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A Vintage NASA Film About How The First Astronauts Got Ready

It's the fiftieth anniversary (plus a day) of "the first manned spaceflight":http://www.universetoday.com/85449/rare-and-unpublished-life-photos-of-alan-shepards-historic-flight/ by an American. Flying to space may feel all commonplace now, but...

It’s the fiftieth anniversary (plus a day) of the first manned spaceflight by an American. Flying to space may feel all commonplace now, but catapult yourself back to the 1960s, after JFK decided we were going to beat the Russians to the moon, and watch the lead-up to that historic, mind-blowing moment when Alan Shepard pierced the atmosphere. On his way to the launch pad, Shepard reportedly joked to technicians that "you should have courage and the right blood pressure" if you want to succeed as an astronaut. "And four legs … You know, they really wanted to send a dog, but they decided that would be too cruel."

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This film documents the selection of the original seven astronauts for Project Mercury: Lieutenant Malcolm S. (Scott) Carpenter, Captain Leroy G. (Gordon) Cooper, Lieutenant Colonel John H. Glenn, Captain Virgil I. (Gus) Grissom, Lieutenant Commander Walter M. Schirra, Lieutenant Commander Alan Shepard, and Captain Donald K. (Deke) Slayton. The footage shows the selection criteria and process, the astronauts in training, and the beginnings of our knowledge of manned space flight."

Here’s a little video on the actual launch: