Oct 042011
A concept from 1957 for a manned space capsule based on the as-yet unflown “Discoverer” capsule shape. The basic geometry has proven itself over the years
This general concept lived on at least into 1958, where it came to life (on paper at least) as the Lockheed CL-414, mid-1958 concept for a one-man space capsule for the “Military Man In Space” effort. This was intended to be a somewhat more “operational” spacecraft than the wholly experimental Mercury capsule. Orbital vehicle weight: 2367 pounds. Unknown if the Lockheed design was derived directly from the Air Force concept, or if it was a matter of convergent evolution. The Discoverer configuration has been proposed numerous times since then for a manned capsule.
