Walter M. Schirra, left, Alan B. Shepard, Virgil I. “Gus”
Grissom, Donald K. “Deke” Slayton, John H. Glenn, M.
Scott Carpenter, and L. Gordon Cooper.
On April 9, 1959, the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) formally introduced America’s
first astronauts to the press: Scott Carpenter, L. Gordon
Cooper Jr., John H. Glenn Jr., Virgil “Gus” Grissom,
Walter Schirra Jr., Alan Shepard Jr. and Donald Slayton.
The seven men, 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.
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