Mercury Seven

The Mercury Seven were the first seven astronauts chosen by NASA to fly for Project Mercury. On April 9, 1959, their names were made public: Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Gus Grissom, Wally Schirra, Alan Shepard, and Deke Slayton. These men became the first group of American astronauts and helped start a new job that changed history.

All seven of them flew into space. They were the pilots for the six Mercury missions with astronauts from 1961 to 1963. After Mercury, they also flew on other NASA missions, including Gemini, Apollo, and the Space Shuttle.

Some of their great achievements include Alan Shepard becoming the first American in space in 1961 and later walking on the Moon during Apollo 14. John Glenn was the first American to orbit Earth and, in 1998, became the oldest person to fly in space when he flew on the Space Shuttle Discovery. Gordon Cooper flew the last Mercury mission and later made a second spaceflight on Gemini 5. These astronauts helped the United States lead in space exploration and inspired many people around the world.

Background

The launch of the Sputnik 1 satellite by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957, began a big race called the Space Race. This race was part of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States. It surprised many people in the United States because they felt they were not as advanced in space technology at that time.

Because of this, the United States Air Force started a project called Man in Space Soonest (MISS). But they faced many problems and needed more money to continue. In September 1958, a new agency called the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was created to lead the American space program. NASA took over the MISS project and started working on a new plan called Project Mercury. The goal of Project Mercury was to send a person into space, bring them back safely, and see how well they could work in space.

Selection criteria

When NASA needed to choose people to fly into space, they had to decide what kind of people could do this important job. They thought of calling them "astronaut," which means "star traveler." To help them decide, a group of three people made a list of what these space travelers needed.

They decided that the best people for this job would be military test pilots. These were pilots who had special training and experience, making the choice easier and safer.

The astronauts needed to meet certain rules, including:

Being less than 40 years old;
Being shorter than 5 feet 11 inches;
Being in excellent health;
Having a bachelor's degree or similar training;
Graduating from test pilot school;
Having flown more than 1,500 hours; and
Being a skilled jet pilot.

The height limit was important because the Mercury spacecraft wasn’t big enough for taller people. Even though they weren’t sure if people would actually control the spacecraft in the usual way, the spacecraft was designed to let a pilot make some choices during the flight.

Selection process

The first step in choosing the Mercury Seven astronauts was to look at the records of test pilot school graduates from the United States Department of Defense. In total, there were 508 military test pilots. From these, 110 pilots who met the minimum standards were selected.

The Mercury Seven in front of an F-106 Delta Dart

These 110 pilots were split into three groups, with the most promising in the first group. Sixty-nine candidates were brought to the Pentagon in Washington, DC. They met with officials who explained the dangers and importance of Project Mercury. The candidates were given tests to measure their intelligence, engineering skills, and math abilities. They also had interviews and medical exams.

After more testing at medical facilities, only seven pilots were finally chosen to become astronauts. Many of the others who were not selected went on to have successful careers in the military. Some later became astronauts in later groups.

Eligibility

(L to R) Cooper, Schirra (partially obscured), Shepard, Grissom, Glenn, Slayton, and Carpenter

The seven original American astronauts chosen for Project Mercury were Navy Lieutenant Scott Carpenter, Air Force Captain Gordon Cooper, Marine Lieutenant Colonel John Glenn, Air Force Captain Gus Grissom, Navy Lieutenant Commander Wally Schirra, Navy Lieutenant Commander Alan Shepard, and Air Force Captain Deke Slayton.

All of these astronauts were men and from the United States. They were mostly in their 30s when they were chosen. They had many things in common, like being married with children and growing up in small towns. They were experienced pilots, with thousands of hours flying airplanes, and most had degrees in engineering or related fields. Although they had different heights and weights, they all met the strict requirements needed to fly in space.

