Question 1

What rocket is launching Mercury-Redstone 4?

Accepted Answer

Mercury-Redstone 4 is launching on the Redstone MRLV.

Question 2

Who is launching Mercury-Redstone 4?

Accepted Answer

Mercury-Redstone 4 is being launched by National Aeronautics and Space Administration, a government launch provider founded in 1958.

Question 3

Where is Mercury-Redstone 4 launching from?

Accepted Answer

Mercury-Redstone 4 is launching from Launch Complex 5 at Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA.

Question 4

What orbit is Mercury-Redstone 4 heading to?

Accepted Answer

Mercury-Redstone 4 is heading to Suborbital (Sub).

Question 5

Is the Redstone MRLV reusable?

Accepted Answer

No — the Redstone MRLV is an expendable launch vehicle.

Question 6

How many times has the Redstone MRLV flown?

Accepted Answer

The Redstone MRLV has launched 6 times to date, with 5 successful flights.

Question 7

What is the Mercury-Redstone 4 mission?

Accepted Answer

Mercury-Redstone 4 was the second United States human spaceflight, on July 21, 1961. The suborbital Project Mercury flight was launched with a Mercury-Redstone Launch Vehicle, MRLV-8. The spacecraft, Mercury capsule #11, was nicknamed the Liberty Bell 7, and it was piloted by the astronaut Virgil "Gus" Grissom.

Question 8

Where is Cape Canaveral Space Force Station?

Accepted Answer

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station sits on Florida's Atlantic coast, on the Eastern Range run by the U.S. Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45. It is the United States' busiest launch site and has been America's gateway to orbit since the 1950s.

Question 9

Which rockets launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

SpaceX flies Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 40, and United Launch Alliance flies the Vulcan Centaur (and the retiring Atlas V) from Space Launch Complex 41.

Question 10

Is Cape Canaveral the same as the Kennedy Space Center?

Accepted Answer

No. Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center are separate, neighbouring sites — Kennedy is on Merritt Island just to the north. Together they make up Florida's 'Space Coast'.

Question 11

Why do rockets launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

Its pads sit on the Eastern Range, letting rockets fly east out over the Atlantic toward the equatorial and geostationary orbits most commercial and national-security payloads need, away from populated land.

Question 12

Can you watch a launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the Space Coast is one of the easiest places in the world to watch a launch from public land. Popular free spots include Playalinda Beach, Space View Park in Titusville, and Jetty Park at Port Canaveral.

Mercury-Redstone 4

Overview

Mission details

Launch Window

Launch Complex 5

Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Frequently asked questions