Project Mercury Astronauts Named

April 2, 1959

Chosen from a field of 110 candidates, seven test pilots—Air Force Capts. L. Gordon Cooper Jr., Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom, and Donald K. “Deke” Slayton; Navy Lt. Cmdrs. Walter M. Schirra Jr. and Alan B. Shepard Jr., and Lt. M. Scott Carpenter; and Marine Lt. Col. John H. Glenn Jr.—are announced as the Project Mercury astronauts.

Related

F-35 Deliveries Soared to New Record in 2025

Jan. 8, 2026
Lockheed Martin says it delivered 191 F-35 fighters in 2025—just ahead of the goal it set for itself at the beginning of the year as it works to clear a backlog of jets in storage.

What to Know About the RQ-170 Drone, Venezuela, and Stealthy ISR

Jan. 7, 2026
When Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Air Force Gen. Dan Caine described the 150 aircraft used in Operation Absolute Resolve, the mission to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, he referenced many by name, including the F-35 and F-22 fighters and B-1 bomber. Not specified, however, were “remotely piloted drones,” among them a secretive aircraft spotted and photographed returning to Puerto…

PHOTOS: Air Force Flight Ops in Wake of Venezuela Raid

Jan. 6, 2026
The Air Force on Jan. 6 released nearly a dozen photos of F-22 and F-35 fighters returning to Puerto Rico after supporting the raid to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro—the first official images of forces who participated in Operation Absolute Resolve.

Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Promotions Soar to Decade-High

Jan. 6, 2026
The Air Force is promoting 640 senior master sergeants to chief master sergeant this year, about a 27 percent increase over last cycle’s numbers. The Space Force is also increasing its senior master sergeant promotions by 48 percent.