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Atlas-Big Joe Mercury Test Launch Vehicle

Atlas-Big Joe was the one-off Atlas D configuration used for Project Mercury's first full-scale ballistic reentry test. Atlas 10-D launched a boilerplate Mercury spacecraft on 9 September 1959 to validate its ablative heat shield, aerodynamics, instrumentation, and recovery before the later Mercury-Atlas qualification series.

Atlas-Big Joe Mercury Test Launch Vehicle
NASA/Bill Ingalls · Stored/public JPEG is byte-identical to the NASA canonical 201108050008HQ large asset (1279x1920, SHA-256 54592683e90ae091eefed5173f1276a07ae2326599475516c32c208dbfd60e1c). NASA Images API metadata identifies the exact image as Atlas V Rocket Launches with Juno Spacecraft, photographed by NASA/Bill Ingalls, and describes the Atlas V/Juno launch from Space Launch Complex 41 on August 5, 2011. NASA current Images and Media Usage Guidelines state that NASA content may be used factually or informationally with NASA acknowledged, while NASA-hosted third-party content is marked and NASA use does not convey rights; commercial use must not imply endorsement and NASA logos and identifiers remain protected: https://www.nasa.gov/nasa-brand-center/images-and-media/. This is an asset-level, conservative factual/editorial reuse basis with NASA/Bill Ingalls attribution, not a blanket license for promotional content, merchandise, NASA branding, or endorsement. · Source
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Identity

Aliases
Atlas Big JoeBig Joe Atlas
Family Name
Atlas-Big Joe
Full Name
Atlas-Big Joe Mercury Test Launch Vehicle
Status
retired
Type
rocket

Details

Description
Atlas-Big Joe was the one-off Atlas D configuration used for Project Mercury's first full-scale ballistic reentry test. Atlas 10-D launched a boilerplate Mercury spacecraft on 9 September 1959 to validate its ablative heat shield, aerodynamics, instrumentation, and recovery before the later Mercury-Atlas qualification series.
Dimensions
Diameter M
3.05
First Flight Year
1,959
Last Flight Year
1,959
Manufacturer
Operator
Parent Vehicle Family
Propulsion Configurations
  • Entries
    • Nested value
    • Nested value
Rocket Specs
Reusability
expendable

Links

Official Url
https://www.nasa.gov/missions/project-mercury/project-mercury-uncrewed-missions/

Assets & Meta

Creation Time
July 13, 2026 at 13:08:55 UTC
Updated Time
July 29, 2026 at 15:34:51 UTC
Image
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Search Name
Atlas-Big Joe Mercury Test Launch Vehicle Atlas Big Joe Big Joe Atlas