[Moderators, Please lock]Who is best Mercury Astronuat???

[ZooNamedGames]

Well after 2 VERY conversational threads I HAVE to make another as you guys can teach me stuff I've never known and I enjoy talking about this stuff as it's one of my favorite topics to date so here we are again asking: WHO IS THE BEST MERCURY ASTRONAUTS??? Here is the list:

Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. (Freedom 7)

Virgil (Gus) Grissom (Liberty Belle 7)

John Herschel Glenn Jr. (Friendship 7)

Scott (Malcom) Carpenter (Aurora 7)

Walter Marty (Wally) Schirra Jr. (Sigma 7)

Leroy Gorden (Gordo) Cooper Jr. (Faith 7)

Donald Kent (Deke) Slayton (never flew during Mercury)

So who is the best and why? You have in the list; Two Apollo astronauts, and a MCC. So who's the best and Why? What's his greatest achievement? What did he do in his mission (or role at NASA) that made him stand out? Did he do anything else? etc etc... So who is the best? I know my answer

Enjoy the talk below and as always, be nice and try to bring only facts

Edited April 11, 2014 by ZooNamedGames

[Motokid600]

Gus Grissom... Just cause. Though Gordo did log the most hours in the capsule, no?

[ZooNamedGames]

Gus Grissom... Just cause. Though Gordo did log the most hours in the capsule, no?

Not certain if he did or not, but Gordo was a pretty famous one. If you enjoy this period of NASA history, go watch "The Right Stuff". It's a little long, but definately worth it.

Gus was a very... very special astronaut. He was in Gemini and was GOING for Apollo, but we all know what went wrong... He (in my opinion) is the most IRONIC astronaut, in NASA history, and he will be a long runner as one for a LOOONG time. 'Cause it'll be hard to top his level of irony...

[Motokid600]

It's strange. In the "The Right Stuff" it seems as if they portrayed Grissom having a sort of a panic attack before the hatch blew. So the investigation seemed like it was trying to figure if he manually blew the hatch or if it was a malfunction. Is this how it really went down?

[ItchyBrother]

Has to be Gordo, he went faster, farther, and longer than anyone.

[Transits]

It's a shame that Gus Grissom died in Apollo 1. He is one of my favourite astronauts (up there with Neil Armstrong, Jim Lovell and Yuri Gagarin)

[ZooNamedGames]

However Alan did change the US. If he had let Bruan keep delaying the mission, eventrually they would have scrubbed the mission and we may never had participated in the space race. "Let's light this candle". One of his most famous lines, but I like his last words more, "Don't mess this up".

[Skyrunner27]

Deke Slayton his work throughout the rest of NASA was remarkable. Most importantly he won the fight between Civilians and Astronauts working CAPCOM.

[ZooNamedGames]

Deke Slayton his work throughout the rest of NASA was remarkable. Most importantly he won the fight between Civilians and Astronauts working CAPCOM.

He made a huge impact, even though he had only one flight. His change to NASA was huge, from a seat at KSC. He is pretty cool, but he didn't change NASA like Alan tho.

Edited April 2, 2014 by Specialist290
Nothing to see here...

[Red Iron Crown]

Poor Sam, never gets mentioned in Mercury discussions.

[Xorth Tanovar]

Shepard. If nothing else, the guy had balls of steel to keep flying while suffering Meniere's disease (which I can relate to, it's killed my left ear's hearing and still gives the vertigo after 10+ years).

[ZooNamedGames]

Poor Sam, never gets mentioned in Mercury discussions.

Sam was a chimp, besides, if I included him, I would have to also add the other chimp... Can't remember her name, but besides neither of them ACTRULLY did anything. They were trained. I think it was a bigger achievement to send up dogs, like the Russian, than to send chimps. Dogs could do the same tasks, but were strays and in the middle of their lives (supposedly) so they didn't have the lifespan to learn all the required parts to flying. Laika has a bigger effect than Sam has ever had especially HER story, ended very sadly but still, she was a very good dog.

I would HIGHLY recommend reading about Laika on Wikipedia since I'm not one to be sad, scared, excited etc while reading, but I almost broke into tears reading it, which is VERY NOT me. So I would, it's very touching (at least to me), so I would easily recommend it .

Now the Mercury astronauts were like monkeys in their missions, -only- they could preform scientific experiments on themselves and the spacecraft. Using chimps would've have lead to only one of the two achievements, tests relating to OUTSIDE the spacecraft. However there are a few ways that using a chimp WOULD'VE been better than a person, such as Scott Carpenter's mission. He had used up too much RCS and he had to hope (or in other words ASSUME) he had the capsule in the right direction, because he had no propellant ANYWHERE on the spacecraft. So he could have died, whereas a chimp would've done the job correctly (with no second opinion, he know nothing else, BUT to do right) and NASA would have had greater control of the spacecraft.

Also pop question!:

Why did the Russians choose STRAY dogs for their space flights? (please don't cheat and use wikipedia, I'll tell you if you try be fair, please!)

[ZooNamedGames]

Shepard. If nothing else, the guy had balls of steel to keep flying while suffering Meniere's disease (which I can relate to, it's killed my left ear's hearing and still gives the vertigo after 10+ years).

Well as far as I know, any true pilot who wanted to go to space or had been in space, never let ANYTHING stop them. The Mercury astronauts (Like Alan) proved that if they wanted something (even as trivial as explosive bolts, control of the spacecraft and, a window) they would get it no matter what. They got what they wanted and showed to the engineers at NASA that it WAS possible to achieve the goals the pilots had put before them

[deadshot462]

Gordon Cooper, in my opinion an underrated astronaut.

