To test the launch escape system for the Mercury spacecraft, the Little Joe rocket was launched at NASA's Wallops Island Flight Facility on Virginia's Eastern Shore. The Little Joe booster vehicle was built by North American Aviation, while teh Mercury spacecraft sitting at the top of this booster rocket was a mockup built at nearby Langley Research Center. Seven test fligths of Little Joe, using either mockup or production Mercury spacecraft, demonstrated an escape system that could pull the Mercury capsule and astronaut safely away from atop a failing Atlas booster in case of an emergency. All Little Joe flights were unmanned. This test vehicle is only one of two remaining and is painter in typical markings for a test flight.
Source: Hampton Daily Photo.com, - Hampton, Virginia - April 23, 2008
Statistics
Thrust: 235,000 lbf (1,044 kN)
Length: 15.2 m
Diameter: 2.03 m
Fin Span: 6.5m
Weight: 28,000 lb (12,700 kg)
Fuel: Solid
Burn Time: ~40 s
Built by: The Missile Division of North American Aviation