Sigma 7 (Mercury Atlas 8) Spacecraft Poster

Personnel in Hangar S at Cape Canaveral, Florida prepare Wally Schirra's Mercury 8 capsule nicknamed "Sigma 7" for delivery to the launch pad to be mated to the Atlas launch vehicle. Mercury Atlas 8 (MA-8, also Sigma 7) was the third manned orbital flight of the Mercury program. The pilot was Walter M. Schirra, Jr. The objectives of MA-8 were to: (1) evaluate the performance of the man-spacecraft system in a six-pass orbital mission; (2) evaluate the effects of an extended orbital space flight on the astronaut and to compare this analysis with those of previous missions and astronaut-simulator programs; (3) obtain additional astronaut evaluation of the operational suitability of the spacecraft and support systems for manned orbital flights; (4) evaluate the performance of spacecraft systems replaced or modified as a result of previous three-pass orbital missions; and, (5) evaluate the performance of and exercise further the Mercury Worldwide Network and mission support forces and establish their suitability for extended manned flight.