← Back to PURSUE Archive
NASA Release 2 AUD AUDIO

NASA-UAP-D011, Mercury Atlas 9 Audio Excerpt, May 15, 1963

During the final and longest flight of Project Mercury, Mercury-Atlas 9 mission (MA-9) Faith 7 Pilot L. Gordon Cooper Jr. describes the brilliant blue of sunrise beneath the haze layer of the Earth’s atmosphere. As he approaches sunrise, he describes small, luminous, brilliant white particles drifting away from the spacecraft. Cooper describes observing “fireflies” after deploying beacons, which are spherical mission-related equipment with xenon strobe lights.

Record: NASA-UAP-D011 • Record Type: AUD • File Format: AUDIO • Date: 5/15/63 • Location: Low Earth Orbit • File: release-02/video_2605_DOD_111721737_DOD_111721737.mp4

File Viewer

Official audio record

Private Review Workspace

These tools save only in your browser. No account needed. Other visitors will not see your pins, notes, review status, or compare list.

Open Workspace

Quick Actions

Pin this file or add it to your private comparison list.

Personal Status

Mark this record for your own review workflow.

Private Note

Save a note or page reference privately in this browser.