Editing John Glenn (section)

=== ''Friendship 7'' flight ===
{{Main|Mercury-Atlas 6}}
[[File:Friendship 7 (big).jpg|thumb|right|Glenn entering his spacecraft, ''Friendship&nbsp;7'', prior to the launch of Mercury-Atlas 6 on February 20, 1962]]
Glenn was the backup pilot for Shepard and Grissom on the first two crewed Project Mercury flights, the sub-orbital missions [[Mercury-Redstone 3]] and [[Mercury-Redstone 4]].<ref name="nasajsc" /> Glenn was selected for Mercury-Atlas 6, NASA's first crewed orbital flight, with Carpenter as his backup. Putting a man in orbit would achieve one of Project Mercury's most important goals.{{sfn|Swenson|Grimwood|Alexander|1966|p=407}} Shepard and Grissom had named their spacecraft ''Freedom 7'' and ''Liberty Bell 7''. The numeral&nbsp;7 had originally been the production number of Shepard's spacecraft, but had come to represent the Mercury 7. Glenn named his spacecraft, number 13, ''Friendship 7'', and had the name hand-painted on the side like the one on his F-86 had been.{{sfn|Burgess|2015|pp=76–79}} Glenn and Carpenter completed their training for the mission in January 1962, but postponement of the launch allowed them to continue rehearsing. Glenn spent 25 hours and 25 minutes in the spacecraft performing hangar and altitude tests, and 59 hours and 45 minutes in the simulator. He flew 70 simulated missions and reacted to 189 simulated system failures.{{sfn|Swenson|Grimwood|Alexander|1966|p=418}}

After a long series of delays,{{sfn|Burgess|2015|pp=80–86}} ''Friendship 7'' lifted off from [[Cape Canaveral Air Force Station]] on February 20, 1962. During the countdown, there were eleven delays due to equipment malfunctions and improvements and the weather. During Glenn's first orbit, a failure of the automatic-control system was detected. This forced Glenn to operate in manual mode for the second and third orbits, and for re-entry. Later in the flight, telemetry indicated that the [[ablative heat shield|heat shield]] had loosened. If this reading had been accurate, Glenn and his spacecraft would have burned up on re-entry. After a lengthy discussion on how to deal with this problem, ground controllers decided that leaving the retrorocket pack in place might help keep the loose heat shield in place. They relayed these instructions to Glenn, but did not tell him the heat shield was possibly loose; although confused at this order, he complied. The retrorocket pack broke up into large chunks of flaming debris that flew past the window of his capsule during re-entry; Glenn thought this might have been the heat shield. He told an interviewer, "Fortunately it was the rocket pack—or I wouldn't be answering these questions."<ref name="nasaambass" /> After the flight, it was determined that the heat shield was not loose; the sensor was faulty due to an improperly rigged switch.{{sfn|Burgess|2015|p=141}}

