50th Anniversary of Project Mercury
On May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard became the first American in space, making a brief suborbital mission that marked the first manned launch of Pr… read more
On May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard became the first American in space, making a brief suborbital mission that marked the first manned launch of Project Mercury. On the 50th anniversary of that mission, Roger Launius reconsidered the legacy of Project Mercury and America’s first astronauts, examining the origins of these first attempts to reach into space, the Cold War space race, and the meaning of Project Mercury half-century later. Mr. Launius showed many slides during his presentation, “The Right Stuff Revisited: Project Mercury 50 Years On,” and then responded to questions from members of the audience. close
People in this video
Hosting Organization
Series
Related Video
-
John F. Kennedy and the Race to the Moon
Participants talked about President John F. Kennedy’s decision to send a manned mission to the moon and the eventual moo…
-
Leak: Why Mark Felt Became Deep Throat
Commemorating the 40th anniversary of the June 17, 1972, Watergate break-in, historian and researcher Max Holland talked…
-
Science Update on Mercury Flyby
A panel of scientists who have worked on the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) m…
-
Discussion on Barry Goldwater the Conservationist
Brian Allen Drake talked about the life of political conservative Barry Goldwater, his commitment to the conservation mo…