Walter Marty Schirra Jr. was an American astronaut and naval aviator who flew on three space missions: Mercury-Atlas 8, Gemini 6, and Apollo 7. He was one of the original seven astronauts chosen for the Project Mercury program and became the first astronaut to fly in space three times.
Schirra was born on March 12, 1923, in Hackensack, New Jersey. He received his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the United States Naval Academy in 1945 and went on to become a naval aviator, serving in the Korean War.
In 1959, Schirra was selected as one of the original seven astronauts for Project Mercury, the first human spaceflight program of the United States. In 1962, he piloted the Mercury-Atlas 8 mission, becoming the fifth American in space and the third to orbit the Earth.
In 1965, Schirra flew on the Gemini 6 mission, performing the first space rendezvous with another spacecraft. In 1968, he served as the commander of the Apollo 7 mission, the first manned flight of the Apollo program.
After retiring from NASA in 1969, Schirra worked as a television commentator and consultant. He died on May 3, 2007, at the age of 84.