Mercury program

Cultural  

1. A program of rocket-powered flights undertaken by the United States with the goal of putting a man in orbit around the Earth. Each Mercury flight carried one astronaut. The program ran from 1961 to 1963 and was named after the Roman god Mercury, the messenger of the gods.

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The first United States suborbital flight was made by Alan Shepard in 1961.

In 1962, John Glenn made the first orbital flight by an American astronaut.

Example Sentences

Others encourage patients to ensure they are sticking to a healthy diet and to step up their exercise program.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

I hope that everyone with Parkinson’s will take heed and find an exercise program specific to their needs.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 14, 2025

With aerobic exercises, participants wore a heart rate monitor and inserted a unique exercise program key into a treadmill or stationary bike.

From Science Daily • Jan. 17, 2024

He led an exercise program twice a week, having practiced prayer, yoga, meditation and exercise daily, before finding and training new volunteers.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 19, 2023

After his first heart attack, in 2000, he quit smoking; but once he was feeling better, he stopped taking several medications, drifted back to red meat and fried foods, and let his exercise program slip.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times