MR-1: The Four-Inch Flight 65 years ago today, the first attempt to launch a Mercury capsule on a Redstone rocket (MR-1) took place. Unfortunately, a fault in the ground equipment caused the engines to shut down shortly after firing, lifting the vehicle four inches off the ground before it settled back down on the launch pad. The capsule's escape rocket was activated, causing it to jettison itself and triggering the spacecraft's parachutes to deploy. NASA launched its first astronaut to space ab

29 minute history video - McDonnell Aircraft Corp 25-years of corporate history. The McDonnell Aircraft Corporation was an American aerospace manufacturer based in St. Louis, Missouri. The company was founded on July 6, 1939, by James Smith McDonnell, and was best known for its military fighters, including the F-4 Phantom II, and crewed spacecraft including the Mercury capsule and Gemini capsule. | Airline Secrets Exposed