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", a nickname he received for his 5-foot, 6-inch (1.68 m) height. In the mid-1960s, he was a TV commercial spokesperson for Oldsmobile.