{"id":74009,"date":"2006-11-30T20:34:00","date_gmt":"2006-12-01T00:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?migration=converted-node-345137"},"modified":"2023-07-25T11:23:40","modified_gmt":"2023-07-25T15:23:40","slug":"project-mercury-overview-objectives-and-guidelines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/project-mercury-overview-objectives-and-guidelines\/","title":{"rendered":"Project Mercury Overview – Objectives and Guidelines"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/project-mercury-overview-introduction\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"74010\">Introduction<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Objectives and Guidelines<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/project-mercury\/project-mercury-overview-astronaut-selection\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"74007\">Astronaut Selection<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/project-mercury-overview-summary\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"74011\">Summary<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s62-08774\/s62-08774~large.jpg?w=1536&h=1920&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" rel=\"noopener\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s62-08774\/s62-08774~large.jpg?w=1536&h=1920&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"Seven men wearing silver astronaut spacesuits\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s62-08774\/s62-08774~large.jpg?w=1536&h=1920&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1536w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s62-08774\/s62-08774~large.jpg?w=240&h=300&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 240w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s62-08774\/s62-08774~large.jpg?w=768&h=960&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 768w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s62-08774\/s62-08774~large.jpg?w=819&h=1024&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 819w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s62-08774\/s62-08774~large.jpg?w=1229&h=1536&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1229w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s62-08774\/s62-08774~large.jpg?w=320&h=400&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 320w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s62-08774\/s62-08774~large.jpg?w=480&h=600&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 480w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s62-08774\/s62-08774~large.jpg?w=720&h=900&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 720w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s62-08774\/s62-08774~large.jpg?w=960&h=1200&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">These seven men, wearing spacesuits in this portrait, composed the first group of astronauts announced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). They were selected in April of 1959 for the Mercury Program. Front row, left to right, are Walter M. Schirra Jr., Donald K. Slayton, John H. Glenn Jr., and M. Scott Carpenter. Back row, left to right, are Alan B. Shepard Jr., Virgil I. Grissom and L. Gordon Cooper Jr. (July 1960)<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:28px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The objectives of the Mercury Project, as stated at the time of project go-ahead, were as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Place a manned spacecraft in orbital flight around the earth.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Investigate man\u2019s performance capabilities and his ability to function in the environment of space.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Recover the man and the spacecraft safely.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>After the objectives were established for the project, a number of guidelines were established to insure that the most expedient and safest approach for attainment of the objectives was followed. The basic guidelines that were established are as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Existing technology and off-the-shelf equipment should be used wherever practical.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The simplest and most reliable approach to system design would be followed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>An existing launch vehicle would be employed to place the spacecraft into orbit.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A progressive and logical test program would be conducted.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>More detailed requirements for the spacecraft were established as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>The spacecraft must be fitted with a reliable launch-escape system to separate the spacecraft and its crew from the launch vehicle in case of impending failure.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The pilot must be given the capability of manually controlling spacecraft attitude.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The spacecraft must carry a retrorocket system capable of reliably providing the necessary impulse to bring the spacecraft out of orbit.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A zero-lift body utilizing drag braking would be used for reentry.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The spacecraft design must satisfy the requirements for a water landing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>It is obvious by a casual look at the spacecraft that requirements (1), (3), and (4) were followed as evidenced by the escape tower, the retrorocket system on the blunt end of the spacecraft, and the simple blunt-body shape without wings. Items (2) and (5) have been made apparent by the manner in which the astronaut has manually controlled the attitude of the spacecraft during orbital maneuvers, retrofire, and reentry, and by the recovery of the spacecraft and astronauts after each flight by recovery forces which included aircraft carriers and destroyers. Basically, the equipment used in the spacecraft was derived from off-the-shelf equipment or through the direct application of existing technology, although some notable exceptions were made in order to improve reliability and flight safety. These exceptions include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>An automatic blood-pressure measuring system for use in flight.