S63-18853J.L. Pickering the "Original Seven" Mercury astronauts pose in front of a Mercury Capsule October 21, 1963 20010211

KSC-61C-181 Mercury Redstone-1 launch vehicle at Launch Pad 5. November 21, 1960 20010825

KSC-61C-1012NASA Mercury-Redstone 2 launch with Ham the Chimp January 31, 1961 20001011

KSC-61-10515NASA Alan Shepard undergoes a flight simulation test April 29, 1961 20001013

S61-1927 Launch of the MR-3 spacecraft May 5, 1961 20020921

S61-1928 liftoff of MR-3 May 5, 1961 20020406

MR3-9 Mercury-Redstone 3 lifts off carrying astronaut Alan Shepard in the first U.S. manned sub-orbital flight. 20021109

KSC-61C-883NASA "Freedom 7" (MR-3) lifts off carrying Alan Shepard in the first U.S. manned space flight May 5, 1961 20001013

MSFC-6415627NASA Werner Von Braun and astronaut Gordon Cooper in the blockhouse during MR-3 recovery operations May 5, 1961 20001013

KSC-71P-255 Astronaut Virgil I. Grissom checks the installation of the periscope from which Astronaut Alan Shepard viewed the Earth during his flight May 5, 1961 20010825

KSC-71P-250 Astronauts Deke Slayton (L) and Virgil Grissom (R) were on hand to greet Alan B. Shepard at Grand Bahama Island after his history first U.S. manned suborbital flight May 5, 1961 20010825

KSC-61C-1431 launch of Mercury-Redstone 4 with Virgil L. Grissom July 21, 1961 20010825

S64-36914NASA John Glenn in his Mercury spacesuit during pre-flight training at Cape Canaveral 1962

KSC-72P-12 John Glenn poses in front of his capsule during pre-launch procedures at Launch Complex 14 February 13, 1962 20010825