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Little Joe | LJ-2
National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationLaunch Successful

LJ-2

Little Joe

Historical mission record

This page records Little Joe | LJ-2 and its reported outcome: Launch Successful. The date above is a historical record.

Source record updated . This is a source update, not a confirmed launch time.

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Mission status
Launch Successful

Status reported by the mission data provider.

LAUNCH SITEWallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA

Mission

The Little Joe 2 was a suborbital test flight of the Mercury space capsule, carrying the rhesus monkey Sam close to the edge of space. He was sent to test the space equipment and the adverse effects of space on humans.

Launch vehicle
Little Joe
Mission type
Test Flight
Destination orbit
Suborbital
Launch pad
Launch Area 1
Provider
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Programs
Mercury

The vehicle

Published configuration and flight history.

Little Joe
Launch vehicle

Little Joe

Little Joe was a solid-fueled booster rocket used by NASA for eight launches from 1959-1960 from Wallops Island, Virginia to test the launch escape system and heat shield for Project Mercury capsules.

Height
17 m
Stages
1
Recorded launches
8
First flight
1959-08-21

Recorded timing

This is a mission record, not an upcoming calendar appointment.

Instantaneous windowPublished target
SCHEDULED MOMENT

A single scheduled moment. The schedule may change before launch.

Launch site & orbit

Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA

The mission in perspective

Launch site

DestinationSuborbital

Explore the launch pad on Earth using its published coordinates.

Explore Earth’s orbits
NASA Blue Marble map of Earth's continents and oceans
Geographic view · illustrative lightingNo live tracking or simulated ascent. NASA Blue Marble.

Coverage & sources

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Mission coverage

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