On 20 February 1962, NASA’s astronaut John Glenn became the first American to orbit Earth, aboard the Friendship 7 spacecraft. This week, NASA celebrates the 50th anniversary of its first manned orbital spaceflight, by launching a special webpage, 50 Years of Space, which can be found at the following URL.
http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/glenn50/
Friendship 7 launched into space on an Atlas LV-3B rocket, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Glenn orbited Earth three times, lasting approximately five hours, then Friendship 7 re-entered the atmosphere, and splashed in the Atlantic Ocean, where Glenn was recovered safely by a warship.
In October 1998, after serving for 24 years as senator, Glenn flew again into orbit, on NASA’s Space Shuttle Discovery. At age 77, Glenn became the oldest person to travel in space. His nine-day mission aimed at providing information on the effects of spaceflight and weightlessness on the elderly.
References
NASA
www.nasa.gov/
Wikipedia
Aymen Mohamed Ibrahem
Senior Astronomy Specialist