At this time within the historical past of astronomy, NASA introduces its first astronauts.
The Mercury 7 answered questions for 90 minutes on the press convention that launched them to world as America’s first astronauts. Credit score: NASA
In 1959, having decided that army check pilots would make the most effective astronauts, NASA started screening the data of 508 candidates. From there the group was narrowed to 110 males who went via interviews and written exams; of the 110, 32 candidates had been chosen to endure intensive bodily and psychological testing. Lastly, on April 1, the NASA choice committee chosen seven of these males to be their first astronaut class.
On April 9, the Mercury 7 had been introduced: Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Gus Grissom, Walter Schirra, Alan Shepard, and Deke Slayton. They might spend the following 4 years as a part of Mission Mercury, a sequence of exams and spaceflights that will show America may ship people to area. Three (Cooper, Grissom, and Schirra) would additionally go on to serve within the Gemini program, and three (Schirra, Shepard, and Slayton) would fly in Apollo missions. All had been hailed as nationwide heroes. To capitalize on this public curiosity in them and the area program, NASA organized an unique cope with LIFE journal for protection of the astronauts, their coaching, and their missions – and even of the house lives of their wives.
