Deke Slayton

Donald Kent "Deke" Slayton was a vital figure in the history of American space exploration.

He served as an Air Force pilot, an aeronautical engineer, and a test pilot. Most famously, he was a member of the Mercury Seven, NASA's first group of astronauts. Beyond his own flying, Slayton held critical leadership roles at NASA. He served as the first Chief of the Astronaut Office and later as the Director of Flight Crew Operations. In these positions, he was responsible for selecting the crews that would travel to space.

Slayton's career began with intense training and combat experience during World War II. After graduating from high school in 1942, he joined the U.S. Army Air Forces. He underwent rigorous flight training in Texas on several aircraft, including the PT-19 and the BT-13 Valiant. Although he wanted to fly single-engine fighters, he was assigned to multi-engine aircraft. He eventually graduated in April 1943 and flew the B-25 Mitchell bomber.

He flew combat missions in the European theater and later in the Pacific theater on Okinawa Island. By the end of the war, he had completed many combat sorties and served as an instructor.

Following the war, Slayton transitioned from combat to the science of flight. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering from the University of Minnesota in 1949. This degree allowed him to work as a design engineer for the Boeing Aircraft Corporation in Seattle. At Boeing, he worked on significant aircraft like the B-52 Stratofortress. Slayton also remained active in the military through the Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve. In 1955, he graduated from the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School. As a test pilot at Edwards Air Force Base, he flew many advanced jets, including the F-104 and the English Electric P1B Lightning.

In 1959, Slayton reached a major milestone when he was selected for Project Mercury. This was NASA's first program to send humans into space. He moved his family to live near fellow astronauts Gus Grissom and Wally Schirra. However, his path to spaceflight was interrupted by a medical challenge. During training, doctors discovered he had atrial fibrillation, which is an irregular heart rhythm.

Although he was initially cleared to fly, NASA investigators reopened the case in 1962. Just two months before his scheduled mission, he was medically disqualified from flying. He was replaced on the Mercury-Atlas 7 mission by Scott Carpenter.

Despite being grounded, Slayton remained essential to NASA's success through administrative leadership. He transitioned into a civilian role and managed the astronaut office. In 1966, he was promoted to Director of Flight Crew Operations. In this role, he managed the complex task of assigning crews to the Gemini and Apollo missions. Slayton developed a clever crew rotation system. Under this system, a crew would serve as the backup for one mission and then become the primary crew three missions later. This helped ensure that astronauts were always prepared and experienced.

Slayton's influence extended to the very design of future spacecraft. He worked at NASA until 1982 and helped with the development of the Space Shuttle. His expertise in crew operations helped organize how humans would eventually land on the moon. He even played a role in reassigning crews for the Apollo missions after major events, such as the Apollo 1 fire. His ability to manage personnel and technical requirements helped NASA navigate the challenges of the Space Race.

In 1972, Slayton finally received medical clearance to fly in space. This happened 13 years after he was first grounded. In 1975, he participated in the Apollo–Soyuz Test Project (ASTP).

During this historic mission, he served as the docking module pilot. This project was significant because it involved cooperation between the United States and the Soviet Union. Slayton worked alongside cosmonaut Aleksey Leonov in the Soyuz module. His career, which spanned from combat flying to international space docking, left a lasting impact on aeronautics.