Mercury Seven summon the last group. The tests included spending hours on treadmills and tilt tables, submerging their feet in ice water, three doses of castor oil, and five enemas. Six candidates were rejected as too tall for the planned spacecraft. Another 33 failed or dropped out during the first phase of exams. Four more refused to take part in the second round of tests, which eliminated eight more candidates, leaving 18. From the 18, the first seven NASA astronauts were chosen, each a "superb physical specimen" with an IQ above 130, and the ability to function well both as part of
Bunch of Seven The name was invented by Terri Neal as a take-off on the Group of Seven, a group of well-known Canadian artists. Bunch of Seven The Bunch of Seven was a group of science fiction and fantasy writers who met regularly in Toronto from March 28, 1985 until the early 90s to mutually critique manuscripts with the intention of helping each other turn professional—a goal in which several members succeeded. The group's founders were Tanya Huff, S. M. Stirling, Karen Wehrstein, Shirley Meier, Louise Hypher, Terri Neal and Lloyd Penney. Later members included Julie Czerneda, Fiona Patton, Marian Hughes, Stephanie Rendino