a with itsip 7 pilots and the pilot has waited three years for this day. three long arduous years of study of training, of waiting. and now he is ready. his name is john glenn. ♪ astronaut john glenn of new concord, ohio. lieutenant colonel united states marine corps. married, father of two teenaged children. glenn has been a pilot over half of his 40 years and has flown in two wars and is a veteran test pilot who five years earlier established a transcontinental flight record as a first man to average supersonic seat -- speed across america. he volunteered for spaceflight. he is one of seven astronauts selected for project mercury. >> [inaudible] >> 3, 2, 1, launch. >> roger, back up klopp -- clock has started. 101, oxygen 78, 100 amps, 2 7. >> to john glenn, now belongs an awesome panorama. the world curving beneath him. >> i could see the booster during turnaround a couple hundred yards behind me. it was beautiful. >> home is the voyager. 81,000 a journey of miles. through three days and three nights in just four hours and 56 minutes. eastern,.m. friend