Project Mercury

Project Mercury was NASA's first human spaceflight program, launched in 1958 to explore whether humans could survive and work in space. The goal was to send a single astronaut into Earth's orbit and safely return him to Earth, demonstrating key skills needed for future missions. The program included a series of manned and unmanned tests, culminating in astronaut Alan Shepard's suborbital flight in 1961, which proved humans could handle space travel. Project Mercury laid the foundation for subsequent space programs, advancing technology, safety protocols, and understanding of human space physiology.