Molded astronaut couches line the NASA Langley Research Centers model shop wall. The names of the test subjects--Langley employees--are written on the back. The couches are similar to those made for each astronaut and fitted into the Mercury capsules for manned spaceflight. Training of the original seven astronauts took place at Langley, and many of the Centers employees were called upon to work on the effort. By 1959, more than 400 individuals were working toward one goal: manned spaceflight.
