# Why weren't the Mercury astronauts more prominent in the moon missions?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-werent-the-mercury-astronauts-more-prominent-in-the-moon-missions/613755>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 23, 2012, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-werent-the-mercury-astronauts-more-prominent-in-the-moon-missions/613755 "2012-02-23T18:22:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 3

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-werent-the-mercury-astronauts-more-prominent-in-the-moon-missions/613755/41 "2013-10-16T14:25:58Z")

</div>

> [@AK84](#):
>
> Did the concept of mission specialist come with the Shuttle programme or existed earlier.
> 
> The Sovs had engineers and doctors but no mission specialists and that I think is still the case.

I think the position of Lunar Module Pilot was pretty much a Mission Specialist position.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-werent-the-mercury-astronauts-more-prominent-in-the-moon-missions/613755.md?page=2)