Question about Alan Shepard suborbital flight

[Pawelk198604]

I think I watched this movie a million if not more times.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fP5HA8Vs2Vk

I love "From The Earth to the Moon" mini series

But i wonder why Alan Shepard used retro engines his flight was already suborbital so what is the point of using breaking rockets if the spacecraft will return to Earth on it it's own?

[NielsBohr]

What a great video. Regarding your question, I can only guess at an answer. Initially, I would think using retro-burn, even when on a collision course, is for a more accurate landing-spot-trajectory. So suppose the landing-spot chosen was X before the mission starts. Mission then starts in the mini series and when preparing for re-entry, "the team" notices the trajectory is not matching X, thus using retro-burn to adjust.

I am only guessing of course.

[Skyler4856]

But i wonder why Alan Shepard used retro engines his flight was already suborbital so what is the point of using breaking rockets if the spacecraft will return to Earth on it it's own?

Probably to pin-point his landing location...

[Redjoker]

According to Wikipedia, they were testing them to be used in later flights. Basically they were testing whether or not they could ignite a rocket engine in space on a suborbital mission, where failure meant nothing instead of an orbital mission where failure could mean the loss of the astronaut.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury-Redstone_3 look at paragraph 3

[ZooNamedGames]

As to all mentions are correct to my understanding it WAS for testing similar to Apollo 7's mission which was getting there and testing everything as well as the successful use would mean a more "pleasant" landing site.

It was thought they WOULDN'T it was just a test... with Yuri Gargarins ORBITAL flight completed long before Freedom 7 scientists KNEW a retrorocket would work in space... it was more of the testing of the machinery than the actual thinking.

[Nibb31]

The Mercury suborbital flights were to test all the systems for the orbital flights. Getting the first american in space wasn't the goal of the program, it was getting a man into orbit.

[ZooNamedGames]

The Mercury suborbital flights were to test all the systems for the orbital flights. Getting the first american in space wasn't the goal of the program, it was getting a man into orbit.

Exactly.

If anyone wants me to cover this more in depth I can in my Science Lecture series and get everyone's questions answered.