On this day in 1962, John H. Glenn, Jr., the oldest of seven astronauts selected by NASA for Project Mercury spaceflight training (and later a U.S. senator), became on this day in 1962 the first American to orbit Earth, doing so three times.
The Mercury program was the first American human spaceflight program, and it aimed to put a man in orbit around the Earth.
After several delays and setbacks, including the tragic death of one of the original seven astronauts, Gus Grissom, in a launchpad fire, John Glenn was selected to make the first orbital flight on February 20, 1962.
Glenn's Friendship 7 spacecraft was launched on an Atlas rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Glenn's flight was a historic achievement, making him the first American to orbit the Earth.
His mission lasted just under five hours, during which he completed three orbits around the Earth.
Glenn's spacecraft reached a maximum altitude of about 162 miles (261 km) and a top speed of about 17,500 miles per hour (28,000 km/h).
During his flight, Glenn encountered several technical problems, including a failure of the automatic control system that forced him to take manual control of the spacecraft.
He also experienced high levels of heat and g-forces during reentry, which caused the heat shield to light up and the radio blackout to last longer than expected.
Despite these challenges, Glenn landed safely in the Atlantic Ocean, where the USS Noa recovered him.
Glenn's successful orbital flight was a significant achievement for the United States in the Space Race and helped to restore American confidence in its technological capabilities.
It also paved the way for further human spaceflight missions, including the Gemini and Apollo programs, ultimately leading to the first human landing on the moon in 1969.
#ThisDayInHistory
February 20, 1962
Hey Fact Checkers:
Gus Grissom died in the Appolo 1 explosion. He was the second US astronaut to go into space after Alan Shepard being the first. John Glenn was the first American to orbit.