# Mercury

> space capsule

**Wikidata**: [Q3306405](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3306405)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/mercury-q3306405

## Summary
Mercury is a United States crewed space capsule created for Project Mercury. It is a small, single-occupant reentry capsule manufactured by McDonnell Aircraft Corporation and operated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

## Key Facts
- Mercury is an instance of a space capsule and a vehicle model series used in crewed spaceflight.
- Part of: Project Mercury (the capsule was used within Project Mercury).
- Manufacturer: McDonnell Aircraft Corporation.
- Operator: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
- Country of origin: United States.
- Maximum capacity: 1 person.
- Mass: 3,000 pounds.
- Length: 10.8 feet; Diameter: 6.21 feet.
- Internal volume: 100 cubic feet.
- Aliases: Mercury spacecraft, Mercury capsule.
- Classification: subclass_of space capsule, crewed spacecraft, spacecraft.
- Commons image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Mercury_capsule_HD.jpg
- Commons category: Spacecraft of Project Mercury.
- Wikipedia-related links/languages: commons, fr, sv; sitelink_count: 3.

## FAQs
### Q: What is the Mercury capsule?
A: Mercury is a crewed space capsule designed as a reentry vehicle. It was manufactured by McDonnell Aircraft Corporation and used in Project Mercury under NASA.

### Q: How many people could fit inside Mercury?
A: Mercury had a maximum capacity of one person.

### Q: Who built and operated the Mercury capsule?
A: The capsule was built by McDonnell Aircraft Corporation and operated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

### Q: What are the physical dimensions and mass of Mercury?
A: Mercury measured 10.8 feet in length, 6.21 feet in diameter, had an internal volume of 100 cubic feet, and weighed about 3,000 pounds.

## Why It Matters
Mercury represents a focused engineering solution for carrying a single human through atmospheric reentry and recovery. As a modular space capsule type, it embodies the reentry-capsule design pattern used to protect occupants during high-speed return from space. Operated by NASA and produced by McDonnell Aircraft Corporation for Project Mercury, the capsule was a concrete, manufacturable vehicle model series that constrained mass, volume, and crew size to meet early crewed spaceflight requirements. Its compact dimensions, single-seat layout, and 3,000-pound mass illustrate the trade-offs between life support, structural protection, and launch compatibility that define reentry capsule design. For researchers, historians, and engineers, Mercury provides a clear example of early crewed spacecraft architecture and the applied constraints of human spaceflight missions in the era it served. The capsule’s documentation, images, and categorization in public commons collections support technical study and public understanding of crewed-spacecraft design.

## Notable For
- Designed as a single-occupant reentry capsule with a maximum capacity of one person.
- Manufactured by McDonnell Aircraft Corporation and operated by NASA as part of Project Mercury.
- Compact dimensions: 10.8 ft length, 6.21 ft diameter, and approximately 100 cubic feet of internal volume.
- Mass of about 3,000 pounds, reflecting the lightweight design constraints of early crewed capsules.
- Classified both as a space capsule and as a vehicle model series within crewed spacecraft categories.

## Body
### Overview
- Mercury is a space capsule developed for Project Mercury.
- It is a modular spacecraft type that uses a reentry capsule to enter an atmosphere intact.
- The craft is classified as a crewed spacecraft designed to carry humans.

### Manufacturer and Operator
- Manufacturer: McDonnell Aircraft Corporation.
- Operator: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
- Country of origin: United States.
- Part of Project Mercury program.

### Physical specifications
- Mass: 3,000 pounds.
- Length: 10.8 feet.
- Diameter: 6.21 feet.
- Internal volume: 100 cubic feet.
- Maximum crew capacity: 1 person.

### Classification and relationships
- Instance of: space capsule; vehicle model series.
- Subclass of: space capsule, crewed spacecraft, spacecraft.
- Related class: space capsule (type of modular spacecraft using a reentry capsule).

### Identifiers and public resources
- Common aliases: Mercury spacecraft; Mercury capsule.
- Commons image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Mercury_capsule_HD.jpg
- Commons category: Spacecraft of Project Mercury.
- Wikipedia languages / sitelinks noted: commons, fr, sv (sitelink_count: 3).

### Usage context
- Mercury served as the crewed reentry capsule element within Project Mercury.
- The design reflects constraints for single-occupant missions, including compact volume and limited mass.