| Little Joe 1B | |
| Insignia: | Mercury insignia.png |
| Mission Type: | Abort test |
| Operator: | NASA |
| Mission Duration: | 8 minutes, 35 seconds |
| Distance Travelled: | 12miles |
| Suborbital Apogee: | 9miles |
| Spacecraft Type: | Mercury boilerplate |
| Manufacturer: | McDonnell Aircraft |
| Launch Mass: | 1007kg (2,220lb) |
| Launch Date: | UTC |
| Launch Rocket: | Little Joe |
| Launch Site: | Wallops LA-1 |
| Landing Date: | UTC |
| Previous Mission: | Little Joe 2 |
| Next Mission: | Beach Abort |
| Programme: | Project Mercury Abort Tests |
The Little Joe 1B was a launch escape system test of the Mercury spacecraft, conducted as part of the U.S. Mercury program. The mission also carried a female rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) named Miss Sam in the Mercury spacecraft. The mission was launched January 21, 1960, from Wallops Island, Virginia. The Little Joe 1B flew to an apogee of 9.3 statute miles (15.0 km) and a range of 11.7 miles (18.9 km) out to sea. Miss Sam survived the 8 minute 35 second flight in good condition. The spacecraft was recovered by a Marine helicopter and returned to Wallops Island within about 45 minutes. Miss Sam was one of many monkeys used in space travel research.