Astronaut John Glenn - Zonein - Zanity's Space information files.

John Glenn

Fast Facts:

he was born on the 18th of July , 1921 in Cambridge, Ohio, USA
he has a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering (Muskingum College)
he has an honorary Doctor of Science degree in engineering (Muskingum College)
he has received honorary doctoral degrees from nine colleges or universities.
for his service during World War II and Korea he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross(six times), and the Air Medal with 18 Clusters.
he has the Navy Unit Commendation for service in Korea, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the China Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation, the Navy's Astronaut Wings, the Marine Corps' Astronaut Medal, the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, and the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.
he set a transcontinental speed record from Los Angeles to New York, spanning the country in 3 hours and 23 minutes in July 1957.
he was assigned to the NASA in April 1959 as a Project Mercury Astronaut.
on the 20th of February 1962 he flew on "Friendship 7" Mercury 6. He was the first US astronaut in Space
he resigned from NASA on the 16th of January , 1964.
he retired from the U.S. Senate in January 1999.
On February 20, 1962, Glenn piloted the Mercury-Atlas 6 "" spacecraft on the first manned orbital mission of the United States. Launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, he completed a successful three-orbit mission around the earth, reaching a maximum altitude (apogee) of approximately 162 statute miles and an orbital velocity of approximately 17,500 miles per hour. Glenn's "Friendship 7" Mercury spacecraft landed approximately 800 miles southeast of KSC in the vicinity of Grand Turk Island. Mission duration from launch to impact was 4 hours, 55 minutes, and 23 seconds.
from October 29 to November 7, 1998 he went on a 9 day mission on STS-95 Discovery.

The Bast Off

John Glenn in 1998.