Project MERCURRI SPace TV
guia-programacion-tv.es

Project MERCURRI SPace

The United States' Project Mercury marked the inception of human spaceflight endeavors, spanning from 1958 to 1963. As a pivotal moment in the Space Race, its primary objective was to achieve manned Earth orbit missions and ensure the safe return of astronauts, ideally surpassing the Soviet Union's advancements. Transitioning from the US Air Force to the newly established civilian space agency NASA, the project comprised 20 unmanned test flights, some involving animals, and six successful manned missions. Derived from Roman mythology, the project's name symbolized its lofty ambitions. With a budget of $2.57 billion (adjusted for inflation), Project Mercury aimed to propel American space exploration to unprecedented heights.

The Space Race ignited following the Soviet Union's groundbreaking launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957, shocking the American populace and prompting the establishment of NASA to accelerate US space initiatives under civilian administration. Following the triumphant deployment of the Explorer 1 satellite in 1958, crewed spaceflight emerged as the subsequent objective. Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet cosmonaut, achieved the historic feat of orbiting the Earth aboard Vostok 1 on April 12, 1961, marking a significant milestone. Shortly thereafter, on May 5, Alan Shepard became the first American astronaut to embark on a suborbital flight. Soviet cosmonaut Gherman Titov extended the feat with a day-long orbital journey in August 1961. The US celebrated a monumental achievement on February 20, 1962, as John Glenn completed three orbits around the Earth. Despite both nations having sent six individuals into space by the conclusion of Project Mercury in May 1963, the Soviets held the lead in total cumulative spaceflight duration.