THE MERCURY PROGRAM

The astronauts for the Mercury Program were chosen from a pool of 110 military test pilots. On April 2, 1958, “the Mercury Seven” were introduced to the world. They were the astronauts for America’s first manned space flights. They were:
  • Leroy Gordon Cooper, Jr., USAF
  • Virgil I. Grissom, USAF
  • Donald K. Slayton, USAF
  • Malcom S. Carpenter, USN
  • Alan B. Shepard, Jr., USN
  • Walter M. Schirra, Jr., USN
  • John H. Glenn, USMC
The Mercury Seven Astronauts
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Florida Space Research Institute ©2002