Project Mercury Director Robert Gilruth narrowed the choice to three. The trio: Marine Lieut. Colonel John Glenn Jr., 39; Air Force Captain Virgil Grissom, 34; Navy Commander Alan Shepard Jr., 37.
On January 9, 1959, NASA selected the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation to develop the Mercury spacecraft, which would later ...
Alan Shepard, a Navy test pilot born in 1923 in Derry, New Hampshire, was chosen for the Mercury-Redstone mission. His experience as a skilled aviator and engineer made him an excellent choice.
Back row: Alan Shepard Jr., Virgil Grissom and Gordon Cooper. Veteran NBC space correspondent Jay Barbree writes about covering the Mercury seven in his memoir, Live Cape Canaveral, Fla.?
Some results have been hidden because they may be inaccessible to you
Show inaccessible results
Feedback