The photos in this file are taken from a single USAF B&W photo taken of the Mercury-Redstone Booster Development vehicle, launched on March 24, 1961, after the flight of Ham the chimp and before the flight of Alan Shepard. The vehicle is fueled (evidenced by the frost on the tank) and about to be launched on its suborbital mission.

The caption on the back of the photo reads:

OFFICIAL U. S. AIR FORCE PHOTO
RCA PHOTO LABORATORY
AIR FORCE MISSILE TEST CENTER
PATRICK AFB, FLORIDA

PL-61-71552           3/24/61

COMTA, M?N, PAD 5.
PRE LAUNCH REDSTONE MERCURY
CARRYING A DUMMY MERCURY CAPSULE,
PHOTO BY: HOPKINS

UNCLASSIFIED

RCA-2
ACCEPTABLE



5 February 2000
Roger E. Moore
Roger70129@aol.com