#la-1

This mission "flew to an apogee of 60 kilometres (37 mi) and a range of 127 kilometres (79 mi). The mission lasted 5 minutes 10 seconds. Maximum speed was 1,375 metres per second (3,075 mph) and acceleration was 5.9 g (58 m/s²). Payload 1,134 kilograms (2,500 lb)."

Photograph published in Winds of Change, 75th Anniversary NASA publication, page 77, by James Schultz

Date: October 4, 1959

"The launch of the Little Joe booster for the LJ1B mission on the launch pad from the Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia, on January 21, 1960. This mission achieved the suborbital Mercury capsule test, testing of the escape system, and biomedical tests by using a monkey, named Miss Sam."

Date: January 21, 1960

"Launch of Little Joe-2 from Wallops Island carrying Mercury spacecraft test article. The suborbital test flight of the Mercury capsule was to test the escape system. Vehicle functioned perfectly, but escape rocket ignited several seconds too late."

Date: December 4, 1959

Little Joe 1 on launcher at Wallops Island. Little Joe was a major project for Langley. It was a test of the escape and recovery systems on the Mercury spacecraft.

Date: August 21, 1959

Technicians attaching the Launch Escape Tower to the LJ-1 Mercury Boilerplate Capsule prior to assembly with Little Joe rocket. This was photographed at LA-1 in Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia.

Date: August 20, 1959

"Little Joe-5 prelaunch fittings shot before flight from Wallops Island. The suborbital test flight was to qualify the capsule system. The capsule did not separate from the booster."

Date: November 8, 1960

Little Joe-6 launch vehicle sitting on the LA-1 pad at Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia

Date: 1959

Posted on Flickr by Cliff Steenhoff