Faith 7's Atlas booster eventually lifted it into orbit, allowing Cooper to circle the Earth 22.5 times.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Faith 7 flight, Cooper orbited the earth 22.5 times.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Faith 7, the name his spacecraft was dubbed, launched successfully and circled the earth 22.5 times. While in space, Cooper was one of the early practitioners of conducting scientific observations in space.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
The marker, which was not in place when the photograph was taken, quotes President John F. Kennedy (1917-1963): "One of the most complex tasks ever presented to man in this country...the achievement of manned flight in orbit around the Earth." President Kennedy requested that the time capsule be opened 500 years, hence in 2464.]]>
Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Faith 7 Mercury spacecraft by manually landing in the Pacific Ocean on May 16, 1963, closer than any other flight had landed with reference to the recovery ship. A dehydrated Cooper, still in Faith 7, is seen after the recovery aboard the aircraft carrier USS Kearsarge. Cooper not only set a record of staying in space for over 34 hours, but he would prove a trained pilot was an important ingredient in space flight.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Friendship 7 spacecraft into orbit. The skin is in such a degraded condition, because it is extremely thin, as the rocket maintained rigidity by internal fuel pressure, and the booster fell from a high altitude.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Faith 7 into orbit. Dr. Fowler and Cooper were at the General Dynamics/Astronautics factory in San Diego, California, to accept the Atlas booster. Cooper was to be the final astronaut of Project Mercury, as it paved the way for Project Gemini. Dr. Fowler would manage the spacecraft preparation and ignite the Atlas launch vehicle. Cooper would become, for a short time, the space endurance record holder.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
When the Mercury 7 astronauts, such as Cooper, visited the launch site, they wore distinctively colored helmets so that they could be identified at a distance. Cooper, on such a visit before his flight, is viewing the unerected Atlas rocket from the gantry in the second photograph. The Atlas was America's first rocket capable of lifting a man into orbit. Faith 7's Atlas booster eventually lifted it into orbit, allowing Cooper to circle the Earth 22.5 times.]]>
Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Sigma 7, after the spacecraft which took him into orbit. In the photograph, Schirra shows the watercraft to General Dynamics/Astronautics director of operations B. G. MacNabb at what is believed to be Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's industrial area near Hangar S.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Originally owned by Dr. Calvin D. Fowler.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Originally owned by Dr. Calvin D. Fowler.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Originally owned by Dr. Calvin D. Fowler.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Originally owned by Dr. Calvin D. Fowler.

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RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
General Dynamics Corporation]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> General Dynamics Corporation]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> General Dynamics Corporation.]]> General Dynamics Corporation and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> General Dynamics Corporation]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> General Dynamics Corporation.]]> General Dynamics Corporation and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Originally owned by Dr. Calvin D. Fowler.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Originally owned by Dr. Calvin D. Fowler.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Originally owned by Dr. Calvin D. Fowler.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Originally owned by Dr. Calvin D. Fowler.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Sigma 7. After his successful flight, U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Schirra thanked Dr. Fowler for his efforts with a signed photograph.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Faith 7, for Project Mercury. Faith 7 was piloted by Gordon Cooper (1927-2004), on May 15, 1963. After the launch, the team assembled in the blockhouse to observe the mission on monitors. Dr. Fowler, who had just launched Cooper into orbit, is seated along with O'Malley, who had previously launchedJohn Glenn (b. 1921)'s rocket, Friendship 7.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Upon arrival at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (Cape Cananveral AFS), they greeted President John F. Kennedy (1917-1963), who had flown into Cape Canaveral, landing at the Skid Strip. From there, President Kennedy and Glenn were driven to Hangar S at Cape Canaveral, where the President presented him the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Distinguished Service Medal. They then toured Mercury Control Center and then greeted launch workers at Launch Complex 14 (LC-14). At the launch site, Glenn presented the President with a hard hat that workers wore when at the launchpad.]]>
Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> The Chicago's American. The article provides a contemporaneous account of Dr. Calvin D. Fowler, manager of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 14 (LC-14) and launch conductor, whose job was launching astronaut Gordon Cooper into space on a Project Mercury rocket.]]> The Chicago's American, May 9, 1963: Private Collection of Dr. Calvin D. Fowler.]]> The Chicago's American]]> Chronopoints]]> The Chicago's American, May 9, 1963.]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> The Chicago's American.]]> The Chicago Tribune and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> The Plattsburgh Press-Republican on October 4, 1962. Dr. Calvin D. Fowler was the manager of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 14 during the final three launches of Project Mercury. In this newspaper photograph, he is shown sitting at the Launch Conductor's console in the blockhouse at Launch Complex 14 (LC-14), launching Wally Schirra (1923-2007)'s Mercury-Atlas rocket, named Sigma 7, into space. Dr. Fowler would go on to do the same for Gordon Cooper (1927-2004).]]> The Plattsburgh Press-Republican, Vol. LXIX, no. 45, October 4, 1962: Private Collection of Dr. Calvin D. Fowler.]]> The Plattsburgh Press-Republican]]> Chronopoints]]> The Plattsburgh Press-Republican, Vol. LXIX, No. 45, October 4, 1962.]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> The Plattsburgh Press-Republican.]]> The Press Republican and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Used during the launches of the Mercury-Atlas rocketsfrom the first American to orbit earth, John Glenn (b. 1921), to the last Project Mercury flight with Gordon Cooper (1927-2004), Jr.this was one of the workstations in the blockhouse at Launch Complex 14 (LC-14). Electronic equipment used in the LC-14 Blockhouse was placed in racks to maximize space utilization, similar to what one might see today in a computer server room. One main difference is that the electronics of Project Mercury era were analog rather than digital, and the displays and controls were analog as well, such as analog meters and knobs.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Fowler, Calvin D.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Chronopoints]]> Dr. Calvin Fowler Collection, Florida Space Coast History Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>