Friendship 7 (MA-6)

Launch Success

Liftoff Time (GMT)

14:47:39

Tuesday February 20, 1962

Watch Replay

Official Livestream

Mission Details

Launch Notes

Astronaut John Glenn became the first U.S. astronaut to orbit the Earth.

Mercury-Atlas 6 (MA-6)

Wiki

Mercury-Atlas 6 (MA-6) was the third human spaceflight for the U.S. and part of Project Mercury. The mission was piloted by astronaut John Glenn, who performed three orbits of the Earth, making him the first U.S. astronaut to orbit the Earth. The Mercury spacecraft, named Friendship 7, was carried to orbit by an Atlas LV-3B launch vehicle lifting off from Launch Complex 14 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. After four hours and 56 minutes in flight, the spacecraft re-entered the Earth's atmosphere, splashed down in the North Atlantic Ocean and was safely taken aboard USS Noa.

Low Earth Orbit

1 Payload

2,981 kilograms

Rocket

Retired
Atlas-D Mercury

Active 1959 to 1963

National Aeronautics and Space Administration logo

Agency

NASA

Rocket

Height: 28.7m

Payload to Orbit

LEO: 1,360 kg

Liftoff Thrust

1,880 Kilonewtons

Stages

2

Launch Site

LC-14

Cape Canaveral SFS, Florida, USA

Fastest Turnaround

14 days 23 hours

Stats

Atlas LV-3B


7th

Mission

1st

Mission of 1962

1962


5th

Orbital launch attempt