Gus Grissom

Virgil Ivan "Gus" Grissom (April 3, 1926 – January 27, 1967) was a U.S. Air Force pilot who became one of the first American astronauts and one of the first to die in the U.S. space program.

Career

Military

Grissom was a United States Air Force Lieutenant Colonel. He received his wings in March, 1951. Over his Air Force career he flew 100 combat missions in Korea in F-86s with the 334th Fighter Interceptor Squadron. Upon returning from Korea, he became a jet instructor at Bryan, Texas.

Related Topics:
Lieutenant Colonel - March - 1951 - Korea - F-86 - Bryan, Texas

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In August 1955, Grissom entered the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, to study aeronautical engineering.

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In October 1956, he entered the Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California, and returned to Wright-Patterson in May 1957 as a test pilot assigned to the fighter branch.

Related Topics:
1956 - Test Pilot - Edwards Air Force Base - 1957

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NASA

In 1959, after physical and psychological tests, Grissom was chosen as one of the seven Project Mercury astronauts, along with:

Related Topics:
1959 - Project Mercury - Along with

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• Lieutenant Malcolm Scott Carpenter, U.S. Navy
• Captain LeRoy Gordon Cooper, Jr., U.S. Air Force
• Lieutenant Colonel John Herschel Glenn, Jr., U.S. Marine Corps
• Lieutenant Commander Walter Marty Schirra, Jr., U.S. Navy
• Lieutenant Commander Alan Bartlett Shepard, Jr., U.S. Navy
• Captain Donald Kent Slayton, U.S. Air Force

He was pilot of Mercury-Redstone 4 ("Liberty Bell 7"), the second American (suborbital) spaceflight. Following the Splashdown of "Liberty Bell 7", the hatch ejected prematurely, letting water into the capsule and into Grissom's suit. Grissom nearly drowned but was rescued by helicopter, while the spacecraft sank in deep water.

Related Topics:
Mercury-Redstone 4 - Suborbital - Splashdown

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After Alan Shepard was grounded, Grissom was designated command pilot for the first manned Project Gemini mission (Gemini 3), as well as backup command pilot for Gemini 6.

Related Topics:
Alan Shepard - Project Gemini - Gemini 3 - Gemini 6

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