- Born
- Died
- Birth nameMalcolm Scott Carpenter
- Height5′ 10″ (1.78 m)
- Scott Carpenter was born on May 1, 1925 in Boulder, Colorado, USA. He was an actor, known for Never Say Never Again (1983), The Fall Guy (1981) and Out of This World (1987). He was married to Patricia Kay Barrette, Barbara Curtin, Maria Roach and Rene Louise Price. He died on October 10, 2013 in Denver, Colorado, USA.
- SpousesPatricia Kay Barrette(November 21, 1998 - October 10, 2013) (his death)Barbara Curtin(1988 - ?) (divorced, 1 child)Maria Roach(October 7, 1972 - 1986) (divorced, 2 children)Rene Louise Price(September 9, 1948 - 1971) (divorced, 4 children)
- Assigned to make the second manned orbital flight (May 24, 1962, Cape Canaveral, Florida). He enjoyed two orbits but on the third, he erred on re-entry into the atmosphere. His capsule Aurora 7 overshot the impact area and hit the Atlantic Ocean 138 miles northeast of Puerto Rico, 250 miles beyond where it was to have landed. Carpenter was out of range of radio communication with Cape Canaveral and remained "lost" for about 45 minutes. A Navy plane rescued him in good physical condition. President John F. Kennedy told Carpenter, "We are relieved and very proud of your trip," and Carpenter apologized for "not having aimed a little bit better on re-entry."
- Named his Mercury spacecraft "Aurora 7".
- He was the fourth American in space.
- Carpenter's awards include the Navy's Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, U.S. Navy Astronaut Wings, the University of Colorado Recognition Medal, the Collier Trophy, the New York City Gold Medal of Honor, the Elisha Kent Kane Medal, the Ustica Gold Trident, and the Boy Scouts of America Silver Buffalo. He has been awarded seven honorary degrees.
- Carpenter hosted and narrated several television documentaries. He also appeared as television spokesman for many major corporations, including General Motors (Oldsmobile), Standard Oil of California, Nintendo, and Atari.
- I volunteered for this project for a lot of reasons. One of them, quite frankly, is that it is a chance for immortality. Most men never have a chance for immortality. This is something I would willingly give my life for, and I think a person is very fortunate to have something he can care that much about. [on being chosen to participate in NASA's Project Mercury in 1959]
- [During his visit to the Save the Chimps sanctuary] I have a great deal of respect for space travelers more senior than I, and I have a great respect for the species that did it first. (April 30, 2009)
- [re astronaut program] I volunteered for a number of reasons. One of these, quite frankly, was that I thought this was a chance for immortality. Pioneering in space was something I would willingly give my life for.
- [re space flight] The flight experience itself is incredible. It's addictive. It's transcendent. It is a view of the grand plan of all things that is simply unforgettable.
- [on thoughts he had, waiting to be picked up, after the splashdown] I sat for a long time just thinking about what I'd been through. I couldn't believe it had all happened. It had been a tremendous experience and, though I could not ever really share it with anyone, I looked forward to telling others as much about it as I could. I had made mistakes and some things had gone wrong. But I hoped that other men could learn from my experiences. I felt that the flight was a success, and I was proud of that.
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