U. S. Navy Commander Walter M. Schirra, Jr., was born march 12, 1923 in Hackensack. New Jersey. Schirra was the pilot of the Mercury Atlas 8 flight of "Sigma 7" on October 3, 162. Launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, he completed a successful 6 orbit mission around the earth at an orbital velocity of approximately 17,560 miles on hour. Schirra's "Sigma 7" Mercury spacecraft made nearly a pinpoint landing as planned, in the vicinity of Midway Island. Time of the flight was 9 hours and 13 minutes. |