CARPENTER ORBITS EARTH 3 TIMES BUT FUEL ISSUE LEADS TO 250 MILE OFF-COURSE SPLASHDOWN
Cape Canaveral, Florida (JFK+50) On May 24, 1962, astronaut Scott Carpenter* became the second American to orbit the earth. His three orbit flight, aboard the Aurora** 7, ended in a three hour wait for rescue after splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean.
Amy Shira Teitel explains how a low fuel issue plagued the flight. After the first orbit, the low fuel light came on the console. Carpenter covered the light up with a piece of tape.
By the time of re-entry, the spacecraft was out of fuel but splashed down safely in the ocean. Rather than wait in the "hot capsule," Scott Carpenter exited into an inflatable raft. His landing was off course by 250 miles which explains the long wait for rescue.
The flight of Aurora 7 lasted 4 hours & 56 minutes. Although successful, Carpenter was held accountable for not complying with repeated reminders to conserve fuel and never flew another space mission. He retired from NASA in 1967.
*Malcolm Scott Carpenter (1925-2013) was born in Boulder, Colorado & graduated from the University of Colorado. MSC was commissioned in the US Navy in 1949 & chosen as one of the "Mercury 7" astronauts in 1959. He was John Glenn's back-up for the 1st U.S. orbital flight.
**Aurora means 'open sky & the dawn' symbolizing the 'dawn of a new age.' SC chose the name for the spacecraft but did not take into account at the time that Aurora Street was where he grew up in Boulder.
SOURCE
"Mercury Astronaut Scott Carpenter and the Controversy Surrounding Aurora 7," by Amy Shira Teitel, October 14, 2013, Popular Science, www.popsci.com/
