6 Facts about Corvettes and Astronauts
1. The First American Astronaut in Space
Alan Shepard was the first American to travel into space. While he didn't orbit Earth during this successful 1961 mission that lasted 15 and a half minutes, he did fly 116 miles high and came back down in the Mercury. For his bravery, GM gave him a new 1962 Corvette upon his return. Although, it seems Shepard was a Corvette fan before GM thanked him, as he drove his 1957 Corvette to space training in 1959. In his lifetime, he owned at least 10 Corvettes.
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2. Dealership's Special Lease
With the exception of Shepard, GM didn't give astronauts a Corvette because they were not allowed to take gifts or endorsements. This brought the birth of the dollar astronaut lease. GM dealer Jim Rathmann (pictured above), a former Indy 500 winner, was responsible for this special lease. For a dollar a year, astronauts were able to lease a car of their choosing from Rathmann Chevrolet/Cadillac in Florida, which was near the Space Center. Six of the Mercury astronauts took the offer and got a Corvette. The dollar lease program ended in 1971.
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3. Neil Armstrong's Marina Blue Stingray
Neil Armstrong is well-known as the first person to walk on the moon in 1969 and for making the phrase, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," memorable. He is also another astronaut to own a Corvette. Armstrong owned the 1967 Marina Blue Stingray, which attracted a crowd in 2014 at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Joe Crosby now owns the coupe after buying it on eBay in 2012.
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4. Apollo 12 Crew
Apollo 12's mission in 1969 was to further lunar exploration. It landed 950 miles from where the Apollo 11 did. The crew behind the Apollo 12 was Charles Conrad, Richard "Dick" Gordon, and Alan Bean. These three are known in Corvette history for leasing identical Riverside Gold Stingrays with black wings on the sides. Also added was the red, white and blue logo with the initials of each crew member's position in the blue area: CDR for Conrad, CMP for Gordon, and LMP for Bean.
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5. Apollo 15 Crew
Apollo 15's lunar mission was the first to use a rover. This gave the crew members a chance to better explore the moon by reaching farther. As epic as the first rover is, no one can forget LIFE's image of James Irwin, Alfred Worden and David Scott posing with their red, white and blue Corvettes with the Lunar Rover in 1971. Each car had two racing stripes to make up the American flag's colors.
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6. 50 Years of Corvettes and Astronauts
2011 commemorated 50 years of Corvettes and astronauts, ever since Shepard was given the keys to the '62 Corvette in May of 1961. Because of that, a parade was hosted at Cocoa Beach, Florida on May 7, 2011. Surviving astronauts gathered and drove Corvettes that represented six generations of designs since its debut in 1953.
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