Mercury 7 Monument
by Ben Prepelka
Title
Mercury 7 Monument
Artist
Ben Prepelka
Medium
Photograph
Description
Successful rocket launches and manned flights by the Soviet Union during the 1950s sent an unspoken challenge to America. Not to be outdone, NASA hit the ground running. During its first six months seven astronauts were chosen for Project Mercury in 1959. Two years later, on May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard become the first American in space aboard a Mercury capsule, propelled by a Redstone rocket.
The Mercury 7 Monument, dedicated in November 1964, was a tribute to these original seven American astronauts. The Project Mercury Memorial is located near the entrance to Launch Complex 14 at Cape Canaveral where the first manned space flights were launched. Made of stainless steel to mimic the material of the Atlas booster rocket, the number 7 is enclosed by the astronomical symbol for the planet Mercury. A time capsule is located underneath the concrete slab were the memorial rests.
Uploaded
January 14th, 2020
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Comments (14)
Sharon Mayhak
Stunning capture, Ben!! What an amazing piece of history as well. Wonderful description too.
Morris Finkelstein
Fabulous photo of the Mercury 7 Monument! Brings back memories of that time in space travel, and the Cold War! F/L
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