Mercury Seven or Original Seven, they are (front row, left to right)
Walter M. “Wally” Schirra Jr., Donald K. “Deke” Slayton, John H.
Glenn Jr., M. Scott Carpenter, (back row) Alan B. Shepard Jr.,
Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom and L. Gordon Cooper, Jr.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
introduced America’s first astronauts to the press: The men
(above), all military test pilots, were carefully selected from
a group of 32 candidates to  take part in Project Mercury,
America’s first manned space program. NASA planned to
begin manned orbital flights in 1961.