Scott Carpenter, second American astronaut to orbit Earth, dies at 88

america.aljazeera.com...

Carpenter, who explored the heights of space and the depths of the ocean, died of a stroke Thursday

Along with John Glenn, who flew three months before him, Carpenter was one of the last two surviving original Mercury 7 astronauts for the fledgling U.S. space program

"You're looking out at a totally black sky, seeing an altimeter reading of 90,000 feet and realize you are going straight up," Carpenter said 49 years later in a joint lecture with Glenn at the Smithsonian Institution. "And the thought crossed my mind: What am I doing?"

His four hours, 39 minutes and 32 seconds of weightlessness were "the nicest thing that ever happened to me," he told the NASA historian. "The zero-g sensation and the visual sensation of spaceflight are transcending experiences, and I wish everybody could have them."

Inspired by Jacques Cousteau, Carpenter worked with the Navy to bring some of NASA's training and technology to the seafloor. A broken arm kept him out of the first SeaLab, but he made the second in 1965. The 57-by-12-foot habitat was lowered to a depth of 205 feet off San Diego. A bottlenose dolphin named Tuffy ferried supplies from the surface to the aquanauts below

RIP Scott Carpenter, one of the Mercury 7 astronauts who lead the way; Salute

Already posted, Jim Oberg beat you to the punch.

rest in peace to a true american hero, scott carpenter. deke, gus, gordon, wally, and alan are waiting to open the hatch for you on your final mission.

god speed to him and comfort to his family!