CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — A gathering of legends was held on Thursday as members of Project Mercury their families came together for a special reunion.
What You Need To Know
- A Project Mercury reunion was held Thursday at the Sands Space History Museum
- Those in attendance say many memories were shared
- Learn more about the Mercury program ▶
There were lots of memories shared at the Sands Space History Center about America's first human spaceflight program. The five-year program ran from 1958 through 1963, with six manned missions.
The program was formed just six days after NASA was formally organized. Among the earliest program members was 92-year-old Jim Keatley, who worked on the team that launched the first American to space — John Glenn.
Keatley said he's luck to have lived during that historic time.
“I just happened to be at the right place at the right time," Keatley said of joining Project Mercury.
Keatley later worked on both the Apollo and shuttle programs.
A panel was also assembled for the reunion that included family members of original Mercury Seven astronauts Scott Carpenter, Glenn and Alan Shepard.
The remaining Mercury Seven astronauts include: Gus Grissom, Gordon Cooper, Walter Schirra and Deke Slayton.