Deke Slayton
Grounded by a heart condition, he steered America's astronauts from the ground, finally reaching space himself on a historic handshake mission.
1924–1993 (age 69)·American astronaut·Birthday: March 1·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Deke Slayton was the ultimate insider's astronaut, a man who shaped spaceflight history from a desk after being barred from flying. Selected as one of the Mercury Seven, a heart condition discovered in 1962 grounded him, a devastating blow for a crack test pilot. Instead of leaving, he channeled his expertise into NASA's crew operations, becoming the powerful 'Chief of the Astronauts.' For over a decade, Slayton held the keys to the cosmos for every American astronaut, making the final, often ruthless, selections for who would fly. His decisions wove the narrative of the Gemini and Apollo programs. In a story of relentless perseverance, he finally had his own medical clearance reinstated. In 1975, he flew as the docking module pilot on the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, the first international space mission, where he famously shook hands with a Soviet cosmonaut in orbit.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Deke was born in 1924, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Deke Was Born
The biggest hits of 1924
#1 Movie
The Sea Hawk
Deke's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1924Born
First Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France
President: Calvin Coolidge"It Had to Be You" — Isham Jones
1929Started school
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1937Became a teenager
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1940Could drive
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1942Could vote
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1945Turned 21
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1954Turned 30
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1964Turned 40
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1974Turned 50
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1984Turned 60
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1993Died at 69
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
Key Achievements
- Selected as one of the original NASA astronaut group, the 'Mercury Seven,' in 1959.
- Served as NASA's first Chief of the Astronaut Office and later Director of Flight Crew Operations, personally choosing the crews for every Gemini and Apollo mission through the first Space Shuttle flight.
- After being medically grounded for over a decade, he finally flew in space as the docking module pilot on the 1975 Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, the first joint U.S.-Soviet space mission.
- Was responsible for creating and implementing the astronaut selection and crew assignment system that NASA used for decades.
- Awarded the NASA Distinguished Service Medal for his leadership in crew selection and flight operations.
Did You Know?
Before becoming an astronaut, he flew 56 combat missions as a B-25 pilot in World War II over Europe and 7 missions over Japan in the Pacific theater.
He was the only member of the Mercury Seven to fly on the Saturn IB rocket, during the Apollo-Soyuz mission.
He named his son 'Kensley' after his own middle name, Kent (Donald Kent Slayton).
After retiring from NASA, he worked on the development of private space launch vehicles, including the Conestoga rocket.
His autobiography was aptly titled 'Deke! U.S. Manned Space: From Mercury to the Shuttle.'
“I spent sixteen years waiting for a flight, and I would have waited sixteen more if I had to. It was worth it.”