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Instruments for sensing the partial pressures of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the oxygen atmosphere of the cabin and suit, respectively.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Some may argue with the detailed way in which the second basic guideline of simplicity was carried out; however, this guideline was carried out to the extent possible within the volume, weight, and redundancy requirements imposed upon the overall system. The effect of the weight and volume constraints, of course, resulted in smaller and lighter equipment that could not always be packaged in an optimum way for simplicity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Redundancy probably increased the complexity of the systems more than any other requirement. Because the spacecraft had to be qualified by space flight first without a man onboard and then because the reactions of man and his capabilities in the space environment were unknown, provisions for a completely automatic operation for the critical spacecraft functions were provided. To insure reliable operation, these automatic systems were backed up by redundant automatic systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The third guideline was satisfied by an adaptation of an existing missile, the Atlas. The modifications to this launch vehicle for use in the Mercury Project included the addition of a means to sense automatically impending catastrophic failure of the launch vehicle and provisions to accommodate a new structure that would form the transition between the upper section of the launch vehicle and the spacecraft. Also, the pilot-safety program was initiated to insure the selection of quality components.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"footnote2\"><em>We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained, and new rights to be won, and they must be won and used for the progress of all people. For space science, like nuclear science and all technology, has no conscience of its own. Whether it will become a force for good or ill depends on man, and only if the United States occupies a position of preeminence can we help decide whether this new ocean will be a sea of peace or a new, terrifying theater of war.<\/em><sup>2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\">John F. Kennedy<br>Rice University Stadium<br>Houston, Texas<br>September 12, 1962<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:33px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>CHAPTER TWO, \u201cExploring the Human Factor\u201d (1948\u20131958)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The development of the large liquid-fueled rocket made the dazzling prospect of manned flight beyond Earth\u2019s atmosphere and into the vacuum of space increasingly feasible from the standpoint of propulsion. By 1950, however, only instrumented sounding rockets, fired to ever higher altitudes in both the United States and the Soviet Union, had reached into space before falling earthward. Although a number of these experimental shots carried living organisms (everything from fungus spores to monkeys in the United States, mainly dogs in the U.S.S.R.) the data acquired from telemetry and from occasional recovery of rocket nose cones had not shown conclusively how long organisms could live in space, or indeed whether man could survive at all outside the protective confines of his atmosphere. Scientists still were hesitant to predict how a human being would behave under conditions to be encountered in space flight. Thus while space flight became technologically practicable, physiologically and psychologically it remained an enigma. In the early 1950s an acceleration of efforts in upper-atmospheric and space medical research accompanied the quickened pace of rocket development in this country and in the Soviet Union. During the next few years medical specialists, profiting from substantial progress in telemetering clinical data, learned a great deal about what a man could expect when he went into the forbidding arena of space. Much of the confidence with which the engineers of Project Mercury in 1958 approached the job of putting a man into orbit and recovering him stemmed from the findings of hundreds of studies made in previous years on the human factors in space flight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics was interested almost exclusively in the technology of flight, research in the medical problems of space flight, like aviation medicine in previous decades, was the province primarily of the military services and of some civilian research organizations receiving funds from the military. Of the three services, the United States Air Force, rich in background in aeromedical research and assuming that space medicine was but an extension of aviation medicine, undertook most of the early inquiry into the psycho-physiological problems of extra-atmospheric flight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:63px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><i>* 2. Also, the Previous are excerpts from \u201cThis New Ocean, A History of Project Mercury,\u201d NASA SP-4201, by Loyd S. Swenson, Jr., James M. Grimwood, and Charles C. Alexander. This book was printed in 1966, and it was for sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number is 66-62424.)