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John Glenn During the Mercury-Atlas 6 Spaceflight

This photograph of John Glenn during his Mercury-Atlas 6 spaceflight was taken by a camera onboard the spacecraft.
On Feb. 20, 1962, John H. Glenn, Jr., became the first American to orbit Earth.

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