John Glenn During the Mercury-Atlas 6 Spaceflight | NASAJohn Glenn During the Mercury-Atlas 6 Spacef...

1. John Glenn During the Mercury-Atlas 6 Spaceflight
John Glenn During the Mercury-Atlas 6 Spaceflight | NASA
John Glenn During the Mercury-Atlas 6
Spaceflight
On Feb. 20, 1962, astronaut John H. Glenn, Jr., became the first American to orbit Earth. Launched
from Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 14, Glenn's Mercury-Atlas 6 "Friendship 7" spacecraft
completed a successful three-orbit mission, reaching a maximum altitude (apogee) of approximately
162 statute miles and an orbital velocity of approximately 17,500 miles per hour. The flight lasted a
total of 4 hours, 55 minutes, and 23 seconds before the spacecraft splashed down in the ocean. This
photograph of John Glenn during the Mercury-Atlas 6 spaceflight was taken by a camera onboard
the spacecraft.
Image Credit: NASA
Page Last Updated: February 20th, 2015
Page Editor: Sarah Loff
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