| − | *[['''Project Mercury ''']] Initiated in 1958 and completed in 1963, Project Mercury was the United States' first man-in-space program. The objectives of the program, which made six manned flights from 1961 to 1963, were specific: orbit a manned spacecraft around Earth, investigate man's ability to function in space and recover both man and spacecraft safely. <ref> http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mercury/missions/program-toc.html </ref> | + | *[['''Project Mercury''']] Initiated in 1958 and completed in 1963, Project Mercury was the United States' first man-in-space program. The objectives of the program, which made six manned flights from 1961 to 1963, were specific: orbit a manned spacecraft around Earth, investigate man's ability to function in space and recover both man and spacecraft safely. <ref> http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mercury/missions/program-toc.html </ref> |