Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr.,
Virgil Ivan (Gus) Grissom,
John Herschel Glenn Jr.
Malcolm Scott Carpenter,
Walter Marty (Wally) Schirra Jr.
Leroy Gordon Cooper Jr.,
Donald Kent (Deke) Slayton
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mercury
Astronauts don't go to Mercury it's too hot and they could send probes or spacecraft there much more cheaply, safely, and easily if they really needed to.
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They are three of the original NASA "Mercury 7" astronauts. Virgil "Gus" Grissom was also on the Apollo program and died in the Apollo 1 fire.
The first astronauts were called the Mercury 7 because they were the first group of astronauts selected for Project Mercury, the United States' first manned spaceflight program. The "7" refers to the seven original astronauts chosen by NASA.
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Seven men were selected to be astronauts, only six actually went into space.
The Mercury astronauts were Alan B. Shepherd, Donald K. Slayton, Virgil .I. Grissom, Walter Schirra, John Glenn. Malcolm Scott Carpenter .
The Mercury astronauts were the first Americans to go in Space in 1961.
None of the seven Mercury astronauts flew to the moon. The Mercury program focused on sending astronauts into space for short periods of time and did not involve missions to the moon. The Apollo program, which followed the Mercury program, was responsible for sending astronauts to the moon.
As of October 2023, several of the Mercury 7 astronauts' wives have passed away, but a few are still alive. Notably, the surviving wives include those of astronauts like John Glenn and Scott Carpenter, who were part of the original Mercury program. However, the exact number of living wives may vary as time goes on. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, please consult recent sources.
Walter M. "Wally" Schirra and L. Gordon "Gordo" Cooper
The Mercury missions lasted from 1958 to 1963. Mercury-Atlas 7 was a Mercury program space mission. It launched on May 24, 1962. The Mercury 7 were the initial astronauts chosen for the Mercury missions. Scott Carpenter (who was the astronaut on Mercury-Atlas 7), L. Gordon Cooper, Jr., John H. Glenn, Jr., Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, Walter M. Schirra, Jr., Alan B. Shepard, Jr., and Donald K. "Deke" Slayton.
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The Mercury 7 were the group of seven astronauts selected by NASA in 1959 for the Mercury program, the United States' first human spaceflight program. The members of the Mercury 7 were Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Gus Grissom, Wally Schirra, Alan Shepard, and Deke Slayton. They were all test pilots chosen for their skills, experience, and adaptability to spaceflight.
Alan Shepard named his Mercury spacecraft "Freedom 7" to symbolize the spirit of freedom and the seven Mercury astronauts who were part of the program. Each Mercury spacecraft was given a unique name, often reflecting themes of exploration, American ideals, or personal significance to the astronaut. The naming process involved the astronauts themselves, who contributed ideas and worked with the public relations team to select names that resonated with the mission's purpose and their own identities.