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32 went to loveless clinic, and i was the only guy to flunk. >> reporter: how come you didn't pass the mercury physicals? >> i had what was known as a high bilirubin, which is pink in your blood. >> reporter: and you said when were you a boy, you would be into dinosaurs or rockets. >> when i didn't get into the mercury program, the original selection, i said, i was interested in rockets before those guys could spell it. now he? . >> it began with the goals of putting a human in orbit and doing so before the soviets did. on the second count, they failed. three and a half years after the sputnik...

>> we're under way. >> on february 20th, 1962, john glenn, in a space shut dubbed friendship 7 became the first american to orbit the earth. >> oh, that view is tremendous. >> we choose to go to the moon in this decade and dot other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard. >> the mercury program would ultimately have six manned flights. each mission a step closer to the ultimate goal. then, as mercury was winding down, on november 22nd, 1963, president kennedy was assassinated. >> to honor his memory and the future of the works that he started, the nasa law enforcement ope...

In the times. >> man wants it that required a few good men 7 to start with. >> there was 110 selected by the air force and navy. it whittled down to 32 after the interviews. 32 of us went to the clinic and i was the only guy to fly. oo i i had a high belly reuben which was a pigment in your blood. based on that they said well you are out. >> at the time your little boy was into dinosaurs and rockettes. you were not into dinosaurs. >> when i didn't get into the mercury program i was interested in rockettes before the guys could spell. >> project mercury began in 1958 with the goal to put a huma...

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