Project Mercury

Project Mercury was a human spaceflight program originating on planet Earth in the 20th century. It was overseen by the United States of America's NASA space agency in the 1950s and 1960s.

In the year 1959, seven United States Military Forces pilots were chosen to participate in Project Mercury.

In February 1962, one of the seven pilots, John Glenn, made a flight aboard the spacecraft Friendship 7, and became the first American astronaut to orbit the Earth. 

"Mercury Seven" astronauts

 * Scott Carpenter
 * Gordon Cooper
 * John Glenn
 * Gus Grissom
 * Wally Schirra
 * Alan Shepard
 * Deke Slayton