Little Joe 5A

{{short description|Uncrewed test launch of a Mercury capsule}}

{{Infobox spaceflight

| name = Little Joe 5A

| image = Little joe 5a launch.jpg

| image_caption = Little Joe 5A being launched from Wallops Island

| insignia = Mercury insignia.png

| mission_type = Abort test

| operator = NASA

| mission_duration = 5 minutes, 25 seconds

| distance_travelled = {{convert|18|mi|km|disp=flip}}

| suborbital_apogee = {{convert|7.7|mi|km|disp=flip}}

| spacecraft = Mercury No.14

| manufacturer = McDonnell Aircraft

| launch_mass = {{convert|1141|kg|lb}}

| landing_mass =

| launch_date = {{start-date|March 18, 1961, 16:49|timezone=yes}} UTC

| launch_rocket = Little Joe

| launch_site = Wallops LA-1

| landing_date = {{end-date|March 18, 1961, 16:54|timezone=yes}} UTC

| landing_site =

| previous_mission = Little Joe 5

| next_mission = Little Joe 5B

| programme = Project Mercury
Abort Tests

}}

Little Joe 5A was an uncrewed launch escape system test of the Mercury spacecraft, conducted as part of the U.S. Mercury program. It was an attempted re-test of the failed Little Joe 5 flight. The mission used production Mercury spacecraft #14 atop a Little Joe booster rocket. The mission was launched March 18, 1961, from Wallops Island, Virginia. The LJ-5 failure sequence was repeated when capsule escape rocket again ignited prematurely with the capsule remaining attached to the booster. In this flight however, a ground command was sent to separate the capsule from the booster and escape tower. This allowed the main and reserve parachutes to deploy and the capsule was recovered with only minor damage. It would be used again on the subsequent Little Joe 5B mission, in a third attempt to achieve mission objectives. The Little Joe 5A flew to an apogee of 7.7 miles (12 km) and a range of {{convert|18|mi}}. The mission lasted 5 minutes 25 seconds. Maximum speed was {{convert|1,783|mph}} and acceleration was 8 G (78 m/s²).{{cite web|title=LJ-5A (14)|url=http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/history/mercury/lj-5a/lj-5a.htm|publisher=NASA Public Affairs Office|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100606182304/http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/history/mercury/lj-5a/lj-5a.htm|archivedate=2010-06-06}}

Mercury spacecraft # 14 used in the Little Joe 5A mission, is currently displayed at the Virginia Air and Space Center, Hampton, Virginia.[http://web.mac.com/jimgerard/AFGAS/pages/mercury/mc-14.html Little Joe 5A in A Field Guide to American Spacecraft] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120506133846/http://web.mac.com/jimgerard/AFGAS/pages/mercury/mc-14.html |date=2012-05-06 }}