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

  • 25 – Dr. Andrew Morgan

    Astronaut Andrew Morgan works while tethered on the International Space Station on October 11, 2019.

  • 21 – Gemini-Titan VIII

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

  • 24 – Walter Schirra

    Astronaut Walter H. Schirra Jr. (on right), Command pilot, prepares to remove his helmet and climb from his Gemini VI spacecraft as he and Astronaut Thomas P. Stafford (not in view) arrive aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Wasp.

  • 14 – Jeff Williams

    International Space Station Commander Jeff Williams set a new U.S. spaceflight record, passing the 520-day endurance record set for cumulative time spent in orbit.