Mercury-Jupiter

Mercury-Jupiter Launch Vehicle

Mission Profile

The Mercury-Jupiter (Mercury-Jupiter Launch Vehicle) was a proposed single-stage American launch vehicle concept in the Jupiter family, studied as a potential booster for launching Mercury capsules on suborbital test flights under Project Mercury. Standing approximately 23 m tall with a 2.7 m diameter and a liftoff mass of 52 tonnes, it would have generated 667 kN of thrust. Conceived around 1959, the Mercury-Jupiter was not pursued as the Army's Redstone was selected instead for Mercury suborbital missions, and the Jupiter missile was dedicated to its military role.