Exploring the Unknown: Selected Documents in ... - The Black Vault

Exploring the Unknown 173
Document I-32
Document Title: Abe Silverstein, Director of Space Flight Programs, NASA,
Memorandum for Administrator, NASA, “Astronaut Selection Procedure for
Initial Mercury-Redstone Flights,” 14 December 1960.
Source: Folder 18674, NASA Historical Reference Collection, NASA History
Division, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC.
For all of NASA’s human spaceflight initiatives, the method of crew selection for individual
missions has been one of its most contentious and misunderstood. The process outlined in
this memorandum for choosing the first astronauts to fly in Project Mercury is instructive
of the process. It called for each of the Mercury Seven to identify three top candidates other
than themselves, and then for a board to recommend a selection of the top three, with
actual selection made by the Project Mercury director. These three astronauts would then
be trained for the mission, without any of them knowing who would actually be the prime.
Only a few days before the launch the astronaut to fly the mission would be named and
an order for future mission assignments would follow from that decision. Designed to give
all a voice in the selection, this approach also sought to avoid a leak to the media of the
astronaut selected.
[CONFIDENTIAL] [DECLASSIFIED]
In reply refer to:
DA-1 (WJN:rfr)
Dec 14 1960
MEMORANDUM for Administrator
Subject: Astronaut Selection Procedure for Initial Mercury-Redstone Flights
1. The purpose of this memorandum is to document the procedure
for Mercury-Redstone Astronaut Selection as discussed in your office
December 12.
2. The first possible manned Redstone mission is MR-3; however,
manned occupancy of MR-3 is, of course, contingent upon successful
accomplishment of MR-1 and MR-2. Since capsule 7, for MR-3, arrived
at the Cape December 8, the pilot should be chosen in the near future
so that he can become fully familiar with the capsule systems and
operational procedures. Capsule 7 is the only manned configuration with
a mechanical-latching side hatch, interim clock timer, small windows, and
control system which does not include the rate stabilization mode.
3. Since it is impractical to train all 7 Astronauts on the proper Procedures
Trainer configuration, three men will be chosen as possible pilots and
all three will begin working with the capsule 7 configuration. It is hoped