NASA Astronaut Group 2

NASA Astronaut Group 2
NASA · Public domain · source
Name	NASA Astronaut Group 2
Nickname	"The New Nine"
Selection year	1962
Notable members	Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Jim Lovell, William Anders

Contents

NASA Astronaut Group 2 NASA Astronaut Group 2, selected in 1962 and popularly known as "The New Nine", comprised nine Navy and Air Force test pilots and engineers who followed the original Mercury Seven cohort and played central roles in the Gemini program, Apollo program, and early Space Shuttle program eras. The cohort's careers intersected with high-profile programs and events including Project Mercury, Project Gemini, Apollo 11, Apollo 8, Apollo 13, and later advisory and administrative roles influencing Johnson Space Center, Kennedy Space Center, Manned Spaceflight Center policy and public outreach.

Selection and Training

The 1962 selection process was administered by NASA leadership including James E. Webb and Robert Gilruth and drew candidates from institutions such as the United States Naval Academy, United States Military Academy, the Naval Test Pilot School, and the Air Force Test Pilot School, with assessments influenced by criteria used in Project Mercury and recommendations from Walt Williams and other selection committee members. Training incorporated flight operations at Ellington Air Force Base, geology instruction tied to Lunar Orbiter reconnaissance, survival training with cooperation from United States Navy SEALs techniques, and simulations using facilities at the Manned Spacecraft Center alongside engineers from North American Aviation, McDonnell Aircraft, and Boeing. Medical screening involved protocols from the National Institutes of Health and consultations with physicians associated with Johns Hopkins Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, while academic instruction featured curricula at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and briefings from Wernher von Braun on lunar mission architectures.

The group included nine astronauts: Neil Armstrong, a United States Naval Aviator and Korean War veteran who later commanded Apollo 11; Buzz Aldrin, a United States Air Force pilot and MIT alumnus who performed the second lunar EVA; Jim Lovell, a United States Naval Academy graduate and commander of Apollo 13; William Anders, an United States Air Force officer and crewmember of Apollo 8; Frank Borman, commander of Apollo 8 with a background at United States Military Academy and Air Force flight test; Michael Collins, an United States Air Force pilot who served as command module pilot for Apollo 11 and had ties to US Air Force Test Pilot School; James McDivitt, commander in the Gemini program and Apollo manager who had served with Air Force Reserve units; Ed White, who performed the first American spacewalk during Gemini IV and had training at Test Pilot School; and R. Walter Cunningham, a scientist-astronaut with a background at Caltech and contributions to Skylab planning. Each biography intersects with institutions such as NASA Langley Research Center, Ames Research Center, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and contemporaries including Alan Shepard, John Glenn, Deke Slayton, Gus Grissom, and Wally Schirra.

Members flew on pivotal missions: Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and William Anders on Apollo 8 executed the first crewed orbit of the Moon and captured the famous "Earthrise" image used by National Geographic and proponents of the environmental movement; Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin on Apollo 11 achieved the first lunar landing with engineering from Grumman, IBM, and Raytheon contractors and mission control led by Gene Kranz at Mission Control Center; Jim Lovell and crew of Apollo 13 managed a near-disaster recovery involving systems from Rockwell International and procedures developed with Houston flight controllers; Ed White's extravehicular activity in Gemini IV advanced suit design from Hamilton Standard and tether techniques later used on Skylab and International Space Station hardware; James McDivitt commanded Gemini IV and Gemini VI-A with docking practice informing Apollo rendezvous profiles. Beyond flight, members contributed to program management at NASA Headquarters, safety reviews influenced by Rogers Commission findings, and international cooperation with agencies like the European Space Agency and military liaison offices.

The group's operational experience accelerated development of lunar navigation techniques, EVA protocols, rendezvous and docking maneuvers, and crew resource management practices later codified in training at the Johnson Space Center and in procedures adopted during Skylab and the Spacelab era. Their missions influenced public policy debates involving the United States Congress, funding decisions shaped by testimony before the Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences, and cultural engagement reflected in appearances with figures such as President John F. Kennedy, President Richard Nixon, and institutions like the Smithsonian Institution. Technical legacies include contributions to guidance systems using work from MIT Instrumentation Laboratory, life-support developments with Hamilton Standard, and human factors research carried out with NASA Ames Research Center and Langley Research Center.

Individual honors include awards such as the Congressional Space Medal of Honor received by several members, decorations from the Presidential Medal of Freedom, inductions into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame and the International Space Hall of Fame, and commemorations at institutions like the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and Ohio State University for Neil Armstrong. Memorials and biographies have been produced by publishers and organizations including Smithsonian Books and National Air and Space Museum, while artifacts from their missions are displayed at venues such as the National Air and Space Museum, The Museum of Flight, and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. Their influence persists in modern astronaut selection and training programs led by NASA, cooperative ventures with Roscosmos, ESA, JAXA, and private partners like SpaceX and Boeing.