraft from destruction. The capsule flew to an apogee of 7.2 km and downrange only 1.8 km.

The flight of the MA-3 capsule lasted 7-minutes and 19-seconds, most of it descending on its parachute. The spacecraft was recovered some 20 minutes after launch and reused on the next flight.

Mercury spacecraft # 8 and Atlas # 100-D were used in the mission. The spacecraft flew again on MA-4 as spacecraft # 8A.

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