Sigma 7 Recovery (1962)

Duration: 21:06

Year Published: 1962

Sound: silent

Description: Distributed by the Manned Spacecraft Center Public Affairs Office, this footage documents the reentry and recovery of Sigma 7, the Mercury-Atlas 8 spacecraft, on October 3, 1962. Launched earlier that day, Mercury-Atlas 8 was NASA’s third orbital mission. Pilot Wally Schirra orbited the Earth six times, confirming the durability of the Mercury capsule. Sigma 7 splashed down in the Pacific Ocean just 4.5 miles from the target point. The USS Kearsarge, a Navy aircraft carrier, hoisted the capsule on deck 40 minutes later. Schirra remained aboard the carrier for three days for mission debriefing and medical testing.