NASA introduction

NASA introduced seven astronauts on April 9, 1959, in Washington, DC. These astronauts became national heroes right away. Reporters asked them questions about their families and beliefs, not just about space travel. The astronauts talked about their love for their country and their families, which made the reporters cheer.

Even though their jobs were very dangerous, the astronauts said their families supported them. For example, when asked about dangers, John Glenn said his wife and kids fully supported his choice. Scott Carpenter shared a funny story about being at sea when NASA called to tell him he’d been chosen, and his wife accepted for him.

Group members

The Mercury Seven were seven brave astronauts chosen for Project Mercury, the first human spaceflight program in the United States. On April 9, 1959, NASA introduced them to the world: Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Gus Grissom, Wally Schirra, Alan Shepard, and Deke Slayton. These men became heroes and inspired many to dream big about exploring space.

Mercury Seven astronauts
Name	Born	Died	Career
Malcolm Scott Carpenter	Boulder, Colorado, May 1, 1925	October 10, 2013	Carpenter joined the U.S. Navy in 1949, and flew multi-engine Lockheed P-2 Neptune patrol aircraft. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, with Class 13 in 1954. Carpenter flew Mercury-Atlas 7, the second orbital Mercury mission. He took a leave of absence from NASA in the fall of 1963 to participate in the Navy's SEALAB program, and sustained an injury to his left arm in a motorbike accident. Two surgical interventions in 1964 and 1967 failed to correct the condition, and he resigned from NASA in August 1967, and retired from the Navy in 1969, with the rank of Commander.
Leroy Gordon (Gordo) Cooper Jr.	Shawnee, Oklahoma, March 6, 1927	October 4, 2004	Cooper joined the USAF in 1949, and flew F-84 Thunderjets and F-86 Sabres in Germany for four years. He graduated from the USAF Experimental Flight Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California, with Class 56D in 1956. Cooper flew Mercury-Atlas 9, the final Mercury mission. He was the first American to fly in space for more than a day, and the last to fly in space alone. He flew in space again on Gemini 5 in August 1965. In 1969, he served as commander of the backup crew of Apollo 10. His lax attitude toward training and his personal safety put him at odds with Slayton. After Shepard was given his potential Apollo command, Cooper retired from NASA and the Air Force with the rank of Colonel in July 1970.
John Herschel Glenn Jr.	Cambridge, Ohio, July 18, 1921	December 8, 2016	Glenn joined the U.S. Navy in 1942, and transferred to the U.S. Marine Corps in 1943. He saw active service as a fighter pilot in the Pacific during World War II, in China and in the Korean War, when he shot down three MiG-15s. He qualified as a test pilot with Class 12 at the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in 1954. In 1957, he made the first supersonic transcontinental flight across the United States. Glenn flew in space on Mercury-Atlas 6, the first orbital Mercury flight, and became the first American to orbit the Earth. He retired from NASA in 1964, and from the Marine Corps with the rank of Colonel in 1965. From 1974 to 1999, he served as a Democratic U.S. Senator from Ohio. While a U.S. Senator in 1998, he was chosen to fly as a civilian Payload Specialist on the October–November mission STS-95 of the Space Shuttle Discovery, and, at the age of 77, became the oldest person to orbit the Earth. He is the only member of the Mercury Seven to fly on the Space Shuttle.
Virgil Ivan (Gus) Grissom	Mitchell, Indiana, April 3, 1926	January 27, 1967	Grissom joined the USAF in 1950, and flew 100 combat missions in the Korean War as an F-86 Sabre pilot. He graduated from the USAF Experimental Flight Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California, with Class 56D (the same class as Gordon Cooper) in 1956. Grissom flew in space on Mercury-Redstone 4, the second suborbital Mercury flight, and then as Command Pilot of Gemini 3, the first crewed Gemini mission in 1965, becoming the first NASA astronaut to fly in space twice. He was designated as commander of Apollo 1 but was killed in a fire during a launch pad rehearsal test. At the time of his death, he was a Lieutenant Colonel in the USAF.
