Coliseum Central in Hampton, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Mercury Test Capsule
NASA Testing
| | Air Power Park Tour | |
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, May 28, 2017
1. Mercury Test Capsule Marker
This is a test capsule of America's first manned spacecraft for Project Mercury. Engineer's had to devise a vehicle that would protect the human being from the temperature extremes, vacuum, the newly discovered radiation of space and high-speed reentry through the atmosphere. The best vehicle for these requirements was a wingless capsule designed for a ballistic reentry, with an ablative heat shield that burned off as Mercury returned to Earth.
The original seven Mercury astronauts and to NASA's Space Task Group were based at nearby Langley Research Center from 1959 to 1963. The lifting ring at the top of this capsule means it was probably used for helicopter recovery training.
Erected by Air Power Park. (Marker Number 003.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Air & Space. A significant historical year for this entry is 1959.
Location. Marker has been reported missing. It was located near 37° 2.605′ N, 76° 22.011′ W. Marker was in Hampton, Virginia. It was in Coliseum Central. It could be reached from West Mercury Boulevard (U.S. 258) west of LaSalle Avenue (Virginia Route 167), on the
this page online
Regionally, this marker was on Virginias Peninsula and in Coastal Virginia. It was also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Tidewater. Globally, it was in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it found itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location: A-7E Corsair II / T-33A T-Bird (a few steps from this marker); F-86L Sabre/Mercury Test Capsule (within shouting distance of this marker); Langley Field (within shouting distance of this marker); NACA (within shouting distance of this marker); NASA Space History (within shouting distance of this marker); MIM-3 Nike-Ajax/XV-6A Kestrel (within shouting distance of this marker);
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, May 28, 2017
2. Mercury Test Capsule Marker
Other markers no longer nearby. T-33A T-Bird (was a few steps from this marker but has been permanently removed); A-7E Corsair II (was a few steps from this marker but has been permanently removed).
Credits. This page was last revised on June 4, 2024. It was originally submitted on May 31, 2017, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 404 times since then and 23 times this year. Last updated on June 1, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 31, 2017, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.
