| Beach Abort | |
| Insignia: | Mercury insignia.png |
| Mission Type: | Abort test |
| Operator: | NASA |
| Mission Duration: | 1 minutes, 16 seconds |
| Distance Travelled: | 1miles[1] |
| Suborbital Apogee: | 0.5miles |
| Spacecraft: | Mercury No.1 |
| Manufacturer: | McDonnell Aircraft |
| Launch Mass: | 1007kg (2,220lb) |
| Launch Rocket: | Mercury LES |
| Launch Site: | Wallops |
| Previous Mission: | Little Joe 1B |
| Next Mission: | Little Joe 5 |
| Programme: | Project Mercury Abort Tests |
The Beach Abort was an uncrewed test in NASA's Project Mercury, of the Mercury spacecraft Launch Escape System. Objectives of the test were a performance evaluation of the escape system, the parachute and landing system, and recovery operations in an off-the-pad abort situation. The test took place at NASA's Wallops Island, Virginia, test facility on May 9, 1960. In the test, the Mercury spacecraft and its Launch Escape System were fired from ground level. The flight lasted a total of 1 minute, 16 seconds. The spacecraft reached an apogee of 2465feet and splashed down in the ocean with a range of 0.6miles.Top speed was a velocity of 976mph.[2] A Marine Corps helicopter recovered the spacecraft 17 minutes after launch. The test was considered a success, although there was insufficient separation distance when the tower jettisoned. Mercury Spacecraft #1, the first spacecraft off McDonnell's production line, was used in this test. Total payload weight was 1154kg (2,544lb).[3]
Mercury Spacecraft #1 is displayed at the New York Hall of Science, Corona Park, NY. It is displayed indoors, suspended from the ceiling, with an escape tower of unknown provenance attached.[4]