Yesterday, Scott Carpenter, an icon in the early days of
space exploration passed. He was one of only two of the original seven
astronauts. The Original 7 as they were known, were the Mercury astronauts that
would be the first Americans to go into the heavens.
In the early days of spaceflight, the Original 7 were a
competitive group of test pilots and elite armed forces pilots. This group
thrived on competition, whether it was drag racing their Corvettes on a
deserted road in Florida or in the hotspots and nightclubs of Cocoa Beach.
Scott Carpenter was one of them. The Original 7 enjoyed rock star status in the
1960's.
