The ‘New Nine.’ Front row (l to r): Navy Lt. Charles Conrad, Jr., Air Force Major Frank Borman; NASA Test Pilot Neil Armstrong, and Navy Lt. Cmdr. John W. Young. Second row (l to r): civilian test pilot Elliott M. See, Jr., Air Force Capt. James A. McDivitt, Navy Lt. Cmdr. James A. Lovell, Jr., Air Force Capt. Edward H. White II, and Air Force Capt. Thomas P. Stafford.
Image: NASA.

In 1962 on this date, NASA announced its Astronaut Training Group 2 selections. Later nicknamed the ‘New Nine,” this group was generally considered the highest quality group of astronauts ever selected. They would command the missions during the ‘glory days’ of the American space programs – Gemini, Apollo, and Skylab. Information about all the NASA astronauts, past and present, may be found here.