Summary: Coverage of America's first 19-minute suborbital flight with Commander Alan B. Shepard, Jr., who flew to an altitude of 115 statute miles and 302 miles down the Atlantic Missile Range from Cape Canaveral. Film shows prelaunch activities, launch of Mercury-Redstone missile, Comdr. Shepard prior to launch and during weightlessness and flight; recovery of capsule, and shots of astronaut aboard aircraft carrier USS Lake Champlain. NATIONAL AERONAUTICS SPACE ADMINISTRATION PRESENTS: US ASTRONAUT RIDES INTO SPACE, FLIGHT OF FREEDOM SEVEN. 13' MS pan right with NASA special transfer van arriving at pad No. 5 in predawn darkness at Cape Canaveral. 21' MS of Comdr. Shepard, carrying a portable air conditioner, stepping from van, then walking over to base of gantry and stepping into elevator -- he is followed by Dr. William A. Douglas, Mercury flight surgeon -- pan up as elevator moves upward to Mercury capsule (night scene) 58' LS of technicians preparing Redstone booster in floodlighted area. 62' MS of technicians aiding astronaut into Freedom Seven Capsule (Fair quality). 77' CU of light in control room reading: COUNTDOWN AND PROCEED. 79' MLS & MS in control room of Redstone blockhouse (very dark scene). 87' Onboard camera footage of Comdr. Shepard during countdown. 93' MCU of civilian faces all wearing mouth mikes during countdown procedure (dark scene). 99' MLS of gantry moving away from Mercury-Redstone and the boom arm of cherrypicker swinging up to capsule. 106' MCU from camera in capsule of Comdr. Shepard. 108' LS's of Mercury-Redstone as cherrypicker boom arm lowers. 112' MCU low angle from camera in capsule of Comdr. Shepard. 113' LS high angle of umbilical arm dropping away and missile lift-off. 120' Tracking camera footage of Mercury-Redstone climbing. 143' Onboard camera footage of Comdr. Shepard talking. 147' LS of vapor trail. 155' Onboard camera footage of Comdr. Shepard during flight -- shows floating harness strap during weightlessness. 165' MS of Mercury personnel, flight surgeon, and capsule environment monitors. 170' AMLS high angle of aircraft carrier USS LAKE CHAMPLAIN. 176' MS right RV of US Marine HUS-1 taking off from aircraft carrier -- crewman signalling. 184' Onboard camera footage of Comdr. Shepard during flight -- intercut by ALS of aircraft carrier USS LAKE CHAMPLAIN. 216' MCU of aircraft carrier crewman sitting on deck looking up to sky. 218' ELS tracking footage of capsule with open parachute descending. 222' Onboard camera footage of Comdr. Shepard. 225' ELS tracking camera footage of capsule descending. 226' Onboard footage of Comdr. Shepard opening his visor on helmet and releasing harness strap. 238' AELS of capsule near surface of water. 243' ALS high angle of HUS-1 hovering over Comdr. Shepard -- capsule floating in bg. (dark scene). 250' ALS of capsule being iifted by HUS-1 -- another HUS in fg. 261' AMLS of two HUS-1's -- shows one carrying capsule in flight toward camera and over aircraft carrier USS LAKE CHAMPLAIN -- aircraft carrier personnel on deck in fg. 267' MS of Mercury capsule lowering. 270' MLS of crowd on aircraft carrier. 271' MLS & MS of capsule being lowered to a special pad on the carrier deck -- shows -- collapse of landing bag and tie-down of capsule. 281' MS & MCU of HUS-1 No. 44 landing on aircraft carrier deck -- shows helicopter copilot alighting then assisting Comdr. Shepard. 294' MLS & MS of Comdr. Shepard and others walking across carrier flight deck -- a second helicopter hovering in bg. 297' MS & MCU of Comdr. Shepard climbing up and retrieving his helmet from capsule. 303' MS pan left with Comdr. Shepard walking down steps into Admiral's cabin (dark scene). 316' MCU of Comdr. Shepard getting out of space suit and inter-liner -- shows Dr. Robert Laning and Jerome Strong beside him. 327' MCU of Comdr. Shepard talking on phone (he is being congratulated by President Kennedy). 333' MCU of Comdr Shepard drinking from a glass. 337' MS & MCU's of Comdr. Shepard sitting at table talking with an officer. 348' MS's of Comdr. Shepard with two Navy officers of the aircraft carrier -- shows him being congratulated by another officer. 354' MCU of Comdr. Shepard climbing into S2F-3 aircraft. 355' MLS low angle of personnel on super-structure of aircraft carrier. 358' MS to MCU to MLS pan right with US Navy S2F-3 taking off. 364' END TITLE. 369' Total footage in reel. Fair-Good (Basic: color reversal prt)
