ASF REMEMBERS
FOUNDER SCOTT CARPENTER
The legacy of every American astronaut is carried on through each Astronaut Scholar awarded this prestigious scholarship. Astronauts have made significant impacts on our world and that heritage is continuing through the great contributions and innovations of the Astronaut Scholars. As an organization founded by greatness, we will continue to hold that honor high and represent all American astronauts as they forged and continue to forge past barriers to give the United States the cutting edge in science and technology.
Scott Carpenter, Astronaut Scholarship Foundation founder and Mercury astronaut, dies at 88
Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter passed away on October 10, 2013. As one of the founders of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, Carpenter played an integral role in guiding the Foundation over the last three decades.
Carpenter was born in Boulder, Colorado on May 1, 1925. He studied aeronautical engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder before joining the Navy and becoming a pilot, serving with Patrol Squadron 6 during the Korean War.
Carpenter secured his place in history on May 24, 1962, when he became the second American to achieve orbital spaceflight, circling the Earth three times in his Aurora 7 spacecraft before splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean.
Although he is best remembered for his achievements as an astronaut, Carpenter also made history exploring a different frontier under the sea as an aquanaut. He spent 30 days living and working on the ocean floor as Training Officer and Officer-in-Charge on the SEALAB II program.
Carpenter – along with the other five surviving members of the Mercury 7; Betty Grissom, widow of the seventh; Dr. William Douglas, the Project Mercury flight surgeon; and Henri Landwirth, an Orlando businessman and friend of the astronauts – established the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation in 1984. The Foundation, formerly known as the Mercury 7 Foundation, originally funded seven $1,000 scholarships. It has since grown, now giving twenty-eight $10,000 scholarships annually to deserving students nationwide.
Carpenter was a true friend and fervent supporter of the Foundation throughout his life, serving on the Board of Directors, attending numerous events and presenting scholarship checks to scholars. He will be missed.
To donate to the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation in memory of Scott Carpenter, click the link below – or to make a donation by check, please make payment to the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, referencing “Scott Carpenter” in the memo line of the check, and mail to:
Astronaut Scholarship Foundation
Mail Code: ASF-1
Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899
