ABSTRACT
John Glenn was the third of the Mercury astronauts but the first to take a ride into orbit. After his first mission Glenn returned to Earth a hero. Reluctant to lose a genuine American hero to the dangers of space travel, President Kennedy grounded Glenn after only one flight. At the age of 77, Glenn's return to space is a curious amalgam. Glenn's shuttle flight is the last before the parts of the International Space Station start flying into orbit. Glenn flew the space shuttle Discovery into orbit for his second flight. On glenn's first flight he was sent on his way with the words of Scott Carpenter, the link man between the control room and the capsule (CAPCOM), resounding into history: 'Godspeed John Glenn'. There have also been suggestions that the flight was a political pay off from President Clinton to a Senator who had supported him through some troubled times.
