Donald K. Slayton typed manuscript on Project Mercury

Collection — Box: Communal Collections 73, Placement: 06

Identifier: MSP 138

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Includes one undated manuscript comprised of 11 typed pages. It is titled, "Status of Project Mercury From the Test Pilot's Viewpoint" appears to be a paper given at a conference, possibly the 1959 meeting of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. The paper discusses the original objectives of Project Mercury, delays the project is experiencing - specifically delays in the initial capsule delivery, outlines general problem areas with the program thus far, and discusses pilot training requirements. It contains hand written edits and notations throughout.

Dates

Creation: ca. 1959

Creator

Slayton, Donald K., 1924-1993 (Person)

Access Information

Collection is open for research.

Copyright and Use Information

Copyright held by Purdue University. Consult with Purdue University Archives and Special Collections prior to reproduction of materials.

Biographical Information

Donald K. Slayton, also known as Deke Slayton, was a U.S. Air Force pilot and test pilot who was selected as one of the original Mercury Seven Astronauts in 1959. In 1963 he was named NASA Director of Flight Crew Operations and as such played a critical role in the U.S. manned missions to the Moon. He continued to contribute to the development of manned space flight programs until his retirement from NASA in 1982.