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Mercury-Atlas LV-3B

Mercury-Atlas LV-3B was the human-rated Atlas D derivative used for Project Mercury orbital qualification, biomedical, and crewed missions. Its nine flights from 1960 through 1963 comprised five uncrewed launches—including Enos's two-orbit MA-5 mission—and four crewed orbital flights from Friendship 7 through Faith 7.

Mercury-Atlas LV-3B
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Identity

Aliases
Atlas LV-3BMercury-Atlas
Family Name
Atlas
Full Name
Mercury-Atlas LV-3B
Status
retired
Type
rocket
Variant Name
LV-3B

Details

Description
Mercury-Atlas LV-3B was the human-rated Atlas D derivative used for Project Mercury orbital qualification, biomedical, and crewed missions. Its nine flights from 1960 through 1963 comprised five uncrewed launches—including Enos's two-orbit MA-5 mission—and four crewed orbital flights from Friendship 7 through Faith 7.
Dimensions
Diameter
…
Height
…
First Flight Year
1,960
Last Flight Year
1,963
Manufacturer
Operator
Parent Vehicle Family
Propulsion Configurations
  • Entries
    • Count
      2
      Placement
      booster
      Propulsion System
      Role
      booster
      Variant Notes
      Migrated from legacy reference "Rocketdyne LR89" without inventing a more precise installation.
    • Count
      1
      Placement
      core
      Propulsion System
      Role
      main
      Variant Notes
      Migrated from legacy reference "Rocketdyne LR105" without inventing a more precise installation.
Rocket Specs
Liftoff Mass
…
Reusability
expendable

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Creation Time
July 13, 2026 at 07:21:03 UTC
Updated Time
July 29, 2026 at 15:39:16 UTC