#aurora 7

[apollomission8]

Astronaut Text Post Memes – Scott Carpenter edition

[lonestarflight]

"The Mercury Capsule for the Mercury-Atlas 7 mission of NASA astronaut Scott Carpenter undergoes testing in the White Room of Hangar S."

Date: April 11, 1962

NASA ID: link

[moonwatchuniverse]

May 2025... 100 years Scott Carpenter "Aurora 7" US Navy Commander NASA astronaut Malcolm Scott Carpenter was born May 1st, 1925 reason for a celebration at the Breitling Pop-Up museum in Zurich Switzerland. The space-flown Breitling Navitimer Cosmonaute 806-24h worn by Scott Carpenter, the very first Swiss-made wrist watch worn in space, on "Aurora 7" (24th May 1962) was on display together with a Breitling Navitimer 809 which belonged to fellow "Mercury 7" astronaut John Glenn! This photo shows the modern-day spaceflight corner with Breitling watches worn by spacefarers if ISS Expedition 45/46 cosmonaut Sergey Volkov (son of Aleksandr Volkov) and record-setting NASA astronaut Scott Kelly. Besides modern day watches, Breitling had a lot of watches on loan and during the Pop-Up museum time acquired Universal Geneva and Gallet watches, two brands with aviation heritage. Certainly the start of something new! (Photo: MoonwatchUniverse)

[commodorez]

Mercury Aurora 7 - May 24, 1962

Scott Carpenter

Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, IL

[kirschewine]

Will post about it properly later but I went to an out of the way little space museum out in the country that basically grew out of one guy’s private collection. It was not only insane, I unintentionally met said guy and made friends and he let me handle a bunch of shit that had been to space. Like opened exhibit cases and stuff for me

The coolest was the operations manual that flew on one of the Mercury missions. It accompanied the 6th human to ever fly in space. Fucking wild

[humanoidhistory]

May 24, 1962 – Project Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter, the fourth American in space, is helped into the Mercury-Atlas spacecraft “Aurora 7” before his launching into history from Cape Canaveral, Florida. (NASA)

[historical-spaceflight]

May 24th, 1962 - Scott Carpenter launches aboard Mercury-Atlas 7 to become the fourth American Astronaut to reach space, and the second to orbit the Earth in his capsule Aurora 7. 

In addition to Project Mercury, Carpenter also spent a record 30 days with the US Navy’s SEALAB project, which studied saturation diving and extended human isolation while underwater. Aurora 7 would be the only time Carpenter would fly in space. A motorcycle accident resulting in an arm injury ensured he would be grounded from any further spaceflights. However, he continued to work with NASA to development an underwater training program which would be used to prepare Astronauts for spacewalks. 

[moonwatchuniverse]

1962, May 24… Breitling in space! Launched on Thursday 24th May 1962, US Navy LtCdr Malcolm Scott Carpenter became the very first astronaut to wear a wrist watch in space…. a Breitling Navitimer chronograph. Medio February 1961, Scott Carpenter gave feedback to Breitling how they should modify their Breitling Navitimer for use by astronauts, requesting a larger bezel, a simplified slide rule and a 24 hours dial. Breitling took note and produced a bespoke Breitling Navitimer chronograph per the feedback of Scott Carpenter. Carpenter received the bespoke Breitling chronograph in the afternoon of 18th May 1962 and the next day wrote a letter to the Wakmann Watch Company stating the practical changes he requested were well-executed making it an ideal timepiece. Unfortunately, after the 5 hours long mission, following splash-down as Carpenter had to deploy his life raft and during helicopter pick up, the chronograph was water damaged. The last time we saw it was the moment Carpenter put it into one of his gloves onboard the recovery helicopter on his way to USS Intrepid. That watch now sits in the Breitling archives together with a Breitling 809 Navitimer owned by John Glenn. Recommended reading: “For Spacious Skies” (2002 hardcover 370 pages) a book written by Scott Carpenter and his daughter to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the “Aurora 7” mission. This way, Scott Carpenter became the first astronaut to wear a wrist watch in space! By late 1963, the Breitling Navitimer chronograph came with white subdials (reverse Panda) and by 1969, Breitling produced the first Navitimer Cosmonaute with “24” on the dial. The 24 hours dial/movement chronograph might again appear during long-duration spaceflight to the planet Mars, a trip which will take about 250 days one way! (Photo: MoonwatchUniverse)