The Mercury 7 Astronauts: NASA’s First Dwelling Vacationers

The National Aeronautics and Dwelling Administration came into being on October 1, 1958. NASA announced the seven Project Mercury Astronauts on April 9, 1959, handiest six months later. They’re: (entrance, l to r) Walter H. Schirra, Jr., Donald Okay. Slayton, John H. Glenn, Jr., and Scott Carpenter; (serve, l to r) Alan B. Shepard, Jr., Virgil I. Gus Grissom, and L. Gordon Cooper.

(Image: © NASA)

The Mercury program represented NASA’s first human spaceflight program, with the goal to establish if humans can also feature successfully in dwelling for a little while or hours at a time. NASA’s first seven astronauts, the Mercury 7, had been chosen in 1959. 

The memoir of The US’s first astronauts is being retold within the TV sequence “The Upright Stuff” on Disney Plus by National Geographic, which premieres Oct. 9 all through World Dwelling Week 2020. 

Study on to meet NASA’s first large name travelers, the pioneering astronauts who grew to become the first Americans in dwelling.

Deke Slayton

Donald “Deke” Slayton turn out to be one among the customary Mercury 7 astronauts — nonetheless he never flew in that program. 

Thanks to a heart situation, he turn out to be grounded for an extended time before being accepted and flying within the Apollo-Soyuz Take a look at Project, the first joint mission with the Soviet Union.

Gordon Cooper

Gordon Cooper turn out to be a NASA astronaut who flew twice in dwelling, all through the Mercury and Gemini capabilities. 

On his closing flight, Gemini 5, Cooper and crewmate Pete Conrad space what turn out to be then an global patience document of the time of 190 hours 56 minutes.

Wally Schirra

Walter “Wally” Schirra turn out to be the handiest astronaut who flew within the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo capabilities. 

Named as one among NASA’s “Usual Seven” Mercury astronauts in 1959, he remained an astronaut long ample to cruise the first manned mission of the Apollo expose module that one map or the opposite ferried crews to and from the moon. He also sat through a pad abort all through the Gemini program.

Scott Carpenter

Scott Carpenter turn out to be one among the first seven astronauts selected by NASA. He flew handiest once in dwelling before transferring his consideration to underwater activities for far of his closing career. 

Some sources allege he turn out to be no longer allowed to cruise in dwelling all all over again after overshooting his re-entry target by about 250 miles (400 km).

John Glenn

In 1959, John Glenn turn out to be selected as a Project Mercury astronaut. 

On Feb. 20, 1962, Glenn blasted into dwelling aboard Mercury’s Friendship 7 pill, then traveled all the map in which through the planet thrice, changing into the first American to orbit the Earth. Glenn made history all all over again when, on the age of 77, he grew to become the oldest particular person to fling back and forth in dwelling.

Gus Grissom

Virgil “Gus” Grissom turn out to be a NASA astronaut who flew twice in dwelling and turn out to be selected to show the first Apollo manned mission as smartly. 

He died, on the replace hand, when a fireplace erupted in his spacecraft in 1967 on the originate pad, which killed his two crewmates as smartly. The incident triggered many modifications within the Apollo program.

Alan Shepard

Alan Shepard grew to become the first American in dwelling when the Freedom 7 spacecraft blasted off from Florida on May well 5, 1961. 

Ten years later, Shepard would disappear Earth’s ambiance all all over again to become the fifth man to trail on the moon — and the first one to play golf there.