John Glenn became the fifth person in space, the third American in space and the first American to orbit the Earth, aboard Friendship 7 on February 20, 1962, circling the globe three times during a flight lasting 4 hours, 55 minutes, and 23 seconds. He did it again in 1998.
In his honor, we look up at the sky with wonder.
Over the next 50 years, thousands of people will travel to Earth orbit — and then, to the Moon and beyond. Space travel — and space tourism — will one day become almost as commonplace as flying to exotic destinations on our own planet. – Arthur C. Clarke
(Photo of a return vessel from the NASA space program, housed at the McMinnville Air & Space Museum.)