[[File:Astronaut John Glenn being Honored - GPN-2000-000607.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Dignitaries on an outdoor stage in front of a building with NASA Manned Spacecraft Center on the side|Glenn being honored by U.S. President [[John F. Kennedy|Kennedy]] at temporary [[Manned Spacecraft Center]] facilities at [[Cape Canaveral, Florida]], three days after his flight]]
''Friendship 7'' safely [[Splashdown|splashed down]] {{convert|800|mi|-1}} southeast of Cape Canaveral after Glenn's 4-hour, 55-minute flight.<ref name="nasahistory" />{{efn|The spacecraft landed {{convert|41|mi}} west and {{convert|19|mi}} north of the target landing site. ''Friendship 7'' was recovered by the {{USS|Noa|DD-841|6}}, which had the spacecraft on the deck 21 minutes after landing; Glenn was in the capsule during the recovery operation.<ref name="nasahistory" />}} He carried a note on the flight which read, "I am a stranger. I come in peace. Take me to your leader and there will be a massive reward for you in eternity" in several languages, in case he landed near southern Pacific Ocean islands.<ref name="nmspacemuseum" /> The original procedure called for Glenn to exit through the top hatch, but he was uncomfortably warm and decided that egress through the side hatch would be faster.<ref name="nasahistory" /><ref name="nmspacemuseum" /> During the flight, he endured up to 7.8 g of acceleration and traveled {{convert|75679|mi}}<!-- statute miles--> at about {{convert|17500|mph}}.<ref name="nasahistory" /> The flight took Glenn to a maximum altitude (apogee) of about {{convert|162|mi}} and a minimum altitude (perigee) of {{convert|100|mi}} .<ref name="nmspacemuseum">{{cite web|url=http://www.nmspacemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.php?id=38|title=John H. Glenn Jr|publisher=New Mexico Museum of Space History|access-date=December 10, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161211000243/http://www.nmspacemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.php?id=38|archive-date=December 11, 2016}}</ref> Unlike the crewed missions of [[Soviet Union]]'s [[Vostok programme]], Glenn remained within the spacecraft during landing.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ad Astra: The past, present, and future of spacecraft |url=https://interestingengineering.com/ad-astra-the-past-present-and-future-of-spacecraft |website=Interesting Engineering |date=April 28, 2022 |access-date=July 23, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title='That was a real fireball': What happened when John Glenn orbited the Earth in 1962 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/12/08/that-was-a-real-fireball-what-happened-when-john-glenn-orbited-the-earth-in-1962/ |newspaper=Washington Post |access-date=July 23, 2022}}</ref> The flight made Glenn the first American to [[orbit]] the Earth,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/about/bios/mercury_mission.html|title=Glenn Orbits the Earth|publisher=NASA|access-date=June 10, 2008|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080420040936/http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/about/bios/mercury_mission.html|archive-date=April 20, 2008|date=February 16, 2012}}</ref> the third American in space, and the fifth human in space.<ref name="nmspacemuseum1">{{cite web|url=http://www.nmspacemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.php?id=38|title=International Space Hall of Fame :: Inductee Profile|publisher=New Mexico Museum of Space History|access-date=April 24, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129203448/http://www.nmspacemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.php?id=38|archive-date=November 29, 2014}}</ref>{{efn|[[Perth]], Western Australia, became known worldwide as the "City of Light"<ref>{{cite web |url=http://museum.wa.gov.au/city-lights |title=City of light – 50 years in Space |publisher=Western Australian Museum |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161201033900/http://museum.wa.gov.au/city-lights |archive-date=December 1, 2016 }}</ref> when residents turned on their house, car and streetlights as Glenn passed overhead.<ref>{{cite AV media|year=1970|title=Perth&nbsp;– a city of light|location= Perth, W.A.|publisher= Brian Williams Productions for the Government of WA|type=Video recording}} The social and recreational life of Perth. Begins with a 'mock-up' of the lights of Perth as seen by astronaut John Glenn in February 1962.</ref><ref>{{cite Australian Dictionary of Biography| last=Gregory |first=Jenny |id=AS10234b |title=Sir Henry Rudolph (Harry) Howard |access-date=August 30, 2013|year=2005}}</ref> The city repeated the act when Glenn rode the [[Space Shuttle]] in 1998.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/tv/canwehelp/txt/s2160601.htm|title=Moment in Time&nbsp;– Episode 1|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=February 15, 2008|access-date=July 14, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080821085131/http://www.abc.net.au/tv/canwehelp/txt/s2160601.htm|archive-date=August 21, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/the-moment-perth-became-the-city-of-lights-20120217-1te0z.html |title=The moment Perth became the 'City of Lights' |first=Rhianna |last=King |newspaper=WA Today |date=February 12, 2012 |location=Perth, WA |access-date=June 15, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161025073146/http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/the-moment-perth-became-the-city-of-lights-20120217-1te0z.html |archive-date=October 25, 2016 }}</ref>}} The mission, which Glenn called the "best day of his life", renewed U.S. confidence.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CrkUepjKOY | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211030/3CrkUepjKOY| archive-date=October 30, 2021|title= John Glenn Celebrates Orbiting the Earth|publisher=ABC News|date=February 20, 2012|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> His flight occurred while the U.S. and the Soviet Union were embroiled in the [[Cold War]] and competing in the Space Race.<ref name=Atlantic>{{cite magazine|last=Koren|first=Marina|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/12/john-glenn-astronaut-obituary/510068/|title=Remembering John Glenn|magazine=The Atlantic|date=December 8, 2016|access-date=March 27, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305062226/https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/12/john-glenn-astronaut-obituary/510068/|archive-date=March 5, 2017}}</ref>
[[File:Friendship 7 National Air and Space Museum 2018.tif|thumb|''Friendship 7'' is currently displayed at the [[National Air and Space Museum]].]]
As the first American in orbit, Glenn became a national hero, met President [[John F. Kennedy]], and received a [[ticker-tape parade]] in New York reminiscent of those honoring [[Charles Lindbergh]] and other heroes. He became "so valuable to the nation as an iconic figure", according to NASA administrator [[Charles Bolden]], that Kennedy would not "risk putting him back in space again."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cj6EkDzO1aA;t=3m31s | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211030/cj6EkDzO1aA| archive-date=October 30, 2021|title=NASA Remembers American Legend John Glenn|publisher=NASA|date=December 8, 2016|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Glenn's fame and political potential were noted by the Kennedys, and he became a friend of the [[Kennedy family]]. On February 23, 1962, President Kennedy gave him the [[NASA Distinguished Service Medal]] for his ''Friendship 7'' flight.<ref name=CBS /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/president-john-f-kennedy-pins-nasa-distinguished-service-medal-on-john-glenn|title=President John F. Kennedy Pins NASA Distinguished Service Medal on John Glenn|publisher=NASA|access-date=July 30, 2018 |date=May 13, 2015}}</ref> Upon receiving the award, Glenn said, "I would like to consider I was a figurehead for this whole big, tremendous effort, and I am very proud of the medal I have on my lapel."<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Florida Today|location=Cocoa, Florida|via=Newspapers.com|title=Shuttle flight would make senator oldest space traveler|page=10|date=January 16, 1998|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22347706/florida_today/|last1=Halvorson|first1=Todd |access-date=October 15, 2018}}</ref> Glenn also received his sixth Distinguished Flying Cross for his efforts.<ref name=findingaids /> He was among the first group of astronauts to be awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. The award was presented to him by President Jimmy Carter in 1978. After his 1962 spaceflight, NASA proposed giving Glenn the [[Medal of Honor]], but Glenn did not think that would be appropriate. His military and space awards were stolen from his home in 1978, and he remarked that he would keep this medal in a safe.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22350256/newsjournal/|title=Glenn will put this medal in a safe|last1=Thomas|first1=Richard G.|newspaper=News-Journal|location=Mansfield, Ohio|date=October 1, 1978|page=20|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>