1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910254624503321

Autore

Burgess Colin <1947->

Titolo

Aurora 7 : The Mercury Space Flight of M. Scott Carpenter / / by Colin Burgess

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Cham : , : Springer International Publishing : , : Imprint : Springer, , 2016

ISBN

3-319-20439-4

Edizione

[1st ed. 2016.]

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (260 p.)

Collana

Space Exploration

Disciplina

500

Soggetti

Astronomy

Aerospace engineering

Astronautics

Space sciences

Popular Science in Astronomy

Aerospace Technology and Astronautics

Space Sciences (including Extraterrestrial Physics, Space Exploration and Astronautics)

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references at the end of each chapters and index.

Nota di contenuto

A replacement astronaut -- From Colorado to the Cape -- Training for MA-7 -- Aurora 7 in orbit -- A highly troubled mission -- Walter Cronkite: “We may have lost an astronaut” -- Post-flight repercussions -- Epilogue: From astronaut to aquanaut.

Sommario/riassunto

TO A NATION enthralled by the heroic exploits of the Mercury astronauts, the launch of Lt. Cmdr. Scott Carpenter on NASA’s second orbital space flight was a renewed cause for pride, jubilation and celebration. Within hours, that excitement had given way to stunned disbelief and anxiety as shaken broadcasters began preparing the American public for the very real possibility that an American astronaut and his spacecraft may have been lost at sea. In fact, it had been a very close call. Completely out of fuel and forced to manually guide Aurora 7 through the frightening inferno of re-entry, Carpenter brought the Mercury spacecraft down to a safe splashdown in the ocean. In doing



so, he controversially overshot the intended landing zone. Despite his efforts, Carpenter’s performance on the MA-7 mission was later derided by powerful figures within NASA. He would never fly into space again. Taking temporary leave of NASA, Carpenter participated in the U.S. Navy’s pioneering Sealab program. For a record 30 days he lived and worked aboard a pressurized habitat resting on the floor of the ocean, becoming the nation’s first astronaut/aquanaut explorer. Following extensive research conducted by noted spaceflight historian Colin Burgess, the drama-filled flight of Aurora 7 is faithfully recounted in this engrossing book, along with the personal recollections of Scott Carpenter and those closest to the actual events.