Shot story: his ship suffered technical issues so he had to manually calculate and perform his reentry burn by using his wristwatch and keeping attitude by watching the stars in the window.

His reentry landing was the closest to the target landing zone to any previously performed automated reentry.

[ZooNamedGames]

Gordon Cooper, in my opinion an underrated astronaut.

Shot story: his ship suffered technical issues so he had to manually calculate and perform his reentry burn by using his wristwatch and keeping attitude by watching the stars in the window.

His reentry landing was the closest to the target landing zone to any previously performed automated reentry.

Well yes, he did make great strides for NASA, however you still can't say that an astronaut like Alan Sheperd didn't also change NASA. Gordo may never have gotten to fly if Alan had let Von Braun scrup the flight, but he didn't... And therefore we today has the SLS. Yes I agree, he was an amazing astronaut, besides both of them were looked over by John Glenn. So both sides lose sorry...

[Skyrunner27]

I am sorry but IIRC the flight would have just been tried again. Mercury-Redstone 3 was already scrubbed once and that didn't stop NASA. I think that they would have tried on another day. Now his work during Gemini was amazing, and he would be the first person to play golf on the moon.

[Red Iron Crown]

Yeah, the Mercury astronauts were great pilots and such, but they weren't responsible for the US getting into space. The rocket scientists did that, and would have done so with any other pilot, or men from another profession (it was far from inevitable that pilots were the first astronauts).

Sort of like giving Columbus credit for (re)discovering the Americas; yes, he was the first to do it, but had it not been him someone else would have done so eventually.

[ZooNamedGames]

I am sorry but IIRC the flight would have just been tried again. Mercury-Redstone 3 was already scrubbed once and that didn't stop NASA. I think that they would have tried on another day. Now his work during Gemini was amazing, and he would be the first person to play golf on the moon.

However, it would've been a different reality from now. Different astronaut may have lead to a different fate. Yes the rocket scis got them there, but so did the astronauts... Otherwise we would be locked in self-operating capsules because the rocket scientist don't want the astronauts to have control.... Like in Russia.

[Red Iron Crown]

However, it would've been a different reality from now. Different astronaut may have lead to a different fate. Yes the rocket scis got them there, but so did the astronauts... Otherwise we would be locked in self-operating capsules because the rocket scientist don't want the astronauts to have control.... Like in Russia.

You mean the Russian space program that beat the US to pretty much every milestone but landing a man on the Moon?

[ZooNamedGames]

You mean the Russian space program that beat the US to pretty much every milestone but landing a man on the Moon?

All I'm saying is that a different astronaut to start the program, will have lead to a different fate... This is what I believe as a scientist. That each action (and every action) leads to a different reality... It's a LOOOONG explaination.

By the Russian part, what I meant was that the astronauts will not have had control. Like the Russian space program who had the controls locked by passcode until command had given the astronaut control.

[Red Iron Crown]

All I'm saying is that a different astronaut to start the program, will have lead to a different fate... This is what I believe as a scientist. That each action (and every action) leads to a different reality... It's a LOOOONG explaination.

Maybe. I'm not convinced it was Shepard's famous quote that made the difference between go/no-go on Mercury-Redstone 3.

By the Russian part, what I meant was that the astronauts will not have had control. Like the Russian space program who had the controls locked by passcode until command had given the astronaut control.

I honestly don't see what difference that makes. Pilot control in spaceflight is entirely overrated IMO.

[Green Skull]

Best Mercury astronaut is any Kerbal in any one of my Mercury mission suits...

Joking aside there were and are incredibly brave people on any side of space exploration. Pick a winner from the pioneering days of space exploration? I don't think so - it takes the same amount of bravery from all of them and who was first was somebody else's decision not theirs. I choose to recreate mission suits even from tragic missions where astronauts and cosmonauts have died purely out of respect and as a tribute.

[ZooNamedGames]

Best Mercury astronaut is any Kerbal in any one of my Mercury mission suits...

Joking aside there were and are incredibly brave people on any side of space exploration. Pick a winner from the pioneering days of space exploration? I don't think so - it takes the same amount of bravery from all of them and who was first was somebody else's decision not theirs. I choose to recreate mission suits even from tragic missions where astronauts and cosmonauts have died purely out of respect and as a tribute.

Good point. No single astronaut has made the space program, the space program is a compilation of all the heroes, the tragies and successes and failures of our space pioneers. So I can't say your wrong, we're just asking to which you hold (IYO) most.... Interesting.

[ZooNamedGames]

Maybe. I'm not convinced it was Shepard's famous quote that made the difference between go/no-go on Mercury-Redstone 3.

I honestly don't see what difference that makes. Pilot control in spaceflight is entirely overrated IMO.

Yeah, because the Mercury astronauts fought soooo hard so they could be locked up helpless in a tuna can. The Mercury astronauts DIDN'T want to treated like the Russian cosmonauts. They wanted to be the ones to change the world, not the ones sitting in their padded chairs back at mission control. I'm certain if they wanted to be treated like canned tuna, they would have easily preferred to watch Ham or Pioneer probe to do it for them.

[Red Iron Crown]

Yeah, because the Mercury astronauts fought soooo hard so they could be locked up helpless in a tuna can. The Mercury astronauts DIDN'T want to treated like the Russian cosmonauts. They wanted to be the ones to change the world, not the ones sitting in their padded chairs back at mission control. I'm certain if they wanted to be treated like canned tuna, they would have easily preferred to watch Ham or Pioneer probe to do it for them.

I agree that the Mercury 7 lobbied hard and successfully for more manual control, I don't agree that it was necessary or even contributory to the program's success.

Basically, any person of sufficient courage could have sat in the Mercury capsule without a significant difference in the success of the program.