Atlas D missile 7D is seen, at night, on pad LC-14 At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, ready for a suborbital test. Camera tracks it through lift off and through thin cloud layer. At TC: 00:54, screen goes dark. At TC: 01:02, camera picks up rocket flame again, as it passes through some cloud. The missile seems to be falling at this time. At TC: 01: 47, it explodes in a fireball and disappears. (Note: Reportedly, this launch failed due to a malfunction of one of the hold-down arms on LC-14 which damaged plumbing in the missile and allowed helium pressure gas to escape during ascent. The common bulkhead between the propellant tanks collapsed after the pressure difference between them became too great. Also notable because the Mercury astronauts were invited to watch the launch.)
Launch of ballistic missile Atlas 7D at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. Scenes from static camera of missile's ignition and shutdown resulting in failure of launch programme. 18 May 1959.
Lieutenant Commander M Scott Carpenter and technicians enter into transfer van at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Lt. Commander M Scott Carpenter enters gantry area, talks to technicians and Lieutenant Commander Walter Schirra. All personnel, except Carpenter, wear white coveralls. Some display "McDonnell" on their backs and others "NASA." Lieutenant Commander M Scott Carpenter prepares to enter space capsule named 'Aurora 7'. Technicians assist Lieutenant Commander M Scott Carpenter as he enters space capsule.
View from descending Elevator of gantry at NASA manned space craft center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Mercury-Atlas 7 being readied for launch. Atlas booster silhouetted against the sky. Sign reads: "Welcome to Complex 14. Launch site of Free World's first ICBM. Free World's first man in orbit."
Spectators gather and then watch the launch of NASA spacecraft Mercury-Atlas 7 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Some have telescopes, binoculars, and cameras. They look upward and some point as the launch takes place. Astronaut wives and other family members are among the group. A large outdoor chart shows planned orbital positions for the mission.
Captain Gus Grissom and his wife; Colonel Powers, Lieutenant Commander Carpenter and other VIPs walk toward NASA Manned spacecraft center at Cape Canaveral in Florida. Astronauts in civilian clothing. Lieutenant Commander Scott Carpenter, Lieutenant Commander Glenn, Commander Shepard, Captain Grissom, Lieutenant Commander Schirra and other dignitaries on podium. People seated on chairs. Lieutenant Commander Scott Carpenter receives Distinguished Service Medal presented by NASA Director James Edwin Webb. Lieutenant Commander Carpenter with his family. He delivers a speech.
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