Below are images gathered from NASA’s early Mercury Project, which lead up to Glenn’s famous journey.
This Link-punch in spacecraft simulator allowed the astronaut the practice of both normal and emergency modes of systems operations.
(NASA)
The Mercury space capsule undergoing tests in Full Scale Wind Tunnel, January 1959.
(NASA)
A three-year-old chimpanzee named Ham sits in the biopack couch for the MR-2 suborbital test flight.
The mission was successful and Ham performed his lever-pulling task well in response to the flashing light.
(NASA)
Mercury Capsule model undergoing tests in Spin Tunnel.
The nose cone is at lower right.
Glenn carries portable air conditioner attached to his suit.
The air conditioner is detached before Glenn climbs into the Mercury capsule.
(AP Photo)
Astronaut John Glenn, observed weightless during NASA’s first manned orbital Flight.
Noa after a successful space flight, Feb. 20, 1962.
The yellow coloring in the water is dye to make the capsule more visible to the recovery crew.
The seventh member of the astronaut team, Leroy Cooper, was not available.
(AP Photo/Ed Kolenovsky)
ThanksThe Atlanticfor the story
