As a child, Gus Grissom didn't know what he wanted to do with his life.

He was too short to play sports and didn't think he was very smart.

So with limited options, he enlisted in the military after high school. There, he saw hope for his future career, but knew he needed more education if he wanted to be able to fly planes instead of sitting at a desk.

So he enrolled in Purdue University to study mechanical engineering. He then reenlisted in the Air Force to follow what became his dream, flying planes.

This time, he excelled, flying over 100 missions during the Korean War. After the war, he became a military test pilot, content that he had achieved his dream.

Then one day, he received a mysterious message that would change his life forever.

He followed the instructions in it and reported to Washington DC on the chosen date.

Here, he discovered he had been chosen as part of an elite group of military test pilots that were being considered for Project Mercury, the first American mission into space.

Even though he didn't feel like he performed well in tests, he was chosen as one of the Mercury Seven, the first Americans to travel into space.

So, he began training for space travel with the other astronauts.

They performed flight tests, survival skills training, engineering work, and attended public relations events.

This prepared Gus to fly his Project Mercury Mission, Liberty Bell 7.

This was the second manned mission as part of the project, with the goal of replicating Alan Shepard's, the first American into space, suborbital flight.

He flew in an improved capsule, with a larger window for viewing space and an explosively actuated hatch that allowed quicker exit once he splashed down in the Atlantic.