each week of american history tv that at archival films provide context. john glenn became the first american to orbit the earth. railamerica, 57 minute. -- nasa documentary and the space race. , astronaut and u.s. senator from ohio died on december 8 at the age of 95. 77 year old senator glenn became

oldest person to fly in space. a port of the space shuttle discovery. the astronauts condition

report as can excellent. astronaut glenn remains the big question mark but the countdown is again underway.

>> with the entire world as a witness the countdown begins at cape canaveral, florida. it begins here with these men they are the launch team from now until the end of the flight and it rests principally upon their skills. the countdown is their master plan. they proceed with unhurried deliberation. the timetable of order they must readiness test its and that for one supreme moment --

page upon page the count continues. rocket nowair force comes with restless energy to the mercury spacecraft as these men are sure it towards the final minutes on earth. today if all goes well, we will launch an american astronaut --o orbit in space grass spacecraft named friendship seven.

itfriendship seven ways pilot and the pilot has waited three years, three long years of period and nowng he is ready. his name is john glenn. astronaut john glenn of ohio, married, with two teenage

children. over halfbeen a pilot of his 40 years. he has flown into wars and is a , and theest pilot first man to ever supersonic speed. spaceflighted for and was selected for project mercury, directed by nasa. two teammates have pioneered the , astronaut alan shepard and griffith -- chris and dennis grissom. pushing the program to the threshold of flight. turn.w it is glenn's

.ow to him falls the challenge he has been chosen to cross the threshold and to orbit the world. the countdown continues for john glenn. a continues this moment around the world. these are john glenn's -- he knows it well. whose judgment his life is

entrusted today. centere mercury control in view of the complex, they issue the commands that will come in the course of the mission. will gather the facts needed for the decisions. the entire operation creates tension. the countdownant for flights continue around the world. planes, this day is just beginning.

northeast of cape canaveral 1000 miles into the atlantic at dawn's early light spills over bermuda. they proceed with the countdown. stations form an avenue of electronic points around the world to communicate with friendship seven. radar is the eyes of the station and telemetry is the ears.

engineers and scientists will find a telemetry record for x -- exploration. this has been recorded and calibrated. >> roger, thank you. >> latitude is five degrees north. longitude 10 degrees west. often coast of africa and station three weights in the late morning sun for john glenn. operating out of trinidad,

monitors its journey across the ocean and out over africa. this is the bridge, we are proceeding at slow speed at five knots. beyond the mercury station on grand canary island, it is midday at station five in nigeria. here onata recorded africa's east coast will relay

through this to london and then on to america. far to the south east, the ship of the coastal century told the emptiness of the indian ocean. to the east some 500 miles from the coastal country is the network eight station near western australia. around the world from cape canaveral. , when from your 20th

glenn arrives tomorrow, we will be here but north andes across , february 20 is just , as the men prepare for the arrival of friendship seven. eastward again, it will awaken over the americas. >> ready for lift off.

status green. >> north of mexico in the predawn off the west coast the mountaintop station in california weights of the long countdown. what his account? >> the station at corpus christi continues its preparation. >> roger. all systems would you pre-calibrate your preflight systems? far to the north of east --

north and east of corpus christi is the computing and communications center bonded bonded into a working entity to this the space flight center in greenbelt, maryland, have a communications that link the global stations. the computers enable men to reach -- allowing for control of the space craft. throughout the flight, the computers will generate information whether the mission can continue or be aborted. the point at which it will land. these findings will be transmitted immediately to cape canaveral.

around the world, the men, the and reporters learned from the astra now -- astronauts come up and the man himself is ready.

what are the thoughts of a man about to make history. glenn is the astronomical, the man who challenged space, but he is just one member of an endeavor that requires the genasense skills of some four thousand other men and women scattered throughout the world. technicians who produce the space vehicle, to the crews now preparing to launch it. the experts who will charge his voice throughout the globe to the sailors at sea to recover

him. testing,ch and planning and training. the purpose of it all is knowledge. effectively the spacecraft can function together in a hostile environment. it will serve as a basis for knowledgen, hard won to all men. sacrifice and dedication and courage. now, just a handful of time calledhe spacecraft crew for the pilot of friendship

seven.

>> ok, john?

>> the sound of john glenn. his heart beat you here will flow from friendship seven throughout the flight informing those on the ground how well he endures the trials ahead. goesthe soft light

friendship seven making its preview. the mercury atlas stands alone to depart this earth. a million pounds of rocket with to 3 milliont horsepower. >> all stations in launch position. starting in one minute. >> close to the moment of flight

and recovery teams and around the world ready themselves. glenn's time has come. history without censorship and adventure of such magnitude. , all theanguages people of the world are witness. to his success or failure. >> t minus 15 minutes and counting. there will be no smoking. stand by for an estimate.

>> standing by, bermuda. do you want us to continue to count? t minust down to seven. >> you want us to hold bermuda? we lost the main power on the computer. what do you estimate? can you expedite? estimate is five minutes.

we just got a go. go ahead. we will pick up account at -- the time nears and soon they will begin showing john glenn his changing positions about the world.

>> 57 seconds. minus three, 2, 1. you are ago, water systems, go. pre-start -- umbilical clear.

all recorders to fast, team eyes eight seconds. good lord ride all the way. 10, 9, 8, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. roger, black -- backup clock has started. >> oxygen, 2, 7.

