Rocket Man

On April 9 1959 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) introduced Americas first astronauts to the press--Scott Carpenter Gordon Cooper John Glenn Virgil Grissom Walter Schirra Alan Shepard and Donald Slayton. The seven men all military test pilots were carefully selected from a final group of thirty-two candidates.But the real truth of NASAs search for Americas best pilots is not found in the thirty-two finalists that eventually produced Project Mercurys heroic list of space pioneers. The Original Seven Mercury astronauts chosen to lead Americas charge into a new frontier were certainly worthy. They were Americas best and brightest.But perhaps the very best never got the chance and served his country in obscurity.