CLEVELAND — Local children are celebrating America’s 50 years in space.
John Glenn’s famous journey aboard NASA’s Friendship 7 spacecraft 50 years ago.
On Feb. 20, 1962, John Glenn embarked on a famous journey abroad NASA’s Friendship 7.
“He’s going, went up to the station, did some stuff, partied around, ate some stuff, came back home,” said 8-year-old Matt Levanduski from Bath. “He’s got some experience.”
Glenn’s 5-hour journey took him around the Earth’s orbit three times—a first in American history, said NASA astronaut and Ohio native Gregory H. Johnson.
Pioneers like Glenn, an Ohio native and former U.S. senator, have become an important part of the space industry, Johnson said.
“We’ve got the space station,” Johnson said. “We’ve got a constellation that allows our GPS’ to work. We’ve got cell phones. A lot of things in day-to-day life have benefits to our people due to the space program.”
In 1998, Glenn made headlines when he rejoined NASA at age 77 to become the oldest person ever to go into space.
Now at 90 years old, Glenn helps run the John Glenn School of Public Affairs at Ohio State University.