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Astronaut Walter Schirra Dies at 84

"Walter M. Schirra Jr., one of the original Mercury Seven astronauts and the only man to fly on NASA's Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs, died Thursday. He was 84."

Two of the Mercury Seven astronauts survive him: John Glenn and Scott Carpenter. Gus Grissom died young, in a training exercise. Gordo passed away a couple of years ago, aged 77, after a long struggle with Parkinson's. Alan Shepherd died of leukemia in 1998, at the age of 74. Deke Slayton died of a brain tumor in 1993, just shy of 70.

Glenn was the oldest of the original seven astronauts. He will turn 86 in July. Scott Carpenter celebrated his 82nd birthday Tuesday.

Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, was much younger than the Mercury Seven. Gagarin was only 27 when he became the first man to orbit the Earth, and was only 34 when he died in a routine training flight. TRIVIA: Gagarin was only 5'2"