Project Mercury Test Flights: Little Joe 5

Video from the channel The Technicolor Whiscash about Little Joe 5, linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 2:07. Language: English. Video type: Documentary.

The video reviews the Little Joe 5 flight of November 8, 1960, with footage of the capsule's preparation. A commentary explains its objective: to test the spacecraft's escape system at the point of maximum dynamic pressure.

It was the first time the test was carried out with a production Mercury capsule, number 3, instead of a mock-up. After this flight, two Little Joe missions with production spacecraft remained.

Sixteen seconds after liftoff, the escape rocket and the tower-separation rocket fired prematurely, with the booster still running. The rocket, capsule, and tower remained joined together until impact, about two minutes later. Around 60% of the rocket and 40% of the capsule were recovered at a depth of about 22 meters, and the cause was attributed to the clamp ring.