On this day in 1962 John H. Glenn of the USMC became the first American to orbit the earth. He rode an Atlas LV-3B into orbit (a modified Atlas ICBM), went around the Earth three times; had some false indications about his heatshield/landing bag which were expertly handled and then reentered being picked up by a US Destroyer, USS Noa. the history is pretty well known I would just note three things.
First I can well remember watching this on the TV...I've since met now Senator Glenn and he is a pleasant fellow (I had the honor of flying him some in the vomet comet when he got his second flight). He was kind enough to sign some stamps commemorating his flight...My Grandmother bought me an entire sheet of the 4 cent stamps and I've picked up a few since. Second I have seen both the capsule (Friendship 7) and the one known piece(s) of the Atlas rocket that remains. The fragments are today on display in the Science Museum in Pretoria. Serial numbers are clearly visible as is a nice letter from JHG. Also I have been to "Kano Control" in Nigeria which is the site of where the NASA tracking station was. Today it is a "center" in the Nigerian air traffic control system.
It has taken a long time but we are as a nation on the verge of a real space Odyssey. Probably SpaceX but at least two other private companies are on the verge of developing a private human rated spacecraft.
the picture is a computer generated one of what Friendship 7 would have looked like on orbit. I've had the opportunity to look closely at the Mercury which would have been MA_10 and was offered a chance to sit in it. I declined...unlike Col. Glenn...it would have been a really tight fit.
AOK. RGO
First I can well remember watching this on the TV...I've since met now Senator Glenn and he is a pleasant fellow (I had the honor of flying him some in the vomet comet when he got his second flight). He was kind enough to sign some stamps commemorating his flight...My Grandmother bought me an entire sheet of the 4 cent stamps and I've picked up a few since. Second I have seen both the capsule (Friendship 7) and the one known piece(s) of the Atlas rocket that remains. The fragments are today on display in the Science Museum in Pretoria. Serial numbers are clearly visible as is a nice letter from JHG. Also I have been to "Kano Control" in Nigeria which is the site of where the NASA tracking station was. Today it is a "center" in the Nigerian air traffic control system.
It has taken a long time but we are as a nation on the verge of a real space Odyssey. Probably SpaceX but at least two other private companies are on the verge of developing a private human rated spacecraft.
the picture is a computer generated one of what Friendship 7 would have looked like on orbit. I've had the opportunity to look closely at the Mercury which would have been MA_10 and was offered a chance to sit in it. I declined...unlike Col. Glenn...it would have been a really tight fit.
AOK. RGO