Walter M. Schirra was an American astronaut and naval aviator, known for being one of the original seven astronauts selected for the Mercury program. He flew in three different space programs: Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo, making him one of the few astronauts to achieve this distinction. Born on March 12, 1923, in Hackensack, New Jersey, Schirra served in the United States Navy before joining NASA. He is best known for his flight on Mercury-Atlas 8, where he became the first person to fly in space three times. Schirra's contributions to space exploration have made him a significant figure in the history of human spaceflight.