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Mercury-Redstone 4 was the fourth mission in the Mercury-Redstone series and the second U.S. manned suborbital spaceflight. The mission was essentially a repeat of Alan Shepard’s Freedom 7 flight. So why was it necessary to launch another sub-orbital mission? Why not proceed with an orbital flight to match the Soviet Vostok 1? Among other things the U.S. needed more space experience to corroborate the “Man-in-Space” concept. Also the Redstone was the only booster NASA had that was approved for manned launches. The Atlas booster was available but not ready. Atlas was capable of putting a Mercury Capsule into orbit, but it had been launched three times with unmanned capsules, and it had exploded on 2 of the 3 attempts.
![MR-4 Launch](https://i0.wp.com/www.spacerockethistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/460px-Mercury-Redstone_4_Launch_MSFC-6414824.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1)
MR-4 Launch
![Gus Grissom](https://i0.wp.com/www.spacerockethistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/GusSuitup.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1)
Gus Grissom
![1137px-Grissom_prepares_to_enter_Liberty_Bell_7_61-MR4-76](https://i0.wp.com/www.spacerockethistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/1137px-Grissom_prepares_to_enter_Liberty_Bell_7_61-MR4-76.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1)
Ready to Go
![MR-4 Hatch](https://i0.wp.com/www.spacerockethistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Mercury_4_Hatch.png?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1)
MR-4 Hatch
![513px-Grissom_lifted_from_water_61-MR4-82](https://i0.wp.com/www.spacerockethistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/513px-Grissom_lifted_from_water_61-MR4-82.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1)
Rescue
![Liberty Bell 7](https://i0.wp.com/www.spacerockethistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Liberty_Bell_7_The_Kansas_Cosmosphere_and_Space_Center.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1)
Liberty Bell 7