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
James Armstrong Richardson James Armstrong Richardson James Armstrong Richardson, (March 28, 1922 – May 17, 2004) was a Canadian Cabinet minister under Pierre Trudeau and a Winnipeg businessman. Richardson was born on March 28, 1922 in Winnipeg, Manitoba to James Armstrong Richardson, Sr. and Muriel (née) Sprague. He attended St. John's-Ravenscourt School. He attended Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, and earned a B.A. in Political Science and Economics. After university, he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force. He served as an anti-submarine pilot based in Iceland and Labrador during World War II. He finished his war service with the rank of pilot