Chapter 9, "The Vote" Summary

As the future of the Mercury program hangs in the balance, the astronauts put competition aside and work to get the program launched. Rank counts for nothing and a spirit of camaraderie takes over. Nevertheless, Glenn senses something odd when the astronauts are asked to take a peer vote on the question "If you can't make the first flight yourself, which man do you think should make it?." Sure enough, the day before Kennedy's inauguration, the astronauts are told that the first flight will be made by Alan Shepard with John Glenn and Gus Grissom as backup pilots. Glenn is stunned. He is convinced the brass, instead of assigning the flight on merit, have used the peer vote to avoid the agony of choosing a man to be put in this dangerous position. This means that that...