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590158 Mercury 7 Astronauts Original Photo

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This is the original photo, uncropped and no color changes.
F-106B 59-0158 on 20 Jan 1961 with the 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., Capt. Donald K. "Deke" Slayton. Read more on this site at http://www.f-106deltadart.com/nasa.htm [NASA Langley Research Center collection) (Biographies courtesy of Curator Jerry Wright]

ABOUT FLIGHT SUITS
Gordon Cooper once commented: "When we were selected as astronauts in 1959, little effort was made to create a standard flying suit for us. Our classic photo in front of the F-106 jet shows how we had scrounged around to get flight equipment from the various armed services. The dark blue NASA flight suit was mainly a result of the publication of that one photograph."

READ MORE INCLUDING DATE CORRECTION INFO:
Original 7 NASA Mercury Astronauts