The Mercury Spacecraft was the first American manned spacecraft, designed and built right here in St. Louis by McDonnell Aircraft Corporation. Did you know that each capsule was named by the astronaut who flew it? The numeral 7 was added to each name to denote the teamwork of the seven astronauts. Scott Carpenter chose Aurora 7 to represent a light in the sky, dawn of a new age for mankind, and because he grew up on Aurora Avenue in Boulder, Colorado.
Connect with curiosity!