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There were three primary mission objectives for the Mercury Program 

• To orbit a manned spacecraft around Earth.
• To investigate man's ability to function in space.
• To recover both man and spacecraft safely.

To achieve these goals, engineers and scientists made numerous incremental improvements in launch vehicles and guidance systems. Three different rocket systems, several capsule designs, and range of other "hardware" and "software" improvements resulted from this process. Understanding the biomedical effect of space flight on animals and human beings also required substantial engineering and scientific insight. During the planning phase of the Mercury program no human being had ventured into space.