42 a
NASA / Unidentified Photographer

Portrait of Scott Carpenter in front of NASA’s Mercury Control Center at Cape Canaveral

Mercury Atlas 7, May 1962

Vintage gelatin silver print on fiber-based paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), with NASA HQ caption numbered 62-MA7-55 on the verso

42 b
NASA / Unidentified Photographer

Astronaut Scott Carpenter training with the Aurora 7 spacecraft at Cape Canaveral’s Hangar S

Mercury Atlas 7, May 1962

Three vintage gelatin silver prints on fiber-based paper, each 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), the first with RCA Quality Control stamp, NASA HQ and NASA-USAF-Cape Canaveral caption on the verso; the second with NASA caption on the verso, the third with NASA HQ caption on the verso

42 c
NASA / Unidentified Photographer

The photographic equipment for the space mission

Mercury Atlas 7, May 1962

Vintage gelatin silver print on fiber-based paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), NASA HQ caption numbered “62-MA7-74” on the verso

42 d
NASA / Unidentified Photographer

Blockhouse 14 nerve center during a countdown test

Mercury Atlas 7, May 1962

Vintage gelatin silver print on fiber-based paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), with RCA Quality Control stamp, NASA HQ caption and NASA-USAF-Cape Canaveral caption on the verso
20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in)

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Lot Essay

42 a
Astronaut Scott Carpenter, wearing a Mercury pressure suit during pre-flight training, was the Prime Pilot of the Mercury-Atlas 7 (MA-7) mission.

“Mercury Atlas 7 (MA-7, also designated Aurora 7) was the second orbital flight of an American rocket with a human on board. The pilot was originally planned to be Donald K. Slayton but was changed to be Scott Carpenter after a medical examination of Slayton revealed an irregularity in his heartbeat. The objectives of MA-7 were similar to MA-6, i.e. to: (1) evaluate the performance of a man-spacecraft system in a three-orbit mission; (2) evaluate the effects of space flight on the astronaut; (3) obtain the astronaut’s opinions on the operational suitability of the spacecraft systems; (4) evaluate the performance of spacecraft systems replaced or modified as a result of previous missions; and, (5) exercise and evaluate further the performance of the Mercury Worldwide Network” (https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1962-019A).

42 b
“Scott Carpenter prepares for a simulated flight in spacecraft 18 named ‘Aurora 7’ by Carpenter, which means dawn of a new age. Spacecraft engineers will assist him in this simulation and checkout” (NASA caption, first photograph).

Ordinarily, Mercury astronauts departed their craft through the side hatch, but Carpenter was the only one to exit through the nose. He is pictured demonstrating the procedure during pre-flight training (second photograph, bottom right).

Carpenter studying the flight operations manual during training procedures in the spacecraft (third photograph, bottom left).

42 c
Included in Carpenter’s equipment bag and gear for the mission are a German made Robot Recorder 36 35mm sequence camera, cartridges of film and a 75mm telephoto lens for Robot camera. The Robot Royal 35mm camera had a spring-driven automatic advance. NASA’s Technical Division had made a large pistol grip with a shutter release cable in it so it could be operated with big gloves on and with one hand because the astronaut’s movement were very restricted in the spacecraft. Engineers also attached a large film magazine to the camera, making a roll of around 200 frames available during the mission.

42 d
Blockhouse 14 nerve center at Cape Canaveral’s Launch Complex 14 during the countdown for the MA-7 mission. At the center console is Bill Mosley, McDonnell capsule system test conductor. To his left is Paul Donnelly, NASA capsule test conductor.