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Today in History: Wally Schirra launches on Mercury-Atlas 8

By Drooid · Oct 3, 2026, 10:34 AM UTC · How we work

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Summary

Story summary

On October 3 1962, astronaut Walter “Wally” Schirra launched the Mercury-Atlas 8 mission from Cape Canaveral, completing six Earth orbits in a nine-hour flight aboard Sigma 7. The flight set a U.S. record for mission duration, tested the Mercury capsule’s systems, and validated the spacecraft ahead of the longer Mercury-Atlas 9 mission.

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Story summary

On October 3 1962, astronaut Walter “Wally” Schirra launched the Mercury-Atlas 8 mission from Cape Canaveral, completing six Earth orbits in a nine-hour flight aboard Sigma 7. The flight set a U.S. record for mission duration, tested the Mercury capsule’s systems, and validated the spacecraft ahead of the longer Mercury-Atlas 9 mission.