The Explorers' Club, № CMLXXIX

Operation AXIOM: The Space Race—The 62nd Anniversary of Mercury-Atlas 4
13 September 1961: Mercury-Atlas 4 lifted off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, with the same Mercury capsule from Mercury-Atlas 3 (№ 8) atop an Atlas LV-3B rocket; aboard was a Crewman Simulator instrument package; the capsule completed one orbit of the Earth, successfully testing the Mercury Tracking Network, re-entering the atmosphere, & splashing down in the Atlantic.

Commentary: With the successful launch, orbit, & recovery of Mercury-Atlas 4, the Atlas launch vehicle was now proven reliable & it was time to add the biological component to the missions: first, Enos during Mercury-Atlas 5; then, John Glenn aboard the Friendship 7 during Mercury-Atlas 6.

The Wayback Machine Tour of Project Mercury
"The Explorers' Club," № CMLXVIII: The 63rd Anniversary of Mercury-Atlas 1
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCCLIX: The 61st Anniversary of Mercury-Redstones 1 & 1A
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCXCVI: The 60th Anniversary of Mercury-Redstone 2 (Ham the Chimp)
"The Explorers' Club," № CMXXXIV: The 62nd Anniversary of Mercury-Atlas 2
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCCVI: The 60th Anniversary of Mercury-Redstone B.D.
"The Explorers' Club," № CMXLVII: The 62nd Anniversary of Mercury-Atlas 3
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCXLVII: The 59th Anniversary of Mercury-Redstone 3 (Alan Shepard)
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCLX: The 59th Anniversary of Mercury-Redstone 4 (Gus Grissom)
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCCLVI: The 60th Anniversary of Mercury-Atlas 5 (Enos the Chimp)
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCXXXIII: The 58th Anniversary of Mercury-Atlas 6 (John Glenn)
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCCXVIII: The 59th Anniversary of Mercury-Atlas 7 (Scott Carpenter)
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCCXLIII: The 59th Anniversary of Mercury-Atlas 8 (Wally Schirra)
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCCLXXXIII: The 59th Anniversary of Mercury-Atlas 9 (Gordon Cooper)

Semper exploro.