<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"nasa-gb-align-center nasa-button-link padding-y-1 padding-x-0 hds-module wp-block-nasa-blocks-related-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/project-mercury\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"button-primary button-primary-md link-external-true\" aria-label=\"More About Project Mercury\">\n\t\t<span class=\"line-height-alt-1\">More About Project Mercury<\/span>\n\t\t<svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><circle class=\"button-primary-circle\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path><\/svg>\n\t<\/a>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"nasa-gb-align-full width-full maxw-full padding-x-3 padding-y-0 hds-module hds-module-full wp-block-nasa-blocks-related-articles\">\t\t<section class=\"hds-related-articles padding-x-0 padding-y-3 desktop:padding-top-7 desktop:padding-bottom-9\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"w-100 grid-row grid-container maxw-widescreen padding-0 text-align-left\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-4\"><h2 style=\"max-width: 100%;\" class=\"width-full w-full maxw-full\">Explore More<\/h2><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-row grid-container maxw-widescreen padding-0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-4 margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0 desktop:padding-right-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/project-mercury-overview-introduction\/\" class=\"color-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black minh-mobile\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s66-59963\/s66-59963~large.jpg?w=1536&h=1920&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s66-59963\/s66-59963~large.jpg?w=1536&h=1920&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1536w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s66-59963\/s66-59963~large.jpg?w=240&h=300&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 240w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s66-59963\/s66-59963~large.jpg?w=768&h=960&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 768w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s66-59963\/s66-59963~large.jpg?w=819&h=1024&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 819w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s66-59963\/s66-59963~large.jpg?w=1229&h=1536&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1229w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s66-59963\/s66-59963~large.jpg?w=320&h=400&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 320w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s66-59963\/s66-59963~large.jpg?w=480&h=600&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 480w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s66-59963\/s66-59963~large.jpg?w=720&h=900&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 720w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s66-59963\/s66-59963~large.jpg?w=960&h=1200&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-right-0 desktop:padding-right-10\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"subheading margin-bottom-1\">2 min read<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-1\"><h3 class=\"related-article-title\">Project Mercury Overview – Introduction<\/h3><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center label related-article-label margin-bottom-1 color-carbon-60\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"display-flex flex-align-center margin-right-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg version=\"1.1\" class=\"square-2 margin-right-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 16 16;\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><g><g><path d=\"M8,0C3.5,0-0.1,3.7,0,8.2C0.1,12.5,3.6,16,8,16c4.4,0,8-3.6,8-8C16,3.5,12.4,0,8,0z M8,15.2 C4,15.2,0.8,12,0.8,8C0.8,4,4,0.8,8,0.8c3.9,0,7.2,3.2,7.2,7.1C15.2,11.9,12,15.2,8,15.2z\"\/><path d=\"M5.6,12c0.8-0.8,1.6-1.6,2.4-2.4c0.8,0.8,1.6,1.6,2.4,2.4c0-2.7,0-5.3,0-8C8.8,4,7.2,4,5.6,4 C5.6,6.7,5.6,9.3,5.6,12z\"\/><\/g><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Article<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t18 years ago\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-4 margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0 desktop:padding-right-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/project-mercury-overview-astronaut-selection\/\" class=\"color-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black minh-mobile\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-62PC-0011\/KSC-62PC-0011~large.jpg?w=1536&h=1920&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-62PC-0011\/KSC-62PC-0011~large.jpg?w=1536&h=1920&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1536w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-62PC-0011\/KSC-62PC-0011~large.jpg?w=240&h=300&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 240w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-62PC-0011\/KSC-62PC-0011~large.jpg?w=768&h=960&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 768w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-62PC-0011\/KSC-62PC-0011~large.jpg?w=819&h=1024&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 819w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-62PC-0011\/KSC-62PC-0011~large.jpg?w=1229&h=1536&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1229w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-62PC-0011\/KSC-62PC-0011~large.jpg?w=320&h=400&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 320w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-62PC-0011\/KSC-62PC-0011~large.jpg?w=480&h=600&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 480w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-62PC-0011\/KSC-62PC-0011~large.jpg?w=720&h=900&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 720w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-62PC-0011\/KSC-62PC-0011~large.jpg?w=960&h=1200&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-right-0 desktop:padding-right-10\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"subheading margin-bottom-1\">13 min read<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-1\"><h3 class=\"related-article-title\">Project Mercury Overview – Astronaut Selection<\/h3><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center label related-article-label margin-bottom-1 color-carbon-60\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"display-flex flex-align-center margin-right-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg version=\"1.1\" class=\"square-2 margin-right-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 16 16;\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><g><g><path d=\"M8,0C3.5,0-0.1,3.7,0,8.2C0.1,12.5,3.6,16,8,16c4.4,0,8-3.6,8-8C16,3.5,12.4,0,8,0z M8,15.2 C4,15.2,0.8,12,0.8,8C0.8,4,4,0.8,8,0.8c3.9,0,7.2,3.2,7.2,7.1C15.2,11.9,12,15.2,8,15.2z\"\/><path