Here Are The Tortuous Things Men Withstood To Become The First American Astronauts

Scott Carpenter, the second American to orbit Earth, died on Thursday at age 88.

Carpenter was one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts chosen by NASA in 1959.

Following Carpenter's death, John Glenn is the only survivor of the pioneering astronauts, which included Alan Shepard, Wally Schirra, Gus Grissom, Deke Slayton, and Gordon Cooper.

The Mercury 7 weren't just average American men. They were all military test pilots, but also college-educated as engineers and in superb physical condition.

Each man emerged from one of the world's most competitive selection processes that included a daunting combination of interviews, written exams, mental evaluations, and stress tests.

What followed were two years of intensive training before risking everything to become the first Americans to rocket into space.