Astronaut John Glenn — who was one of NASA’s original Mercury Seven — was the first American to orbit Earth. He flew the mission in just under five hours, circling the globe three times in a capsule named Friendship 7. Glenn, who says he recalls the mission as if it were just last week, told NPR’s Audie Cornish he doesn’t want the U.S. to lose sight of the future and America’s role in outer space. This story originally aired on Feb. 20, 2012 on All Things Considered.
