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) constructed by Dakota Creek Industries of Anacortes, Washington and scheduled for completion in 2014 for entry into service in 2015. It was launched on 29 March 2014, christened by Carol Armstrong, passed sea trials 7 August 2015 and delivered to the Navy on 23 September 2015. A sister ship, , was launched 9 August 2014 to be operated by Scripps Institution of Oceanography under a renewable charter-party agreement. "Neil Armstrong" is a commercially designed mono hull research vessel, capable of coastal and deep ocean operations, and equipped with cranes and winches for over-the-side loading of research equipment and supplies, as