Walter Marty (Wally) Schirra Jr.	Hackensack, New Jersey, March 12, 1923	May 3, 2007	Schirra graduated from the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, in 1945. After service afloat during World War II, he qualified as a pilot in 1948, and saw service on exchange with the USAF as a fighter pilot in the Korean War, flying 90 combat missions, and downing two MiGs. He qualified as a test pilot with Class 20 at the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in 1958. Schirra flew in space on Mercury-Atlas 8, the third orbital Mercury flight; on Gemini 6A in 1965; and Apollo 7, the first crewed Apollo mission. Schirra was the first person to be launched into space three times, and the only one to fly Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions. He resigned from NASA and retired from the U.S. Navy with the rank of Captain in 1969, and joined CBS News as Walter Cronkite's co-anchor for the broadcasts of the Apollo Moon landing missions.
Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr.	Derry, New Hampshire, November 18, 1923	July 21, 1998	Shepard graduated from the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, in 1944. After service afloat during World War II, he qualified as a pilot in 1947, and as a test pilot at the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in 1950. Shepard flew in space on Mercury-Redstone 3, the first piloted Mercury flight, and became the first American in space. He was slated to command the last Mercury flight, Mercury-Atlas 10, but it was canceled, and then the first Project Gemini flight, but he was grounded in 1963 after being diagnosed with Ménière's disease, a condition in which fluid pressure builds up in the inner ear, resulting in disorientation, dizziness, and nausea. He stayed with the space program, accepting the position of Chief of the Astronaut Office, until an experimental corrective surgery cured him, and he was returned to flight status in May 1969. In 1971, he commanded Apollo 14, the third crewed lunar landing mission, and became the fifth and oldest man to walk on the Moon. He was promoted to Rear Admiral, the first astronaut to reach this rank. He retired from NASA and the U.S. Navy in 1974.
Donald Kent (Deke) Slayton	Sparta, Wisconsin, March 1, 1924	June 13, 1993	Slayton joined the US Army Air Corps in 1942, and flew combat missions over Europe and the Pacific during World War II. He joined the Minnesota Air National Guard in 1951, and the USAF in 1952. He graduated from the USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California, with Class 55C, and served as a test pilot at the Flight Test Center. Before Slayton could make his Mercury flight, he was diagnosed with an erratic heart rhythm (idiopathic atrial fibrillation), and grounded by NASA and the Air Force. He resigned from the USAF in 1963 with the rank of Major, but stayed with the space program, first as unofficial Chief of the Astronaut Office, then as Director of Flight Crew Operations. In July 1970, he was returned to flight status, and flew on the last Apollo spacecraft in July 1975 as docking module pilot on the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project flight. He left NASA in 1982.

Influence

Memorial at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 14

The Mercury Seven astronauts helped shape the design and planning of the spacecraft they would fly. Each used their own skills to guide different parts of the project. For example, some focused on communication systems, others on control systems, and still others on the layout of the cockpit.

These astronauts stayed active in their military roles while working with NASA. They traveled often for meetings and sometimes had to find ways to earn extra flying time. Over time, NASA provided them with special aircraft to make this easier. The astronauts also became well-known figures, and their style — like wearing certain shirts and sunglasses — became recognizable to many people. They worked together to share any money they earned from telling their stories, ensuring fairness among the group.

Awards and honors

The Mercury 7 astronauts received many special awards for their achievements. In 1963, they won the Society of Experimental Test Pilots Iven C. Kincheloe Award. President John F. Kennedy gave them the 1962 Collier Trophy for being pioneers of space travel in the United States. A monument for the Mercury 7 was placed at Launch Complex 14 on November 10, 1964, where some of their important space missions began. Under the monument, there is a time capsule with photos, reports, and a movie, meant to be opened many years later in 2464.

Background

Selection criteria

Selection process

Eligibility

NASA introduction

Group members

Influence

Awards and honors

Images

Related articles