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On Sun, 13 Jun 2004 21:27:33 GMT, Dave Michelson
wrote: Derek Lyons wrote: The Pentagon 'decided' to obey the President, who ordered that the initial group of astronauts come from the services. (The DoDs interest in space comes somewhat later.) Sorry, the bracketed remark is incorrect. Both the USAF's X-15 and MISS (Main in Space Soonest) projects pre-date both the formation of NASA and the selection of the Original 7. The X-15 was an NACA/NASA project that the USAF participated in. It was never a USAF project. Instead it was always a joint NASA/USAF project, except early on when it was an NACA/USAF project. In fact, the first ever U.S. (preliminary) astronaut selection was announced in a USAF briefing concerning MISS on 25 June 1958. The list included test pilots Robert Walker, Scott Crossfield, Neil Armstrong, Robert Rushworth, William Bridgeman, Alvin White, Iven Kincheloe, Robert White, and Jack McKay. Scotty, Neil, and Jack were civilians, not military. They all worked at NASA FRC until Scotty went to NAA. It's interesting to note that it seems that Armstrong was simply destined to get into space one way or another. (MISS candidate, X-15 pilot, X-20 candidate, NASA Group II.) NASA test pilot, not military, so he was highly unlikely to be an X-20 candidate. However, he did fly in a NASA project in support of X-20, mimicking the RTLS escape sequence for the X-20 if the rocket had a problem on launch and the X-20 had to set itself free and land. Mary -- Mary Shafer Retired aerospace research engineer |
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