Project Mercury Member refers to an ASTRONAUT who was part of the first human spaceflight program of the United States, Project Mercury. The program was conducted by NASA between 1958 and 1963 with the goal of putting a man into orbit around the Earth. Astronauts who were part of this program were known as the 'Mercury Seven' and included Alan Shepard, Gus Grissom, John Glenn, Scott Carpenter, Wally Schirra, Gordon Cooper, and Deke Slayton.