NASA Astronaut Group 3 NASA Astronaut Group 3 Astronaut Group 3 was a group of fourteen astronauts selected by NASA. Their selection was announced in October 1963. Four died in training accidents before they could fly in space. All of the surviving ten flew in the Apollo program; five also flew Gemini missions. Aldrin, Bean, Cernan and Scott walked on the Moon. They are the only ones of the first 19 NASA astronaut groups to have no members at all fly on the Space Shuttle. Group 3 was the first to waive the requirement of a test pilot background, though military jet fighter aircraft
Buzz Aldrin were two crashes at Edwards, of an A-7 Corsair II and a T-33. No lives were lost, but the aircraft were destroyed, and their loss was attributed to insufficient supervision, which placed the blame on Aldrin. In February 1972, General George S. Brown paid a visit to Edwards and informed Aldrin that the school was being renamed the USAF Test Pilot School, and the astronaut training was being dropped. With the Apollo Program winding down, and Air Force budgets being cut, the Air Force's interest in space diminished. Aldrin elected to retire on March 1, 1972, after 21 years of