Wally Schirra launched into space from Cape Canaveral for longest U.S. manned orbital flight yet 60 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Oct 3 1962)

1960s, space exploration


Video: 'American In Orbit - Stage III' (launch at 1:12:50)

(Wednesday, October 3, 1962, 8:15:12-5:28:22 p.m. EDT; during the crewed Mercury-Atlas 8 (MA-8) space mission, part of NASA’s Mercury program) — Astronaut Walter M. Schirra Jr. was launched into space this morning from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and whizzed around the earth six times through space with robot precision in the Sigma 7 spacecraft before landing safely in the Pacific Ocean.


Video: 'THE FLIGHT OF SIGMA 7 - Mercury-Atlas 8 (1962) - NASA documentary'

Schirra was the fifth American astronaut and the ninth person to travel into outer space.


Video: 'Footage of Mercury-Atlas 8, Sigma 7 Recovery, 3 Oct 1962 F-1069'

At nine hours and 13 minutes, this was the longest U.S. manned orbital flight yet achieved in the Space Race, though well behind the several-day record set by the Soviet Vostok 3 earlier in the year.