Mercury Little Joe Launch Vehicle

Little Joe was a low-cost, solid-propellant test launch vehicle developed for Project Mercury to reproduce critical portions of Atlas ascent without using an Atlas. Eight identified test articles supported escape-system, aerodynamic, structural, recovery, and biomedical objectives at Wallops Island from 1959 to 1961; seven boosters flew, while LJ-1 remained on the pad during an accidental escape-tower firing. The program qualified key Mercury abort concepts before crewed orbital flight.