ASTRONAUTS - MERCURY 7

ASTRONAUTS. Project Mercury. Typewritten Document signed by six of the Mercury 7 Astronauts, four pages, folio, October 8, 1965. Signed in full by M. Scott Carpenter, Leroy G. Cooper, Jr., Virgil I. Grissom, Walter M. Schirra, Jr., Alan B. Shephard, Jr., and D. K. Slayton on page three, giving the rights to the stories of their lives. Each of the astronauts' wives has signed on page four.

"This agreement between M. Scott Carpenter, L. Gordon Cooper, Jr., Virgil I. Grissom, Walter M. Schirra, Jr., Alan B. Shepard, Jr. and Donald K. Slayton…whereas the above named (GA) - astronauts and their families have valuable rights to stories of their personal experiences in connection with these Projects, including their personal stories of their space flights…they agree that a joint effort for the sale of such rights appears to be their best interest…astronauts transfer to Harry A. Batten…all of their personal rights in and to the stories of their personal experiences and those of their families with respect to all space flights and related activities made by them or any of them in connection with NASA…"

The first Americans selected to travel in space, the Mercury 7 consisted of Scott Carpenter, L. Gordon Cooper, Jr., John H. Glenn, Jr., Virgil I. Grissom, Walter M. Schirra, Jr., Alan B. Shepard, Jr., and Donald K. Slayton. Each one (except Slayton who was grounded due to a previously undiscovered heart condition) successfully flew in Project Mercury. Proving that human spaceflight was possible, these missions paved the way for the Gemini and Apollo programs as well as for all further human spaceflight.

This item is associated with these categories in our inventory:

• Aviation
• Explorers