1st American in Orbit: How NASA & John Glenn Made History (Infographic)

by Karl Tate, SPACE.com Infographics Artist | February 17, 2012 03:38pm ET

John Glenn's Mercury mission was the first American space flight around the world.

When NASA launched astronaut John Glenn into orbit on Feb. 20, 1962, the U.S. joined the realm of orbital spaceflight and never looked back. Seven years later, the first Americans would land on the moon. See how NASA made the leap into orbital spaceflight with Glenn's historic Friendship 7 spaceflight in the SPACE.com inforgrahic above.

Photos: John Glenn's Space Legacy
Video: This is Friendship 7: America's 50th On-Orbit Anniversary
Project Mercury: Photos of NASA's 1st Manned Spaceflights
Giant Leaps: Top Milestones of Human Spaceflight
America's First Spaceship: Project Mercury (Infographic)

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1st American in Orbit: How NASA & John Glenn Made History (Infographic)

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