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Catalog Data

Astronaut:
John H. Glenn, Jr.  Search this
Manufacturer:
McDonnell Aircraft Corp.  Search this
Materials:
Skin & Structure: Titanium
Heat shield: Phenolic resin, fiberglass
Shingles: Nickel-steel alloy; beryllium shingles removed
Dimensions:
Overall: 190.5 × 226.1cm, 875.4kg (6 ft. 3 in. × 7 ft. 5 in., 1930lb.)
Type:
SPACECRAFT-Crewed
Country of Origin:
United States of America
Summary:
In this historic capsule, John H. Glenn Jr. became the first American to orbit the Earth. Glenn's flight was the third manned mission of Project Mercury, following two suborbital flights by astronauts in 1961. Glenn's three-orbit mission on February 20, 1962, was a sterling success, as he overcame problems with the automatic control system that would have ended an unmanned flight. But reentry was tense, as a faulty telemetry signal from the spacecraft indicated that the heat shield might be loose. Mission Control instructed Glenn not to jettison the retrorocket package after firing in order to better hold the heat shield in place. Glenn reentered successfully and splashed down in the Atlantic 4 hours, 55 minutes and 23 seconds after launch.
NASA transferred Friendship 7 to the Smithsonian Institution in 1963, which has exhibited it in buildings on the National Mall ever since.
Alternate Name:
Mercury <i>Friendship 7</i>
Key Accomplishment(s):
Carried First American into Orbit
Impact or Innovation:
By orbiting the Earth, John Glenn showed that the United States could compete with the Soviet Union in the Cold War space race.
Brief Description:
On February 20, 1962, NASA astronaut John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth in this spacecraft which he named Friendship 7. Glenn returned to a hero's welcome, having completed three orbits and matching the Soviet Union's achievements.
Credit Line:
Transferred from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Inventory Number:
A19670176000
Restrictions & Rights:
CC0
See more items in:
National Air and Space Museum Collection
Location:
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA
Exhibit Station:
Human Spaceflight
Data Source:
National Air and Space Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv97a782c5e-5640-4e03-bc50-881fc0b5262a
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nasm_A19670176000