Space · launch vehicle
Redstone MRLV
CHR
RETIRED
At a glance
Launches
6
Success rate
83.3%
5 ok · 1 failed
Payload to LEO
—
Payload to GTO
—
Manufacturer
ChryslerStatus
RetiredFirst flight
21 Nov 1960Reusable
NoHeight
25.41 mDiameter
1.78 mLaunch mass
30 tLiftoff thrust
—Stages
1Launch cost
—Booster landings
—Links
WikipediaAbout
The Mercury-Redstone Launch Vehicle, designed for NASA's Project Mercury, was the first American manned space booster. It was used for six sub-orbital Mercury flights from 1960–61; culminating with the launch of the first, and 11 weeks later, the second American (and the second and third humans) in space. The four subsequent Mercury human spaceflights used the more powerful Atlas booster to enter low Earth orbit.
A member of the Redstone rocket family, it was derived from the U.S. Army's Redstone ballistic missile and the first stage of the related Jupiter-C launch vehicle; but to human-rate it, the structure and systems were modified to improve safety and reliability.
Source The Space Devs — Launch Library 2
Last checked 29 Sept 2026
