The Right Stuff is based on abook by Tom Wolfe. They recount the story of the first seven astronauts selected for the NASA space program, based on interviews and research by the author. The story contrasts the "Mercury Seven" and their families with Chuck Yeager, who was considered by many test pilots to be the best of them all, but who was never selected as an astronaut. The Mercury Seven were Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Gus Grissom, Wally Schirra, Alan Shepard, and Deke Slayton.