Project Mercury also excluded civilian NASA X-15 pilot Neil Armstrong, though he had been selected by the US Air Force in 1958 for its Man In Space Soonest program, which was replaced by Mercury. Although Armstrong had been a combat-experienced NAP during the Korean War, he left active duty in 1952. Armstrong became NASA's first civilian astronaut in 1962 when he was selected for NASA's second group, and became the first man on the Moon in 1969. It was further stipulated that candidates should be between 25 and 40 years old, no taller than , and hold a college degree in a
RV Neil Armstrong (AGOR-27) well as accommodations for twenty-four scientists. The ship is powered by a multi-drive low-voltage diesel electric propulsion system for efficiency and lower maintenance and fuel costs. Both "Neil Armstrong"-class ships have state of the art oceanographic equipment allowing deep ocean mapping and information technology for ship monitoring and worldwide land-based communication. "Neil Armstrong" has more than 130 square meters of adjustable lab space, supplied by a reverse osmosis desalination system. RV Neil Armstrong (AGOR-27) RV "Neil Armstrong" (AGOR-27) is the designation for a new oceanographic research ship, first of the s, to be owned by the United States Navy and