1961, April:MISSILE FAILURE - CAPSULE INTACT: In one of the last tests before a man is launched into space, an Atlas missile is fired from Cape Canaveral with the Mercury astronaut capsule in its nose. The firing proceeds without a flaw until suddenly a defect in the guidance system causes it to go off course and it's destroyed. However, scientists are elated that the Mercury capsule is successfully parachuted to earth - they say a man would have survived without injury.