The Soviet Union reached space first with Sputnik in October 1957. Nine months later, NASA was formed, and in December 1958 it announced Project Mercury, the program that would place the first American in orbit. More than 500 candidates tried to become the new astronauts, forcing NASA to develop a complex selection process that went beyond physical endurance. Some of the intelligence tests the astronauts passed have now been published online. Would you like to try them?
Initially, NASA considered opening the selection to the general public, but quickly dropped the idea and limited it to test pilots. President Eisenhower even "suggested" an extra filter: candidates had to be men in active service (USN, USMC, or USAF). Other requirements included an age between 25 and 40, a height under 1.80 meters, and a compatible STEM university degree—though the latter was ignored in at least one case, like John Glenn.
Of the 508 original applicants, the authorities selected 110, and after a series of interviews that number dropped to 32. At that point, the physical and mental "torture" began: from vibrations and G-forces to answering more than 500 questions.
The Intelligence Tests
The following images show a selection of the many intelligence tests the astronauts had to overcome, divided into spatial visualization, mechanical comprehension, progressive matrices, interpretation of hidden shapes, and finding analogies/equivalences.
Of course, we have the advantage of comfort and calm, while the astronauts had to find answers in isolated environments, with extreme cold and heat. NASA needed men capable of solving problems, staying calm in crises, and improvising if the situation demanded it. Think you can do the same? The questions have no time limits—so don't rush.
Source: Popular Science
