Project Mercury was the first human spaceflight program of the United
States. It ran from 1959 through 1963 with the goal of putting a man in
orbit around the Earth. The Mercury-Atlas 6 flight on February 20, 1962
was the first Mercury flight to achieve this goal. Early planning and
research was carried out by the National Advisory Committee for
Aeronautics, and the program was officially conducted by the newly
created NASA. The name comes from Mercury, a Roman mythological god who
is often seen as a symbol of speed. Mercury is also the name of the
innermost planet of the solar system, which moves faster than any other
and hence provides an image of speed, although Project Mercury had no
other connection to that planet.
The Mercury program cost $1.5 billion.
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