Mercury spacecraft capsule sea recovery, 1960s. The small Mercury spacecraft floats near to a life raft carrying the single crew member, as a recovery ship sails in to pick them up. Project Mercury was the first human spaceflight programme of the United States. It ran from 1958 to 1963, succeeding in putting the first US astronaut in space on 5 May 1961. A total of six manned missions were flown. Mercury flights were launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, USA.