USA astronaut John Glenn dies at 95

[Hum]

John Glenn, the all-American astronaut and senator who rocketed into history on flights 36 years apart as the first American to orbit the Earth and the oldest person in space, died Thursday, Dec. 8 at age 95.

 

Glenn, who was known for his small-town decency and calm heroics, was the last of the original Mercury 7 astronauts who launched the US space program. He later served for nine years as a Democratic senator from Ohio.

 

In the early 1960s, the Mercury 7 were American superstars, constantly written about and unabashedly idolized.

 

In "The Right Stuff," a 1983 film about them based on Tom Wolfe's best-selling book, Glenn was portrayed by Ed Harris.

 

Glenn, a Marine pilot who flew 149 missions in World War II and Korea, was America's third man in space (after Alan Shepard and Gus Grissom) but the first to orbit the Earth.

 

On February 20, 1962 he piloted the "Friendship 7" spacecraft on a three-orbit mission some 100-162 miles from Earth that lasted four hours, 55 minutes and 23 seconds.

 

 

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[+Gary7 Subscriber²]

RIP John You will be missed.

[Mando]

95, thats a decent innings and what a life  

 

RIP sire.

[Jim K Global Moderator]

[Nick H. Supervisor]

1 minute ago, Mando said:

95, thats a decent innings and what a life  

 

RIP sire.

I can't add much more than that. I will always consider him a pioneer in what he did, as it continued to pave the way for what we are continually striving towards.

 

RIP, John. What you did was another first, and the rest of the world will continue to work farther/further (both are apt) on what you did.

[Hum]

God speed John Glenn

[+BudMan MVC]

Sad News indeed..

 

Shame he could not live to see us set foot on Mars..

 

He will be missed for sure.  RIP John, RIP.. A true hero/pioneer for all of us..

[Unobscured Vision]

Awww man.  RIP sir. A sad day indeed.

 

[EDIT: Reposting and expanding my thoughts from another thread] This one hurts. Sen. Glenn inspired me as a child, stoking my interest in Engineering and Aerospace the way Carl Sagan stoked my interests in Planetary Science and Astrophysics. There was nobody cooler than him except Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to me back then. Ad Astra, Sir.

Edited December 8, 2016 by Unobscured Vision

[ctebah]

Another pioneer gone.  RIP.

[Barney T. Administrators]

A great pioneer for sure! They don't come around very often. Rest in Peace, sir!

[+BudMan MVC]

Here is a video from NASA that was released in 1962 accounting his historic mission

 

 

Great way to remember him!!

[+Raze Subscriber²]

Rest in Peace, Mr. Glen.  A man of humble greatness.

[FloatingFatMan]

1 hour ago, BudMan said:

Sad News indeed..

 

Shame he could not live to see us set foot on Mars..

 

He will be missed for sure.  RIP John, RIP.. A true hero/pioneer for all of us..

If he's cremated, it would be fitting testament, perhaps, to scatter a small amount of them on the red planet when we finally get there...

 

Rest in peace, sir.  You have a go for launch.

[Steven P. Administrators]

A true hero, he achieved so much with his life! RIP.

[DocM]

Ad Astra, John Glenn

 

RIP