>>[applause] 60 seconds. 65 and looks good from here. 70 seconds reaching a nice beat. >> looks good, you've got it. , 95.90

103, 102. at 58. steady all systems are go. >> capsule is turning around.

>> to john glenn, the world clearly is beneath him. see the booster a couple of hundred yards behind me. roger. go for at least seven orbits. -- thick cloudk pattern -- >> roger i can hear you loud and clear.

transmissions are here. >> friendship seven, bermuda has you. oxygen is 78 over 100. i have a fine feeling. >> roger friendship seven. all systems are ok, good point of contact. everything appears to be going ok. very good. very good. you are cutting out on uhf.

friendship seven, friendship seven? you are very weak. give me your status on control systems. this is friendship seven. insight.ad -- a beautiful view of the african coast. by far the best view. i can see clouds going across the desert.

>> i read you loud and clear. how do you read me? >> loud and clear. >> what is your status? >> i feel fine, over. >> roger. your comments on the weather , a lot of this part of africa is covered with --. [inaudible]

>> do you want to stamp on it for a retro seat when -- retro sequence? ok.hat's >> you are fading rapidly, friendship seven. at 17,000africa 545,000 hour. heartbeat.for every friendship seven racist towards

tomorrow. above the indian ocean, far he recordsn site, as every moment. for john glenn, he journeys around our world out racing the sun at least 24 hours to circle the globe. >> friendship seven, over?

>> rating you love and clear. -- reading you loud and clear. everything is going very well. >> roger. time passes rapidly. >> i am also to see if i can get them insight. no symptoms whatsoever. i feel fine. over? a light cited on the ground. right, right on the

coast. i can see the outline of the towers. are very bright. next -- >> roger.

all systems are go in the capsule. >> when you have a chance to give sedlacek. -- a blood check. very small. , they are juste by the window. there were literally thousands of them. >>los-loss of signal. an unseen, darting across the land.

friendship seven over? roger. this is friendship seven. i have no -- and low thrust. >> minor problems. john glenn is overriding the faulty systems and he is on fly by wire. we are on fly by wire at this time. >> we are standing by.

we will remind you to start pre- dock. do you read? over? >> this is friendship seven. >> will you confirm your landing position is off? -- noises atot any this time? >> negative. >> the first hit of potential disaster. astronaut cooper relay the request to staff -- check the status lights for landing.

glenn reports status normal. they are now receiving an indicatingsignal, something has come loose. do still consider yourself good are the next --? roger. confirmed it is a go at the present time. seven, this is california do you read me, over? >> loud and clear. much better now. >> you look real good up there. good show.

we now have a contact and we see corpus christi, texas condition. this is mercury control. >> mercury control canaveral the decision made -- must be made as soon. eastdicates still that field this list. could the signal be erroneous? there is no way to tell. could pierce in an inferno when he plunges back into the atmosphere. the space craft is headed back towards earth. if they were gone after retro , then there straps might hold a shield in place before they burn off.

3000 degrees of reentry heat. but the decision must be made. grand -- glenn is streaking towards the united states. he is 300 miles west of california. the recovery area is 700 miles --. >> you are looking good. i will give you a mark, 45 -- we would like to leave the jettisoning.etro

over? 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. roger. >> at feels like i am going back toward hawaii. fire retro light -- retro pack on until you hit texas. >> good-looking flight. we will see you back east.

have a safe flight. he reentered with the pack on. we are reprimanding that you leave the retro package on. you can override this switch. what is the reason for this? the recommendations -- we are recommending that the retro package not i repeat -- not be jettisoned.

you have to retract the -- >> i will have to make the inual -- and bring the scope at this time. >> roger. >> go-ahead friend seven. roger retracting scope manually. >> we are not sure whether or the field is safer than any we see no difficulty at this time. you are going out.

retro pack --his do you understand, over? >> over. john glennact with are out. >> this is friendship seven, i think the pack just let go.

a real fireball outside. friendship seven, over? this is created a barrier for friendship seven, halting all communication. alone he plunges back towards earth. >> do you read me, over?

seven 21g friendship thousand 300 miles an hour -- to 1300 miles an hour. >> friendship seven, do read me, over? you are in -- within one mile of --. >> steelhead is the codename for the destroyer --.\

john glenn cannot hear the message. >> friendship seven, over? do you read me over? rating you loud and clear, how are you doing? it did write off, correct? >> roger. i may have some of it but i cannot see it, either. go ahead.

>> roger, it looks good. it still did not come out. say again. standing by for clear. >> roger. >> -- are open. >> roger. green, 10,800 feet.

beautiful. it looks very good. the shoe looks very good. hute looks very good. this is friendship seven do you read me rush --? the shoot --chute looks very good. home is a voyage. behinda is a journey of 80,000 miles. hours, at three: 4

-- 3:04 p.m. it comes to an end and john glenn returns to the people of earth. briefing, he leaves heading for the aircraft carrier . he will see his fourth sunset of the day.

>> his name john glenn junior. lieutenant colonel united states marine corps.

of two teenage children. teamglenn and the mercury challenged space and they won.

>> today john glenn and other brave men will follow. we reach out to explore the universe.

>> you are watching american

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