Donald K. Slayton
3 books
About the Author
Donald K. Slayton was a pioneering American astronaut and one of the original Mercury Seven, selected by NASA in 1959 for his exceptional piloting skills and calm demeanor under pressure. Born in 1924 in Sparta, Wisconsin, Slayton served as a decorated World War II fighter pilot before transitioning to the space program, where he was slated to command the second orbital Mercury mission but was grounded due to a minor heart condition. Undeterred, he contributed immensely as NASA's Director of Flight Crew Operations, overseeing astronaut training and mission planning for over a decade. Slayton finally realized his dream of spaceflight in 1975 aboard the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, becoming the oldest man to venture into orbit at age 51. His memoir, We Seven: By the Astronauts Themselves, co-authored with his fellow Mercury astronauts, offers an intimate glimpse into the triumphs and challenges of America's early space endeavors, blending technical insight with personal anecdotes from the dawn of the space age.
Writing style
engaging
informative
collaborative
