Freedom 7 was an American space capsule operated by NASA for its Project Mercury. It was the agency's first manned mission.
On May 5 1961, Alan Shepard was launched into suborbital space on board this capsule. The suborbital flight lasted 15 minutes and reached an altitude of 116 miles (186 kilometers). The capsule splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean 302 miles (486 kilometers) downrange from its Florida launch site. With the success of this mission, he became the second Human in space.
In 2024, the Freedom 7 was referenced in the display "Manned Space Flight 1961-2024", which was seen at a gala for the astronauts of the Europa Mission. (PIC: "Two of One")
This spacecraft was only mentioned in writing.