text: Mercury astronaut Walter Schirra dies, aged 84
  
  May 4, 2007 
  
  Schirra, who is best known for flying the Mercury-Atlas 8 mission, launched on October 3, 1963, is believed to have died of natural causes on May 3, 2007. 
  "With the passing of Wally Schirra, we at NASA note with sorrow the loss of yet another of the pioneers of human spaceflight. As a Mercury astronaut, Wally was of a member of the first group of astronauts to be selected, often referred to as the Original Seven," said NASA Administrator Michael Griffin in a statement posted on NASA's website. 
  Schirra also flew on the mission, which was involved, along with Gemini 7, in the first rendezvous in orbit between two manned spacecraft. His third and final mission was the first manned Apollo flight, Apollo 7, during which he and two other astronauts tested the Apollo spacecraft in low Earth orbit, ahead of later lunar flights.
tokens: Mercury astronaut Walter Schirra dies , aged 84 May 4 , 2007 Schirra , who is best known for flying the Mercury - Atlas 8 mission , launched on October 3 , 1963 , is believed to have died of natural causes on May 3 , 2007 . " With the passing of Wally Schirra , we at NASA note with sorrow the loss of yet another of the pioneers of human spaceflight . As a Mercury astronaut , Wally was of a member of the first group of astronauts to be selected , often referred to as the Original Seven , " said NASA Administrator Michael Griffin in a statement posted on NASA 's website . Schirra also flew on the mission , which was involved , along with Gemini 7 , in the first rendezvous in orbit between two manned spacecraft . His third and final mission was the first manned Apollo flight , Apollo 7 , during which he and two other astronauts tested the Apollo spacecraft in low Earth orbit , ahead of later lunar flights .
nps.text: Mercury astronaut Walter Schirra
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nps.text: May 4, 2007
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nps.text: Schirra
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nps.text: the Mercury-Atlas 8 mission
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nps.text: October 3, 1963
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nps.text: natural causes
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nps.text: May 3, 2007
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nps.text: the passing
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nps.text: Wally Schirra
nps.id: np8
nps.text: we
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nps.text: NASA
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nps.text: sorrow
nps.id: np11
nps.text: the loss
nps.id: np12
nps.text: the pioneers
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nps.text: human spaceflight
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nps.text: a Mercury astronaut
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nps.text: a member
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nps.text: the first group
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nps.text: astronauts
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nps.text: the Original Seven
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nps.text: NASA Administrator Michael Griffin
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nps.text: a statement
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nps.text: NASA's website
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nps.text: Schirra
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nps.text: the mission
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nps.text: Gemini 7
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nps.text: the first rendezvous
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nps.text: orbit
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nps.text: manned spacecraft
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nps.text: His third and final mission
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nps.text: the first manned Apollo flight
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nps.text: Apollo
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nps.text: which he
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nps.text: two other astronauts
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nps.text: the Apollo spacecraft
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nps.text: low Earth orbit
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nps.text: later lunar flights
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nps.text: Apollo 7
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