From the reviews: "The author chronicles the testing/selection process of the candidates and includes brief biographies of the finalists. ... The book presents more extensive biographies of the entire careers of the Mercury Seven astronauts along with photographs of historical importance. Summing Up: Recommended. Undergraduate students and general readers." (J. Z. Kiss, Choice, Vol. 49 (6), February, 2012)

All of the candidates were among the nation's elite pilots involved in testing new supersonic aircraft capabilities. some were test pilots on top secret and sophisticated aviation projects, while others were fleet admirals, prisoners of war, and proposed pilots for spaceflight programs such as the Dyna-Soar (X-20).
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In January 1959, after an exhaustive search through military service records, a number of Americas elite test pilots received orders to attend a series of top-secret briefings in Washington, D.C. These briefings were designed to assist in selecting a group of astronauts for the newly formed National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and its man-in-space program, Project Mercury.

Following in-depth medical and psychological screening, 32 finalists were chosen. They would be subjected to the most rigorous, exploratory, and even degrading medical and psychological stress tests ever imposed on the nation's service personnel. NASA wanted the best of the best in its quest for the nation's first astronauts, and this is the story of that search for a group of near-supermen who were destined to become trailblazing pioneers of American space flight.

For the very first time, after extensive research and numerous interviews, the names and amazing stories of those 32 finalists are finally revealed in this book. Only seven of them would ultimately be selected as America's Mercury astronauts, but those responsible for choosing the seven openly concede that it was an incredibly difficult task. They reveal that any of these courageous and superbly talented test pilots could so easily have been selected to fly into space, finding adventure, fame, and lasting renown as one of NASA's legendary Mercury astronauts.

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Contains authorized biographical sketches of all 32 pioneering astronaut candidates, even ones that didn't fly on the Mercury mission, the first U.S. manned space program Authoritative, well researched, highly readable, and copiously illustrated, with many photographs of the first astronaut candidates published for the first time Examines the goals and achievements of the Mercury team Commemorates the 50th anniversary (in 2011) of the first manned U.S. space flight, with a Mercury astronaut onboard, in 1961 Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras
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GPSR Compliance The European Union's (EU) General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) is a set of rules that requires consumer products to be safe and our obligations to ensure this. If you have any concerns about our products you can contact us on ProductSafety@springernature.com. In case Publisher is established outside the EU, the EU authorized representative is: Springer Nature Customer Service Center GmbH Europaplatz 3 69115 Heidelberg, Germany ProductSafety@springernature.com
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Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9781441984043
Publisert
2011-08-17
Utgiver
Springer-Verlag New York Inc.
Høyde
240 mm
Bredde
168 mm
Aldersnivå
Popular/general, G, 01
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Heftet
Antall sider
25

Forfatter