The Right Stuff (1983)
Earth → Earth orbit → Earth → Earth orbit → Earth
May 1961 to May 1963, following the real Mercury flights. 963 km in all on the map.
- 1
Cape Canaveral, Launch Complex 5 Earth · 5 May 1961, 14:34 UTC
Alan Shepard, told to wait on the pad for hours, finally goes up in Freedom 7.
Freedom 7 · 480 km · 15 minutes
- 2
Freedom 7 splashdown, Atlantic Earth · 5 May 1961, 14:49 UTC
After a 15-minute suborbital hop he is fished out by USS Lake Champlain.
Two months later
- 3
Cape Canaveral, Launch Complex 5 Earth · 21 Jul 1961, 12:20 UTC
Gus Grissom flies the second suborbital mission in Liberty Bell 7.
Liberty Bell 7 · 483 km · 16 minutes
- 4
Liberty Bell 7 splashdown, Atlantic Earth · 21 Jul 1961, 12:36 UTC
The hatch blows, Grissom nearly drowns and the capsule sinks.
Seven months later
- 5
Cape Canaveral, Launch Complex 14 Earth · 20 Feb 1962, 14:47 UTC
John Glenn goes up in Friendship 7, with Annie at home refusing to see the Vice President.
Friendship 7
- 6
Three orbits of the Earth Earth, orbit · date unknown
The first American in orbit; a warning light suggests the heat shield may be loose.
Friendship 7
- 7
Splashdown, North Atlantic Earth · 20 Feb 1962, 19:43 UTC
Glenn comes through re-entry with the retro-pack left on and is picked up by USS Noa.
Fifteen months later
- 8
Cape Canaveral, Launch Complex 14 Earth · 15 May 1963, 13:04 UTC
Gordon Cooper, the last Mercury astronaut, lifts off in Faith 7.
Faith 7
- 9
22 orbits of the Earth Earth, orbit · date unknown
Cooper famously falls asleep on the pad and flies a day and a half in orbit.
Faith 7
- 10
Faith 7 splashdown, near Midway Earth · 16 May 1963, 23:24 UTC
With his systems failing he flies re-entry by hand and lands next to USS Kearsarge.