|
Author
|
Topic: When did the Mercury 7 become astronauts?
|
mensax
Member Posts: 861
From: Virginia
Registered: Apr 2002
|
posted 03-01-2005 03:56 PM
   
There was a time when we didn't have any astronauts. Then we had Seven, and the world has had astronauts every since. Anybody know the date when it happened?Noah |
Tod
Member Posts: 29
From: Oklahoma City
Registered: Jul 2003
|
posted 03-01-2005 04:06 PM
That depends.Grissom used to say that you weren't an astronaut until you'd flown.... Tod Bryant
Oklahoma City |
ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2043
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
|
posted 03-01-2005 04:08 PM
On 9 April 1959 the seven Mercury astronauts were officially announced to a press gathering at the Dolley Madison House (NASA's makeshift Washington headquarters)
on Lafayette Square, just a few blocks from the White House. This meet-the-press session is fairly well represented in the film version of "The Right Stuff." |
FFrench
Member Posts: 3165
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
|
posted 03-01-2005 04:41 PM
... and as the astronauts were introduced in alphabetical order by last name at that press conference, it means that, by about half a second or so, Scott Carpenter was the first spacefarer ever to be publicly named.FF |
BLACKARROW
unregistered
|
posted 03-01-2005 05:26 PM
What about Deke Slayton? Did he become an astronaut when he was selected in 1959? At the "Mercury 7" presentation to the press? Did he lose the status of astronaut when he was grounded? Did he regain it when he was cleared to fly in the 1970's? Or did he only finally become an astronaut on 15th July, 1975 when he was launched on ASTP?
|
Astro Bill
Member Posts: 1329
From: New York, NY
Registered: Feb 2005
|
posted 03-01-2005 10:28 PM
If the question is, "When does a person become an astronaut?" The answer, in my opinion, is when he/she signs a contract with NASA or another space administration and agrees to be trained and risk their lives and perform the services of an astronaut. They do this for a living. They have the potential to fly in space, but they are still an astronaut even without completing a mission in space. Whether they flew in space or landed on the Moon is important (especially to autograph collectors) but they are still astronauts - flown or not.The contract is the determining factor. Were Sen. Jake Garn and Rep. Bill Nelson astronauts when they flew in space? No. They were trained and I am sure that they signed an agreement with NASA, but they were employed by the US government. They were basically tourists. They did not do this for a living. What about John Glenn and Deke Slayton. They were both astronauts until they resigned from NASA. On his first mission (20 Feb 1962) Glenn was employed as an astronaut. He resigned from NASA in 1962 and was elected as Senator from Ohio in 1974. Then, many years later, when he was 77, he flew again on STS-95. He had the experience of an astronaut, in addition to his experience as a Senator. I would say, yes, he was an astronaut on the second mission. Deke Slayton was always an astronaut, but he was not always on flight status (because of an irregular heartbeat). He eventually flew on the ASTP mission in 1975. He was always employed by NASA in one capacity or another. He became an astronaut when he joined NASA and signed the contract, not when he was introduced to the press. If I repair an light switch, am I an electrician? No. I need a license to be an electrician. The same is true of the civilians who flew in space. They did not do it for a living and some even paid to fly in space as a tourist. So it is the contract with NASA that makes someone an astronaut. If Cindy Crawford or Britney Spears flew on the Space Shuttle, would they be astronettes? No, but it would be a hell of a mission. [] [This message has been edited by Astro Bill (edited March 01, 2005).] |
mensax
Member Posts: 861
From: Virginia
Registered: Apr 2002
|
posted 03-02-2005 07:50 AM
I can see everyone's reasoning here... When the Mercury Seven astronauts were announced to the world at that famous press meeting as astronauts, they were astronauts. I can understand the logic behind an astronaut not being a "real astronaut" until he had flown, but it sure doesn't seem right that John Young should be considered one of the first seven astronauts, and Deke Slayton gets bumped out. From my viewpoint it would seem like that these seven legends became astronauts when they were hired as astronauts. Does anyone know when they were told "You got the job." Or, the day the contracts were signed? Noah |
WAWalsh
Member Posts: 809
From: Cortlandt Manor, NY
Registered: May 2000
|
posted 03-02-2005 08:47 AM
An interesting question for a barroom discussion.I had always thought that it was John Young, not Grissom, who placed the requirement of actual flight. Regardless of the credit, in certain ways, that distinction makes sense over signing a contract with NASA. A stronger argument exists for Sen. Garn or Rep. Nelson qualifying as an astronaut over someone selected (and signs the contract), but who leaves a few months or years later without ever even training for a flight. Taking it along a different parallel, is a baseball player a major leaguer when he signs his first contract with a ballclub, or when he actually makes it to the majors and gets that first at bat (then again, thinking on this analogy, once he is on the roster, he is making a major league salary and it is immaterial if he is playing or not). The public naming has the obvious disadvantage of ignoring the individuals that the Soviet Union had selected for its program, at least as far as ranking. Was Gagarin the first or the eighth spacefarer? On the flip side, I cannot imagine going up to Deke Slayton in 1975 and asking him "Well, how does it feel to finally be an astronaut?" It would be a remarkably dumb question and diminish all of the work done over the preceding 17 years. Selection and/or training, accordingly, seems ample basis for qualifying someone as an astronaut. The interesting thing would be to ask those selected how they interpret it and feel. The individual responses of a Bill Anders, Alan Bean or Story Musgrave (as well as others) to their wait of 5, 6 or 16 years between selection and first flight and how they viewed themselves would be interesting. |
Tod
Member Posts: 29
From: Oklahoma City
Registered: Jul 2003
|
posted 03-02-2005 08:52 AM
I have always considered Grissom's comment referenced above as a form of hazing, as it was directed at the second and third astronaut groups. I'm sure he considered himself an astronaut before he went up on MR-4.Tod Bryant
Oklahoma City |
mensax
Member Posts: 861
From: Virginia
Registered: Apr 2002
|
posted 03-04-2005 06:37 AM
I have found a source that states that the Mercury astronauts each received a phone call, notifying them of their acceptance into the astronaut program, on April 1, 1959.I wonder how they felt about getting the call on April fools day? Noah |
dss65
Member Posts: 1171
From: Sandpoint, ID, USA
Registered: Mar 2003
|
posted 03-05-2005 12:17 AM
I'll bet they felt just great.------------------
Don |
advertisement