May 15, 1963 1:04 pm

Mercury-Atlas 9

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Atlas LV-3B

Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Days
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May 15, 1963 1:04 pm

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Last Updated:

2026-07-13 22:10:34

Mercury-Atlas 9 was the final manned spaceflight of the United States’ Mercury program. It carried the Faith 7 spacecraft with astronaut Gordon Cooper to orbit where it completed 22 orbits seconds before reentry. The mission lasted for, 34 hours, 19 minutes & 49 seconds. This was the last time an American was launched to space on a solo orbital mission. The mission had several technical problems, the biggest which was a short-circuit in the bus bar serving the 250 volt main inverter causing the automatic stabilization and control system to stop working during the 21st orbit. In the end Cooper had to use lines he had drawn on the window and his wristwatch to correctly execute burns to safely re-enter the atmosphere.
Launch Overview
Window Open 13:04 UTC
Window Close 13:04 UTC
Lift Off May 15, 1963 · 13:04 UTC
Launch Facility Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Launch Pad Space Launch Complex 14
Target Orbit Low Earth Orbit
Payload Overview
Customer National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Payload Mercury-Atlas 9
Rocket Atlas LV-3B
Destination Low Earth Orbit
Recovery Overview
Landing Location See Mission Notes
Landing Type RTLS / Droneship
Mercury-Atlas 9 was the final manned spaceflight of the United States’ Mercury program. It carried the Faith 7 spacecraft with astronaut Gordon Cooper to orbit where it completed 22 orbits seconds before reentry. The mission lasted for, 34 hours, 19 minutes & 49 seconds. This was the last time an American was launched to space on a solo orbital mission. The mission had several technical problems, the biggest which was a short-circuit in the bus bar serving the 250 volt main inverter causing the automatic stabilization and control system to stop working during the 21st orbit. In the end Cooper had to use lines he had drawn on the window and his wristwatch to correctly execute burns to safely re-enter the atmosphere.

Height

LEO Payload

Total Launches

Status

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Space Launch Complex 14
Launch Overview
Window Open 13:04 UTC
Window Close 13:04 UTC
Lift Off May 15, 1963 · 13:04 UTC
Launch Facility Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Launch Pad Space Launch Complex 14
Target Orbit Low Earth Orbit
Payload Overview
Customer National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Payload Mercury-Atlas 9
Rocket Atlas LV-3B
Destination Low Earth Orbit
Recovery Overview
Landing Location See Mission Notes
Landing Type RTLS / Droneship

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