John A. Powers | |
|---|---|
 1962 NASA portrait | |
| Birth name | John Anthony Powers |
| Nickname(s) | Shorty Powers |
| Born | August 22, 1922 Toledo, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | December 31, 1979 (aged 57) Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. |
| Buried | Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service |  U.S. Air Force |
| Rank |  Lieutenant colonel |
| Unit | 349th Troop Carrier Group (WWII) 13th Bombardment Squadron (Korean War) |
| Awards | Bronze Star Air Medal Distinguished Flying Cross |
| Other work | Project Mercury public affairs officer |
John Anthony Powers (August 22, 1922 – December 31, 1979), better known as Shorty Powers, was an American public affairs officer for NASA from 1959 to 1963 during Project Mercury. A U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel and war veteran, he was known as the "voice of the astronauts," the "voice of Mercury Control," and the "eighth astronaut". He received the nickname "Shorty" for his 5-foot, 6-inch (1.68 m) height. In the mid-1960s, he was a TV commercial spokesperson for Oldsmobile.