Scott Carpenter was an American astronaut and naval aviator, born on May 1, 1925. He was one of the original seven astronauts selected for NASA's Project Mercury, which aimed to send humans into space. Carpenter flew the second American manned orbital flight on May 24, 1962, aboard the spacecraft Aurora 7, completing three orbits around Earth. After his spaceflight career, Carpenter continued to serve in the U.S. Navy and later worked on various aerospace projects. He was also involved in oceanographic research and founded the Scott Carpenter Space Center in Colorado. Carpenter passed away on October 10, 2023.