Celebrating
LIBERTY BELL 7
The Space Race and the ultimate United States' victory in reaching the Moon began with a bell-shaped spacecraft built for just one human. The second manned spacecraft launched by the U.S. was Liberty Bell 7, on display at the Cosmosphere.
Learn more about the dramatic story of the capsule’s life-threatening splash-down and dramatic recovery below.
THE LIBERTY BELL 7 STORY
On July 21, 1961, with a 15-minute suborbital flight of the Mercury spacecraft Liberty Bell 7, Gus Grissom became the second American in space.
The flight was by-the-book until splashdown when the explosive-powered hatch jettisoned prematurely, flooding the capsule and Grissom’s space suit. Grissom scrambled out of the spacecraft and nearly drowned in the swells.
With the spacecraft full of water, the weight was too much for the recovery helicopter. Liberty Bell 7 was released and the spacecraft sank nearly three miles to the bottom of the Atlantic.
IN THE NEWS
LIBERTY BELL 7 DOCUMENTARIES
LIBERTY BELL 7 FULL MISSION
Credit: NASA and lunarmodule5
LIBERTY BELL 7 FLIGHT CBS NEWS COVERAGE
Credit: CBS and zellco321
IN SEARCH OF
LIBERTY BELL 7
Discovery Channel, Credit: Graham Bagshaw
LIBERTY BELL 7 RESOURCES
Liberty Bell 7 Mission Information
As part of the Mercury Program, Mercury-Redstone 4 was the fourth mission in the Mercury-Redstone series of flight tests and the second U.S. manned suborbital spaceflight. It was the next step in the progressive research, development and training program leading to the study of man's capabilities in a space environment during manned orbital flight.
The main objective was to corroborate the man-in-space concept. The main configuration differences between the MR-3 spacecraft was the addition of a large viewing window and an explosively actuated side hatch.
Credit: NASA
Liberty Bell 7 Guided Experience
Learn the story of the Liberty Bell 7 spacecraft below.
Just remember, nothing can substitute for experiencing this important piece of space history in person!
Credit: Cosmosphere
Artifacts from Liberty Bell 7
Liberty Bell 7 Image Library
They say a photo is worth a thousand words. More than that, images take us back in time to evoke the moment's emotions.
Cosmosphere has curated hundreds of photos of the Liberty Bell 7 mission.
Visit our image library to:
- Relive the months of training and preparation.
- the launch, fight for retrieval and loss;
- The recovery, nearly 38 years after it was lost to the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, and the restoration by SpaceWorks, a division of the Cosmosphere.
Credit: NASA and Cosmosphere
Liberty Bell 7 Facts
Prepare for your next Liberty Bell 7 Trivia Night, or just expand your understanding of facts about Gus Grissom and the LB7 spacecraft!
Credit: Cosmosphere
THE RESTORATION OF LIBERTY BELL 7
On July 20, 1999, nearly 38 years after it was lost to the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, a deep sea salvage expedition funded by the Discovery Channel, resurrected Liberty Bell 7 from its watery grave. It was then brought to the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, Kansas, for restoration by SpaceWorks, a division of the Cosmosphere internationally known for spacecraft restoration and preservation, as well as replica fabrication.
Find out more about SpaceWorks here.
COSMOSPHERE:
HOME OF LIBERTY BELL 7
The Cosmosphere is a Smithsonian-affiliated museum in Hutchinson, KS, and the proud home and owner of the Liberty Bell 7 spacecraft.
