At 60 years, monument to NASA's Project Mercury still stands, but what of its time capsule?

Photo of a small monument featuring the number 7 amid bushes and grass.

A 60-year-old tribute to America's first human spaceflight program is standing up to the test of time, but what about the contents of its time capsule not to be opened until 2464?

The Project Mercury Monument located at the Cape Canaveral launch pad from where NASA astronauts first flew into Earth orbit was dedicated on Nov. 10, 1964 "to the thousands of men and women of the free world who contributed to the success" of the United States' "pioneering man-in-space program." The primary feature of the installation is a 13-foot-tall (4 meters) sculpture of the symbol for the planet Mercury with the number "7" at its center representing the nation's original seven astronauts.

The symbol was made by Washington Steel of Pennsylvania using the same metal alloy as the company developed for the Atlas rockets that launched four of NASA's Mercury astronauts from Launch Complex-14 (LC-14).

Roger Lewis, president of General Dynamics, presents a medallion to NASA astronaut Wally Schirra commemorating his service to Project Mercury, America's first human spaceflight program, during a Nov. 10, 1964 dedication ceremony for the Project Mercury Monument outside the Cape Canaveral launch pad where Schirra lifted off for Earth orbit. (Image credit: NASA)