50 years ago today the first American orbited the Earth

**pwaldo** · 02-20-2012, 10:10 PM

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0212/73086.html

The first man to set foot on the moon says the first American to orbit the Earth was “no ordinary pilot.”

Astronaut Neil Armstrong was the surprise speaker Monday at an Ohio State University gala honoring John Glenn on the 50th anniversary of Glenn’s historic 1962 space flight.

Armstrong says there was a need for leadership in the space program and Glenn “literally rose to the occasion.”

Glenn has had his share of accomplishments. But the former astronaut and U.S. senator from Ohio recently told The Associated Press he envies Armstrong and wishes he could have been part of the first manned moon landing in 1969.

Glenn got another surprise earlier Monday when NASA enabled him to speak live with crew members from the International Space Station.

The former astronaut and senator from Ohio, now 90, became the first American to orbit the Earth on Feb. 20, 1962, circling it three times in five hours and helping to lead the nation into space. He celebrated the anniversary at Ohio State University by kicking off a forum about NASA’s future.

Glenn was among the top military test pilots presented in 1959 as the Mercury Seven. The only other surviving Mercury astronaut is Scott Carpenter, who called out the memorable line “Godspeed John Glenn” moments before the rocket ignited for Glenn’s spaceflight.

“Fifty years ago today, Friendship 7 was orbiting planet Earth, and that helped in a very big way, paved the way for America to become a space power, and to go to the moon, and to do the things that we’re doing right now on the International Space Station,” Burbank said. “And we hope this also can help set the stage for us down the road to do even greater things.”