Astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. dons his silver Mercury pressure suit in preparation for launch. On Feb. 20, 1962, Glenn 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.
Astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. dons his silver Mercury pressure suit in preparation for launch. On Feb. 20, 1962, Glenn 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. Glenn and his capsule were recovered by the Navy Destroyer Noa, 21 minutes after splashdown.
Image # : S64-36910
Image Credit: NASA