9781422283301

H

istorians believe that humans have dreamed of space flight since ancient times, pointing to rudimentary rockets devised by the Chinese for ceremonial purposes as early as the third century. It was not until the latter half of the 20th century, however, that science and technology had advanced far enough to make human space travel a possi- bility. In 1958, the Na- tional Aeronautics

and Space Adminis- tration (NASA) initi- ated Project Mercury, with the objective of launching a manned spacecraft into orbit- al flight around the Earth and investigat- ing human ability to function in space. The men chosen for the task of piloting the spacecraft were to be called “astronauts,” a

Alan Shepard being hauled up into a rescue chopper

term that was coined based on the tale of the ancient Greek Argonauts, adventurers who boldly explored the unknown. The first manned mission took place in 1961, when as- tronaut Alan B. Shepard boarded the spacecraft Freedom 7 for a suborbital flight lasting 15 minutes and 28 seconds.

8

Black Achievement in Science: Space