Redstone Rocket w/Mercury

NASA modified a Redstone missile to create a 25.5m-long manned space launch vehicle that was designed to carry astronauts into space. The Redstone was selected because of its good safety record, and an upgraded Rocketdyne engine was combined with a Mercury spacecraft. The first Mercury-Redstone (MR-1) launch from Cape Canaveral in Florida occurred in late 1960 but it only got four inches off the launch pad! However, on 31 January 1961, with Ham the Chimp aboard, MR-2 completed a suborbital flight. Upon being recovered, the chimpanzee happily ate an apple and half an orange! However, it wasn’t until 5 May 1961 that the first American astronaut, Alan Shepard, traveled into space on the third Mercury-Redstone mission (MR-3). This American success came just three weeks after the Russian cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin, performed the world’s first orbital spaceflight. An almost identical NASA mission with Virgil Grissom aboard blasted off on 21 July later that year. These missions were so successful that two further Mercury-Redstone flights were cancelled.

Dragon’s Space Collection now features a 1/72 scale readymade model of the successful Mercury-Redstone combination. The full rocket launch system is captured perfectly in miniature, and the Redstone rocket stems from all-new toolings. This replica is impressive to look at, measuring 34cm from its stable circular display stand to the tip of its escape tower. Its size makes it perfect for desktop display. The Mercury spacecraft is perched atop the launch vehicle, and the surface pattern of the ablative heat shield is particularly well done. Colors and markings are accurately reproduced. Mercury-Redstone program was an important step in space travel, and now collectors can make this journey too!