19. Liberty Bell 7 (Mercury-Redstone 4)
Date: July 21, 1961 (15 minutes, 37 seconds)
Crew: Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom
Mission Highlights: Following several delays due to unfavorable weather, Liberty Bell 7 launched on July 21st at 7:20 am. Mission objectives were similar to those of Alan Shepard’s flight three months earlier, and sought to corroborate findings from Freedom 7. Unlike MR-3, MR-4 included a viewing window rather than a periscope, and utilized an explosive-release hatch. Gus spent the fifteen-minute flight performing manual maneuvers, testing controls, and observing the Earth. The view proved to be a considerable distraction:
“I realized I would have to hurry my programmed pitch, yaw and roll maneuvers... but the view out the window distracted me, resulting in an overshoot in pitch. This put me behind in my schedule even more... This was the part of the flight to which I had been looking forward. There was a full minute that was programmed for observing the earth. The view through the window became quite spectacular as the horizon came into view. The sight was truly breathtaking. The earth was very bright, the sky was black, and the curvature of the earth was quite prominent.”
Reentry and the initial splashdown occurred without complications. While waiting for recovery by the USS Randolph, the hatch exploded prematurely, flooding the bobbing capsule. Gus climbed out and struggled to stay afloat in the rough (shark-infested) waters as helicopters pilot attempted to recover the spacecraft. Finally, George Cox and a second helicopter hoisted Gus out of the ocean. Liberty Bell 7 was filled with water and too heavy to be recovered, so it was cut loose from the chopper.
Despite rumors and speculation, several internal investigations as well as independent reviews proved that Gus was not (and could not be) responsible for the premature detonation and loss of the spacecraft.
Significance: Much like the flight of Freedom 7, the suborbital flight of Liberty Bell 7 sought to demonstrate some of the most basic and most essential capabilities of Mercury spacecraft and human astronauts. Most modifications, such as the viewing window, new stabilization system, and control panel redesign, proved to be beneficial and improved future NASA missions. Gus’ performance earned him a spot at the top of the upcoming Gemini flight list.
On July 20, 1999, the eve of MR-4′s 38th anniversary and the 30th anniversary of the first moon landing, Liberty Bell 7 was recovered from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Guenter Wendt, NASA legend and pad leader for every Mercury and Gemini flight, was part of the recovery team. After the capsule was raised to the deck of the recovery ship, Wendt said, “Let me just go ahead and touch it after 38 years.”
