Commander Scott Carpenter

Scott Carpenter is a dynamic pioneer of modern exploration and has the unique distinction of being the first human ever to penetrate both inner and outer space, thereby acquiring the dual title Astronaut/Aquanaut. He was born in Boulder, CO, on May 1, 1925, and attended the University of Colorado where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering.

Carpenter was commissioned in the U.S. Navy in 1949 and underwent flight training at Pensacola, FL and Corpus Christi, TX. He was designated a Naval Aviator in April 1951 and served in the Korean War. In 1954, he attended the Navy Test Pilot School at Patuxent River, MD, where he flew tests in every type of naval aircraft. He was selected as one of the original seven Mercury Astronauts (a.k.a. The Mercury Seven) on April 9, 1959 and underwent intensive training with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). He served as backup pilot for John Glenn during the preparation for America's first manned orbital space flight in February 1962. Carpenter flew the second American manned orbital flight on May 24, 1962. He piloted his Aurora 7 spacecraft through three revolutions of the earth and returned his capsule safely to Earth in the Atlantic Ocean.

Memorial at LC-14

In the summer of 1965, on leave of absence from NASA, Carpenter participated in the Navy's Man-in the-Sea Project as an Aquanaut in the SEALAB II program off the coast of La Jolla, CA. During the 45-day experiment, Carpenter spent 30 days living and working in a seafloor habitat at a depth of 205 feet. He was team leader for two of the three ten-man teams of Navy and civilian divers. He returned to duties with NASA as Executive Assistant to the Director of the Manned Spaceflight Center. There, Scott was active in the design of the Apollo Lunar Landing Module and in underwater extravehicular activity (EVA) crew training. In 1967, he returned to the Navy's Deep Submergence Systems Project (DSSP) appointed as Director of Aquanaut Operations during the SEALAB III experiment.

Upon retirement from the Navy in 1969, after over 28 years of service, Carpenter founded and was chief executive officer of Sea Sciences, Inc., a venture capital corporation active in developing programs aimed at enhanced utilization of ocean resources and improved health of the planet. In pursuit of these and other objectives, he has dived in most of the world's oceans and worked closely with the French oceanographer Jacques Yves Cousteau and members of his Calypso team.

Carpenter continues to apply his knowledge of aerospace and ocean engineering as a consultant to industry and the private sector. He lectures frequently in the U.S. and abroad on the history and future of ocean and space technology, the impact of scientific and technological advance on human affairs, and man's continuing search for excellence. He has written two "underwater techno-thrillers" "The Steel Albatross," and a sequel, "Deep Flight." He co-authored his memoir, "For Spacious Skies", with his daughter Kristen Stoever. He has appeared as television spokesman for many major corporations, and has also served as actor/consultant to the film industry in the fields of space flight, oceanography and the global environment.

Carpenter and his wife Patricia are both avid skiers and spend much of their free time on the slopes near their home of Vail, CO.