Mercury 7 Astronaut Scott Carpenter Dies – NASA Remembers and Comments

Earlier this month, on October 10, 2013, former NASA Astronaut Scott Carpenter died from complications following a stroke. One of the original American space heroes as a member of the space pioneering Mercury 7 team, Carpenter flew the second American manned orbital flight on May 24, 1962.

In his Aurora 7 spacecraft, Carpenter orbited the Earth 3 times at an altitude of 164 miles, before splashing into the Atlantic Ocean, nearly 5 hours after launch from Cape Canaveral, and what would become the Kennedy Space Center.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden commented on the passing of Scott Carpenter saying, “Today, the world mourns the passing of Scott Carpenter. As one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts, he was in the first vanguard of our space program — the pioneers who set the tone for our nation’s pioneering efforts beyond Earth and accomplished so much for our nation.

“Scott served his nation first in the U.S. Navy, and he later pioneered underwater missions that also helped us learn about operating in space. When he became the second American to orbit the Earth, he completed his mission despite challenging circumstances. We knew then that not only did America have what it took technologically, but our entire astronaut corps would be able to face the challenges ahead that would lead us to the moon and living and working in space.

“After his spaceflights, Scott helped design the Apollo Lunar Landing Module and was active in underwater training of astronauts for spacewalks. His accomplishments truly helped our nation progress in space from the earliest days to the world leadership we enjoy today. We will miss his passion, his talent and his lifelong commitment to exploration.”

Carpenter was 88 years old. The official NASA biography of Scott Carpenter is available to read online at: http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/carpenter-ms.html. Additionally, Scott Carpenter had his own web site filled with information about his time in the space program, and all that we offered to share his experiences with the world. That site can be found at:http://www.scottcarpenter.com.