The Mercury Seven created the image of the American astronaut for decades to come. They were the group of seven astronauts picked to fly spacecraft for the historic Project Mercury. Moreover, they are also referred to as the Original Seven and Astronaut Group 1. Project Mercury’s objective was to launch a man into Earth orbit, return him safely to the Earth, and evaluate his capabilities in space. But who were the Apollo astronauts from the Mercury Seven? Find out in this article.
NASA publicly announced Their names on April 9, 1959. Those seven original American astronauts were Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Gus Grissom, Wally Schirra, Alan Shepard, and Deke Slayton.
And all of the Mercury Seven eventually flew into space. But there were only three of the Mercury Seven that continued working with the Apollo Program. The three astronauts were:
- Virgil Ivan “Gus” Grissom
- Walter Marty Schirra Jr.
- Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr.
Selection Criteria For The Mercury Seven Astronauts
On November 5, STG or the Space Task Group was founded at the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, with director Robert R. Gilruth. And the Space Task Group had to decide on a name for the men who would fly into space.
A brainstorming assembly was held on December 1, 1958. By analogy with “aeronaut,” meaning “air traveler,” someone came up with the name “astronaut,” which meant “star traveler,” although Project Mercury’s aspirations were far more limited. They thought they had invented a new word, but the term was used in science fiction since the 1920s.
The Selection Criteria For Mercury Seven Astronauts
- They had to be less than 40 years old
- Also, shorter than 5 feet 11 inches or 1.80 m tall
- They must be in an exceptional physical condition
- The astronaut must also be a qualified jet pilot
- He had to have a bachelor’s degree or similar
- He had to have a minimum of 1,500 hours total flying time
- He had to be a graduate of test pilot school
From Mercury Seven to Apollo Program
The famous Apollo program, also known as Project Apollo, the third U.S. human spaceflight program, was carried out by NASA or the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, which succeeded in landing the first humans on the Moon from 1969 to 1972.
The Apollo program returned 842 pounds or 382 kg of lunar rocks and soil to Earth, significantly contributing to understanding our Moon’s geological history and composition. The Apollo Program also laid the foundation for NASA’s subsequent human spaceflight capability and funded the Kennedy Space Center and Johnson Space Center construction.
Below I go through each astronaut’s backgrounds and in which Apollo missions the three brave men from Mercury Seven flew in the Apollo Program.
1. Apollo Astronaut Virgil Ivan “Gus” Grissom From The Mercury Seven
Gus Grissom joined the USAF in 1950 and he flew 100 combat missions in the Korean War as an F-86 Sabre pilot. Grissom graduated from the USAF Experimental Flight Test School at Edwards Air Force Base, California, with class 56D.
It was the same class as Gordon Cooper in 1956. Gus flew in space on Mercury-Redstone 4, the second suborbital Mercury flight. Then as Command Pilot of Gemini 3. It was the first crewed Gemini mission in 1965.
Gus was the first person to fly in space twice. Grissom was designated as commander of Apollo 1 but was later killed in a fire during a launch pad rehearsal test. And at the time of his death, he was a Lieutenant Colonel in the USAF.
2. Apollo Astronaut Walter Marty Schirra Jr. From The Mercury Seven
Walter Marty Schirra Jr. graduated from the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, in 1945. And after service afloat during World War II, Schirra qualified as a pilot in 1948 and also saw service on exchange with the USAF as a fighter pilot in the Korean War.
He was flying 90 combat missions and downing two MiGs. Schirra qualified as a test pilot with class 20 at the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in 1958. And he flew in space on Mercury-Atlas 8. It was the third orbital Mercury flight; on Gemini 6A in 1965; and Apollo 7, the first crewed Apollo mission.
It was a demonstration of Block II CSM, launched on Saturn IB. First live television publicly broadcast from a crewed mission. He was the first astronaut to be launched into space three times and he was the only one to fly Gemini, Mercury, and Apollo missions.
Schirra resigned from NASA and retired from the U.S. Navy with the rank of Captain in 1969, and later joined CBS News as Walter Cronkite’s co-anchor for the broadcasts of the Apollo Moon landing missions.
3. Apollo Astronaut Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. From The Mercury Seven
Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. graduated from the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, in 1944. After service commissioned during World War II, Alan qualified as a pilot in 1947 and also as a test pilot at the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in 1950.
He flew in space on Mercury-Redstone 3, the first piloted Mercury flight, and became the first American in space. Shepard was slated to command the last Mercury flight, Mercury-Atlas 10. Still, it was canceled, and then the first Project Gemini flight, but Alan was grounded in 1963 after being diagnosed with Ménière’s disease. It is a condition in which fluid pressure builds up in the inner ear.
This was resulting in disorientation, dizziness, and nausea. Alan stayed with the space program, accepting Chief of the Astronaut Office’s position until an experimental corrective surgery cured him, and Shepard was returned to flight status in May 1969. In 1971, Alan commanded Apollo 14, the third crewed lunar landing mission.
Furthermore, he became the fifth and oldest man to walk on the Moon. Apollo 14 was landing, in Fra Mauro formation, located northeast of the Ocean of Storms. Surface EVA time: 9:21 hr. Samples returned: 94.35 pounds (42.80 kg). Furthermore, Alan was promoted to Rear Admiral. He was the first astronaut to reach this rank. Alan retired from NASA and the U.S. Navy in 1974.
Thanks for reading this article. If you want to know more about Apollo Programs astronauts with infographics, pictures, missions, and nicknames. Head over to this post named: Who Were The Apollo Astronauts?