Mercury-Redstone 4 Launch, NASA Mercury project

(July 21, 1961) On Jul 21, 1961, Mercury-Redstone 4 launched from Cape Canaveral, carrying Astronaut Gus Grissom and making him the second American to venture into outer space. Grissom nicknamed his spacecraft the “Liberty Bell 7” after its bell-shape, and as a tribute to the original bell, a large crack was painted on the spacecraft’s side. The flight lasted about 15 minutes and 30 seconds, and Grissom reached an altitude of over 102 nautical miles before landing in the Atlantic ocean. After splashdown, the Liberty Bell 7’s hatch cover, which was designed to release if there was an emergency, accidentally exploded off the vehicle. Grissom was recovered safely, but the capsule sank into the ocean. Ironically, the spacecraft was finally recovered in 1999 one day before the 38th anniversary of its launch...Image # : s61-03248