November 21, 1960 2:00 pm

Mercury-Redstone 1

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Redstone

Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
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November 21, 1960 2:00 pm

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Last Updated:

2026-07-13 23:45:25

Mercury-Redstone 1 (MR-1) was the first Mercury-Redstone uncrewed flight test in Project Mercury and the first attempt to launch a Mercury spacecraft with the Mercury-Redstone Launch Vehicle. Intended to be an uncrewed sub-orbital spaceflight, it was launched on November 21, 1960 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The launch failed in abnormal fashion: immediately after the Mercury-Redstone rocket started to move, it shut itself down and settled back on the pad, after which the capsule jettisoned its escape rocket and deployed its recovery parachutes. The failure has been referred to as the “four-inch flight”, for the approximate distance traveled by the launch vehicle.
Launch Overview
Window Open 14:00 UTC
Window Close 14:00 UTC
Lift Off Nov 21, 1960 · 14:00 UTC
Launch Facility Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Launch Pad Launch Complex 5
Target Orbit Suborbital
Payload Overview
Customer National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Payload Mercury-Redstone 1
Rocket Redstone
Destination Suborbital
Recovery Overview
Landing Location See Mission Notes
Landing Type RTLS / Droneship
Mercury-Redstone 1 (MR-1) was the first Mercury-Redstone uncrewed flight test in Project Mercury and the first attempt to launch a Mercury spacecraft with the Mercury-Redstone Launch Vehicle. Intended to be an uncrewed sub-orbital spaceflight, it was launched on November 21, 1960 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The launch failed in abnormal fashion: immediately after the Mercury-Redstone rocket started to move, it shut itself down and settled back on the pad, after which the capsule jettisoned its escape rocket and deployed its recovery parachutes. The failure has been referred to as the “four-inch flight”, for the approximate distance traveled by the launch vehicle.

Height

LEO Payload

Total Launches

Status

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Launch Complex 5
Launch Overview
Window Open 14:00 UTC
Window Close 14:00 UTC
Lift Off Nov 21, 1960 · 14:00 UTC
Launch Facility Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Launch Pad Launch Complex 5
Target Orbit Suborbital
Payload Overview
Customer National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Payload Mercury-Redstone 1
Rocket Redstone
Destination Suborbital
Recovery Overview
Landing Location See Mission Notes
Landing Type RTLS / Droneship

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