History and development

of the Mercury-Redstone program

They called the sleek, tubular rocket “Old Reliable,” due to its dependability and an unsurpassed record of successfully completed launch and flight operations. Through these qualities, as history records, the Redstone rocket became the perfect choice for launching the first American into space.

Prior to being used as the booster vehicle for the early Project Mercury missions, the Redstone had undergone several years of development and testing as a medium – range, tactical surface-to-surface ballistic missile for the U. S. Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA) located at the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, northern Alabama. Over time, the rocket had proved itself, as the nickname suggests, to be one of the most reliable large rockets ever produced in the United States.