Astronaut John Glenn, First American To Orbit Earth, Dies
Today on the news that American hero John Glenn had died we gathered together a series of inspiring words from and about him. Perhaps the most famous of these is "Godspeed, John Glenn," spoken by mission controller Scott Carpenter as Glenn neared launch onboard Friendship 7 in February of 1962. That flight was part of NASA's Project Mercury and carried Glenn on three orbits around the Earth.
Spaceflight Friendship 7 (spaceflight Mercury-Atlas 6 (MA-6)) delivered Glenn safely, making him the first U.S. astronaut to orbit the Earth. This mission took off from Launch Complex 14 at Cape Canaveral, Florida and landed in the Atlantic Ocean, carried to land by the USS Noa.
"Zero G, and I feel fine." — John Glenn, upon becoming weightless in orbit on February 20, 1962.
Above you'll see a video presented by NASA, showing primarily the Friendship 7 launch and travel. This video goes by the name "Godspeed, John Glenn" and acts as a tiny documentary for the man as well. Below is another video documentary 6 and a half minutes of documentation of Glenn's famous journey.
Glenn also became the oldest human in space in 1998. At age 77, Glenn was sent into space as a member of the shuttle Discovery on a 7-person mission. The year 1998 was Glenn's last of 24 consecutive years as United States Senator of Ohio.
"Don't tune out, cop out or drop out. Don't give in to complacency and cynicism. Don't ignore what is bad, but concentrate on building what is good. Don't take America and the values reflected in our form of government for granted. And never forget that in our democracy, the government is not 'them' — it is 'us.'" — Glenn Announcing his retirement from the US Senate.
"I'm not interested in my legacy. I made up a word: 'live-acy.' I'm more interested in living." – John Glenn
Speaking with the Ohio Dispatch, governor John R. Kasich gave the following words in remembrance. "John Glenn is, and always will be, Ohio's ultimate hometown hero, and his passing today is an occasion for all of us to grieve."
"As we bow our heads and share our grief with his beloved wife, Annie, we must also turn to the skies, to salute his remarkable journeys and his long years of service to our state and nation," said Kasich. "Though he soared deep into space and to the heights of Capitol Hill, his heart never strayed from his steadfast Ohio roots. Godspeed, John Glenn!"
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson said in a Tweet this afternoon, "Aren't many Heroes left: WWII & Korean War Fighter Pilot. Marine Colonel. NASA Astronaut. Senator. Married 73 yrs. John Glenn RIP 1921-2016."