"THE ONLY OCCASION THAT ALL 7 APPEARED TOGETHER IN SPACE SUITS"

ASTRONAUTS POSE FOR GROUP PHOTO

Akron, Ohio (JFK+50) On December 3, 1962, seven American astronauts,  dressed in their space suits, posed for a group photograph here in Akron at the headquarters of B.F. Goodrich Corporation.  The company was the manufacturer of NASA's space suits which each weighed 20 pounds and was made up of 1600 individual pieces.

According to the John F. Kennedy Library, this "was the only occasion that all 7 appeared together in the suits."

The requirements for acceptance in the astronaut program included...

*under 40 years of age
*undergraduate college degree
*maximum of 5'11" in height
*maximum of 180 pounds in weight
*1500 flying hours
*qualified to fly jet aircraft

All of the original Mercury astronauts were rated with IQs at the genius level & members from the group would be represented in the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo & Shuttle programs. 

The 'Mercury 7' included...

Walter M. Schirra, Jr.
Donald K. "Deke" Slayton
John H. Glenn, Jr.
M. Scott Carpenter
Alan B. Shepard, Jr.
Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom
L. Gordon Cooper, Jr.


 

         Mercury 7 Astronauts
             December 3, 1962
           JFK Library Image