d=\"M5.6,12c0.8-0.8,1.6-1.6,2.4-2.4c0.8,0.8,1.6,1.6,2.4,2.4c0-2.7,0-5.3,0-8C8.8,4,7.2,4,5.6,4 C5.6,6.7,5.6,9.3,5.6,12z\"\/><\/g><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Article<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t18 years ago\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-4 margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0 desktop:padding-right-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/project-mercury-overview-summary\/\" class=\"color-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black minh-mobile\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"227\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/friendship_7_12_glenn_onboard_s62-00303.jpg?w=300\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/friendship_7_12_glenn_onboard_s62-00303.jpg 985w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/friendship_7_12_glenn_onboard_s62-00303.jpg?resize=300,227 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/friendship_7_12_glenn_onboard_s62-00303.jpg?resize=768,582 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/friendship_7_12_glenn_onboard_s62-00303.jpg?resize=400,303 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/friendship_7_12_glenn_onboard_s62-00303.jpg?resize=600,454 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/friendship_7_12_glenn_onboard_s62-00303.jpg?resize=900,682 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-right-0 desktop:padding-right-10\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"subheading margin-bottom-1\">2 min read<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-1\"><h3 class=\"related-article-title\">Project Mercury Overview – Summary<\/h3><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center label related-article-label margin-bottom-1 color-carbon-60\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"display-flex flex-align-center margin-right-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg version=\"1.1\" class=\"square-2 margin-right-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 16 16;\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><g><g><path d=\"M8,0C3.5,0-0.1,3.7,0,8.2C0.1,12.5,3.6,16,8,16c4.4,0,8-3.6,8-8C16,3.5,12.4,0,8,0z M8,15.2 C4,15.2,0.8,12,0.8,8C0.8,4,4,0.8,8,0.8c3.9,0,7.2,3.2,7.2,7.1C15.2,11.9,12,15.2,8,15.2z\"\/><path d=\"M5.6,12c0.8-0.8,1.6-1.6,2.4-2.4c0.8,0.8,1.6,1.6,2.4,2.4c0-2.7,0-5.3,0-8C8.8,4,7.2,4,5.6,4 C5.6,6.7,5.6,9.3,5.6,12z\"\/><\/g><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Article<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t18 years ago\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The objectives of the Mercury Project, as stated at the time of project go-ahead, were as follows: After the objectives were established for the project, a number of guidelines were established to insure that the most expedient and safest approach for attainment of the objectives was followed. The basic guidelines that were established are as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":299420,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"274311","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":["74010","74007","74011"],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[2671,2718],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[],"coauthors":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Project Mercury Overview – Objectives and Guidelines","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/project-mercury-overview-objectives-and-guidelines\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/project-mercury-overview-objectives-and-guidelines\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s62-08774\/s62-08774~large.jpg?w=1536&h=1920&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s62-08774\/s62-08774~large.jpg?w=1536&h=1920&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint"},"articleSection":"NASA History","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"NASA"}],"creator":["NASA"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["Missions","Project Mercury","NASA History"],"dateCreated":"2006-12-01T00:34:00Z","datePublished":"2006-12-01T00:34:00Z","dateModified":"2023-07-25T15:23:40Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"Project Mercury Overview – Objectives and Guidelines\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/project-mercury-overview-objectives-and-guidelines\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s62-08774\/s62-08774~large.jpg?w=1536&h=1920&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2006-12-01T00:34:00Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"NASA History\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"Missions,Project Mercury,NASA History\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"NASA\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":6,"time_ago":"18 years","featured_image":{"id":299420,"file":"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s62-08774\/s62-08774~large.jpg","title":"ASTRONAUT GROUP – PORTRAIT – SUITED","alt":"Seven men wearing silver astronaut spacesuits","caption":"S62-08774 (July 1960) --- These seven men, wearing spacesuits in this portrait, composed the first group of astronauts announced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). They were selected in April of 1959 for the Mercury Program. Front row, left to right, are Walter M. Schirra Jr., Donald K. Slayton, John H. Glenn Jr., and M. Scott Carpenter. Back row, left to right, are Alan B. Shepard Jr., Virgil I. Grissom and L. Gordon Cooper Jr. Photo credit: NASA"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74009"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74009"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74009\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":450085,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74009\/revisions\/450085"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/299420"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74009"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74009"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=74009"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=74009"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=74009"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}