The Mercury Project Astronauts
October 27, 2008
I found these really cool photographs of Mercury Project astronauts Gus & Virgil Grissom with suit technician Joe Schmidt on Apollo Mission Photos. The Mercury Missions were the United States first attempt at putting a man into orbit around the earth. The program ran from 1959-1963. The Mercury-Atlas 6 mission was the first flight to achieve the goal. The astronaut suits along with the undergarments are unbelievable. It must have been a real thrill to have the challenge of designing something with such advanced function and technology.
Astronaut Virgil Grissom suits up with technician Joe Schmidt. I love the insulation details on the undergarments.
Spacemen Al Shepard and John Glenn in front of the MR-4 Capsul at Mercury Mission Control. Check out the skinny ties and French cuffs!
Gus Grissom with suit technician Joe Schmidt. These suits were all full pressure.
The Invisible Agent 
With consumer space travel in our near future is it possible designer space suits will follow? I agree it would be an interesting challenge for any designer to realize their vision while making something with a greater purpose than looking chic.
Isn’t amazing that they were able to travel to outter space in the early ’60s with some of the most basic computers, and today we can’t even drive our car without nav unit.
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My heroes were the Mercury Astronauts when i was a little girl growing up!
Being a Hoosier, Gus was my fave.
I wanted to be an astronaut….didn’t make it….
Love all the pics of Gus!