Looking For Mercury

Thu., April 15, 1999

Curt Newport, an underwater salvage expert who has spent 14 years trying to find Gus Grissom’s sunken Mercury capsule, is teaming up with the Discovery Channel for a two-week hunt in 3-mile-deep water in his most extensive search for the spacecraft yet. The crew plans to set sail Sunday with the latest in side-scan sonar in hopes of finding Liberty Bell 7, lost at sea 38 years ago. The capsule sank to the bottom of the Atlantic after splashing down with the Mercury astronaut on July 21, 1961, when the explosive bolts that glow open the hatch detonated prematurely. It is the only U.S. manned spacecraft lost after a successful mission.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.

Looking For Mercury

Jesse Tinsley

Jim Meehan

Molly Quinn

Rob Curley

Barney Frank, influential congressman and gay rights hero, dies at 86

Updated: $8.4M worth of cocaine found on truck carrying Kim Kardashian's Skims

Updated: Screens would be banned until 2nd grade under draft LAUSD plan