Boilerplate, Capsule, Mercury, Drop Test Vehicle
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Object Details
- Manufacturer
- McDonnell Aircraft Corp.
- Summary
- This artifact was used in 50 drop tests to qualify the Mercury capsule for recovery on land and sea. A boilerplate is a mockup of the same external weight and size as a flight production model, but usually made out of steel. The design and function of a spacecraft can be evaluated without endangering human life or incurring the expense associated with a real spacecraft. In September 1967 NASA transferred this drop test vehicle to the Smithsonian Institution.
- Project Mercury was the United States' first human spaceflight program, with a goal of launching a series of one-man capsules into space. Six astronauts flew in Mercury capsules from 1961-63, the first two were lofted into suborbital trajectories by the Redstone rocket, the last four into orbit by the Atlas ICBM.
- Credit Line
- Transferred from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Inventory Number
- A19680250000
- Restrictions & Rights
- Usage conditions apply
- Type
- SPACECRAFT-Crewed-Test Vehicles
- Materials
- Steel
- Dimensions
- Overall: 68 in. tall x 78 in. wide (172.7 x 198.1cm)
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- See more items in
- National Air and Space Museum Collection
- National Air and Space Museum
- Record ID
- nasm_A19680250000
- Metadata Usage (text)
- Not determined
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv9aa08f945-79be-4cef-928b-053c274c0236
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