Numbers

The Mercury Seven

• Carpenter, M. Scott, Lieutenant, U.S. Navy
• Cooper, L. Gordon "Gordo," Captain, U.S. Air Force
• Glenn, John H., Jr., Lt. Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps
• Grissom, Virgil I. “Gus,” Captain, U.S. Air Force
• Schirra, Walter M., Jr. "Wally," Lt. Commander, U.S. Navy
• Shepard, Alan B., Jr., Lt. Commander, U.S. Navy
• Slayton, Donald K. “Deke,” Captain, U.S. Air Force

The Mercury Seven were the first Americans to train for and travel into space. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) selected them in April 1959 for its Project Mercury.

Lt. Commander Shepard made the first Mercury flight on May 5, 1961, becoming the first American and the second person into space. Capt. Grissom made the second Mercury flight on July 21, 1961. Capt. Grissom became the first person to return to space on March 23, 1965, when he commanded the Gemini 3 mission. Col. Glenn made the third Mercury flight and the first orbital flight. On February 20, 1962, Col. Glenn orbited the earth three times becoming the first American and the third person to do so. Lt. Carpenter made the fourth Mercury flight and the second orbital flight, circling the earth three times on May 24, 1962. Lt. Commander Schirra made the fifth Mercury flight on October 3, 1962, during which he orbited the earth six times. Capt. Cooper made the sixth and last Mercury flight on May 15-16, 1963.  During this flight he orbited the earth 22 times.

How It's Used

"Also adding their names to the 27-signatory document were Alan Bean, Charlie Duke, Harrison Schmitt and Gene Cernan, who landed on the Moon between 1969 and 1972 as part of the Apollo programme, and four others who flew around the moon. Veterans of the Gemini, Skylab and space shuttle eras, and Scott Carpenter, one of the original Mercury Seven astronauts selected by Nasa in 1959, also feature."

Also Known As (AKA)

Astronaut Group 1, The Original Seven

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