NASA Astronaut Group 2
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NASA's Astronaut Group 2, also known as The Next Nine, was the second group of Astronauts selected by NASA in September 1962. The group was required to augment the original Mercury 7 with the announcement of the Gemini Program and leading to the Apollo Program. The selection requirements were as demanding as for the first group with a greater emphasis on candidates with engineering experience as well as test pilot experience. The achievements of the Group 2 Astronauts eclipsed those of any group before or since.
- Neil Armstrong - Commander, first docking in space and first mission abort from earth orbit; Commander, first manned lunar landing; first person to walk on the Moon.
- Frank Borman - Commander, first 14 day manned mission; Commander, first mission to orbit the moon.
- Pete Conrad - Pilot, first 8 day manned mission and first re-boost to set record for human earth orbit altitude record; Commander, second manned lunar landing; third man to walk on the moon. Commander, first successful space station mission and space endurance record of 28 days.
- James Lovell - First man to travel to vicinity of the moon twice. Commander, first mission abort beyond earth orbit. Absolute human altitude record.
- James McDivitt - Commander, first mission to dock two manned spacecraft in Earth Orbit and exchange crews.
- Elliott See - Slated to command Gemini 9, but died in a plane crash before the mission.
- Thomas Stafford - Pilot, first United States orbital rendezvous; Commander, lunar landing test mission; Commander, first joint US-USSR space mission.
- Edward White - First US space walk. Prime Crew Pilot for first Apollo mission Apollo 1.
- John W. Young - Pilot, first mission to change orbit plane; Commander, first mission to dock with two different craft. Command Module Pilot, lunar landing test mission; first person to orbit the moon solo and orbit the moon twice; Commander, fifth lunar landing; ninth person to walk on the Moon; Commander, first Space Shuttle mission; first person to travel into space 6 times.