22 – The Mercury Seven

On April 9th, 1959, in Washington D.C., America’s first seven astronauts were announced at a NASA press conference.

The selection process for Astronaut Group 1 started from 508 service records, all from branches of the U.S. Military. From that group, “110 men were found to meet the minimum standards.” A grueling medical and psychological examination process whittled down the number of applicants, with NASA eventually settling on seven instead of six of the 18 finalists.

Who Were the Original Mercury Seven? Back row: Astronauts Shepard, Grissom, Cooper. Front row: Schirra, Slayton, Glenn, Carpenter.

Related Portfolio

  • 23 – Karen Nyberg

    Astronaut Karen Nyberg flew to the space station as a flight engineer for Expedition 36/37.

  • 21 – Gemini-Titan VIII

    Commander Neil Armstrong (right) and pilot David R. Scott prepare to board the Gemini-Titan VIII.

  • 17 – Shannon Walker

    Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin and NASA astronaut Shannon Walker, both Expedition 24 flight engineers, attired in their Russian Sokol launch and entry suits, occupy their seats in the Soyuz TMA-19 spacecraft docked to the International Space Station.

  • 15 – Apollo 10 Mission Crew

    NASA has named these three astronauts as the prime crew of the Apollo 10 space mission.