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Mercury-Atlas 7
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<p>Mercury-Atlas 7, launched May 24, 1962, was the fourth crewed flight of <a href="/facts/Project_Mercury/H8zqFzbC">Project Mercury</a>. The spacecraft, named <i>Aurora 7</i>, was piloted by astronaut <a href="/facts/Scott_Carpenter/aBQVYh49">Scott Carpenter</a>. He was the sixth human to fly in space. The mission used Mercury spacecraft No. 18 and <a href="/facts/Atlas_LV-3B/ufGAcnsB">Atlas launch vehicle</a> No. 107-D. </p><p>The flight was for three Earth orbits, essentially a repeat of <a href="/facts/John_Glenn/uJLQekqe">John Glenn</a>'s <a href="/facts/Mercury-Atlas_6/L825mhAJ">Mercury-Atlas 6</a>. However, a targeting error during reentry took the spacecraft 250 miles (400 km) off-course, delaying recovery of Carpenter and the spacecraft for an hour. Carpenter was held responsible, at least in part, for the landing error. Carpenter left NASA for the <a href="/facts/United_States_Navy/xYK0fUou">Navy</a> <a href="/facts/SEALAB/VW1D6a9f">SEALAB</a> program in 1964. </p>