Haynes NASA Mercury Owners' Workshop Manual

In the heady days at the birth of the U.S. manned space program, a small craft named for the Roman god Mercury captured the imagination of American public. The name was even attached to the original group of astronauts who became known as the “Mercury Seven.” Started under the auspices of the U.S. Air Force, the project was taken over in 1958 by the newly formed NASA who carried out numerous test flights before ultimately launching six manned missions. Mercury paved the way for the space program’s mission of landing on the moon.

The seminal spacecraft is the focus of Haynes NASA Mercury 1956 to 1963 (all models) Owners Workshop Manual. Author David Baker describes the subtle changes made as the hand-crafted vehicles at McDonnell Aircraft’s plant in St. Louis.

The 204-page hardcover is filled with diagrams and drawings from original maintenance manuals complemented by dozens of photos of various systems. The bulk of the book is taken up describing the systems including the structure, electrical, environmental control, rockets, recovery, astronaut, and communications. There are also chapters detailing the flights and various launch vehicles. Modelers will find plenty of details that will be invaluable in building any of the several Mercury kits available. But the book is also a great read for anyone interested in the history of U.S. human spaceflight. You too can marvel at how this tiny vehicle carried six astronauts and the hopes of a nation into the Space Race.