John Glenn honoured as 'extraordinary patriot', 50 years after space orbit
Astronaut and senator from Ohio became first American to orbit the earth on 20 February 1962, leading the US into spaceJohn Glenn plans to mark the 50th anniversary of his historic spaceflight with a series of events Monday at Ohio State University, including a celebratory dinner and a chat with the International Space Station.The astronaut and senator from Ohio became the first American to orbit the earth on 20 February 1962, circling it three times in five hours and helping to lead the nation into space. The trip helped the United States catch up to the Soviet Union's accomplishments, and Glenn said he thinks it was a turning point for the national psyche."It's amazing to me to look back and think that it's been 50 years," Glenn told the Associated Press last month.He and Nasa administrator Charles Bolden were expected to speak with the space station on Monday to kick...
Read the whole article on The Guardian - Science
More from The Guardian - Science
Related
- Nanotech in space: Rensselaer experiment to weather the trials of orbitThu, 12 Nov 2009, 20:46:10 EST
- ORMatE returns to NRL after nearly 2 years in Earth orbitWed, 30 Sep 2009, 10:10:47 EDT
- Iowa State chemists help astronauts make sure their drinking water is cleanWed, 14 Sep 2011, 18:35:17 EDT
- Safe and efficient de-orbit of space junk without making the problem worseMon, 2 Aug 2010, 14:43:15 EDT
- Record boost for ATV to raise ISS orbitFri, 20 Jun 2008, 10:07:53 EDT