On February 20, 1962 astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. lifted off into space aboard his Mercury Atlas (MA-6) rocket and became the first American to orbit the Earth. After orbiting the Earth 3 times, Friendship 7 landed in the Atlantic Ocean 4 hours, 55 minutes and 23 seconds later, just East of Grand Turk Island in the Bahamas. A faulty signal indicating a problem with the heat shield forced NASA mission controllers to cut the flight to only three orbits. Glenn and his capsule were recovered by the Navy Destroyer Noa, 21 minutes after splashdown.
Astronaut John Glenn and technicians inspect artwork that will be painted on the outside of his Mercury spacecraft. Glenn nicknamed his capsule "Friendship 7."
Astronaut John Glenn gives ready sign during Mercury-Atlas 6 pre- launch training activities.
Astronaut John Glenn undergoes a simulated orbital flight as part of his training for Project Mercury in the Manned Spacecraft Center's procedure trainer at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia.
Astronaut John H. Glenn poses in front of the "Friendship 7" spacecraft with T.J. O'Malley, chief test conductor for General Dynamics (L); and Paul Donnelly (R).
In February 1962, Astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. looks into a globe, technically the "Celestial Training Device" at the Aeromedical Laboratory at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. in his silver Mercury spacesuit during pre- flight training activities at Cape Canaveral.
Project Mercury astronaut John H. Glenn, Jr. enters his Mercury Friendship 7 capsule before launch on February 20, 1962. At 9:47 a.m. (EST), his Atlas launch vehicle lifted him into orbit for his flight lasting 4 hours, 55 minutes and 23 seconds.
Launch of the Mercury spacecraft, Friendship 7, atop the Atlas LV-3B launch vehicle on February 20, 1962 from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
A camera aboard the "Friendship 7" spacecraft photographs Astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. during the Mercury-Atlas 6 spaceflight.
The Mercury-Atlas 6 spacecraft, Friendship 7, is retrieved from the Atlantic Ocean following astronaut John Glenn three-orbit space mission.
All in a Day's Work - Astronaut John Glenn relaxes aboard the USS Noa after being recovered from the Atlantic Ocean near Grand Turk Island, where his capsule landed at the end of his historic Mercury flight.
John Glenn, standing next to his Friendship 7 capsule in which he made his historic orbital flight, meets with President John F. Kennedy. Mrs. Glenn stands next to her husband. Earlier that day, President Kennedy presented the NASA Distinguished Service Award to Glenn.
In honor of the Original Seven, the Mercury astronauts who propelled America into Space:
AD ASTRA PER ASPERA
- A ROUGH ROAD LEADS TO THE STARS -
The seven original Mercury astronauts participate in U.S. Air Force survival school at Stead Air Force Base in Nevada. From L-R: L. Gordon Cooper, Jr., M. Scott Carpenter, John H. Glenn, Jr., Alan Shepard, Virgil I. Grissom, Walter M. Schirra, Jr., and Donald K. Slayton. The purpose of this training was to prepare astronauts in the event of an emergency or faulty landing in a remote area.
