Into Orbit—Answer

1. John Glenn
2. Friendship 7
3. 3 orbits

On February 20, 1962, John Glenn, aboard Friendship 7, made history as the first American to orbit the Earth. This achievement was a significant milestone for NASA, following the successes of the Soviet space program.

John H. Glenn, Jr., the eldest of the Mercury Seven—the seven astronauts chosen by NASA for Project Mercury spaceflight training—completed three orbits of the Earth, landing safely in the Atlantic Ocean. His flight lasted 4 hours and 56 minutes.

In 1959, NASA had selected Glenn and six other military test pilots as the nation’s first astronauts, and the Friendship 7 flight made Glenn the third American and the fifth person to venture into space.

Even at the remarkable age of 77 in 1998, Glenn continued to inspire generations by becoming the oldest human to travel in space. His unwavering dedication and remarkable achievements were a testament to his enduring legacy.

The following comment is attributed to John Glenn…

I guess the question I’m asked the most often is: “When you were sitting in that capsule listening to the count-down, how did you feel?” Well, the answer to that one is easy. I felt exactly how you would feel if you were getting ready to launch and knew you were sitting on top of two million parts — all built by the lowest bidder on a government contract.