Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. White House Central Subject Files
JFKWHCSF-0655-009
This folder contains correspondence between members of President John F. Kennedy's staff and the public concerning space flight, including Colonel John Glenn's orbital flight aboard the Friendship 7 capsule, Major Gordon Cooper's orbital flight aboard the Mercury-Atlas 9 capsule (also known as Faith 7), and Commander Walter Schirra's orbital flight aboard the Mercury-Atlas 8 capsule (also known as Sigma 7). The folder also includes several letters urging the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to select pilots from underrepresented communities, including African American and Black communities and women, for training in its astronaut program.