The Mercury program represented NASA’s first human spaceflight program, with the aim to see if humans could function effectively in space for a few minutes or hours at a time. NASA’s first seven astronauts, the Mercury 7, were chosen in 1959.

The story of America’s first astronauts is being retold in the TV series “The Right Stuff” on Disney Plus by National Geographic, which premieres Oct. 9 during World Space Week 2020.

Click Here to read more about the Mercury astronauts and their space adventures.