NASA Astronauts

The Seven Original Project Mercury astronauts trained at NASA Langley Research Center were chosen from among hundreds of applicants and were all test pilots.  They are standing here in front of F-106B 58-0158 on 20 Jan 1961¹.  While familiarizing the astronauts with the Mercury set-up, Langley employees helped them to specialize in the technical areas crucial to the overall success of Project Mercury.  Langley people also guided and monitored the astronauts activities through the many spaceflight simulators and other training devices built at the Center expressly for the manned space program.  In less than three years, Project Mercury proved that men could be sent into space and returned safely to Earth, setting the stage for the longer duration Gemini flights and the Apollo lunar landings.

20 Jan 1961¹  Original 7 Mercury Astronauts from left: Lt. M. Scott Carpenter, Capt. Gordon Cooper, Col. John H. Glenn Jr., Capt. Virgil "Gus" Grissom, Lt. Cdr. Walter Schirra, Lt. Cdr. Alan B. Shepard Jr. and Capt. Donald K. "Deke" Slayton in front of F-106B 58-0158. (NASA Langley Research Center collection)(Biographies courtesy of Curator Jerry Wright)
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¹ Photo Date Discrepancy 16 April 2002 - For those of you have ever noticed, the photo above indicates it was taken in 1971, but Charlie Gindhart knew that couldn't be right because he knew where 58-0158 was during that time, and it wasn't Langley.  Thanks to an e-mail he sent to the NASA Langley Research Center, the real date was in fact uncovered to be 1961.  As you can read below, the center is changing the photo caption to reflect the error, which we all know has been around a long time.  Good work Charlie, and thanks for sharing this.

Alicia V. Tarrant of the NASA JSC writes "My JSC contact has indeed confirmed that S61-01250 (aka L71-2971 and EL-1996-00090) was photographed on 01/20/61.  It was originally photographed here at Langley by JSC people and the photo was taken back to Houston.  We received a copy negative from them in 1971 of this photo and I guess that is where the 1971 date came from.  My thanks to Mr. Gindhart for finding the error so that I can correct it.  I will be editing STILAS and LISAR soon.  The new caption will read: The original seven Mercury astronauts standing beside a Convair F106-B aircraft. They are, left to right, M. Scott Carpenter, L. Gordon Cooper Jr., John H. Glenn Jr., Virgil I. Grissom, Walter M. Schirra Jr., Alan B. Shepard Jr., and Donald K. Slayton. Photographed on 01/21/1961 at Langley Air Force Base.  Thanks,  Alicia V. Tarrant, NASA JSC"