50. [Mercury Atlas 6] HUMANITY'S SPACE JOURNEY BEGINS: John Glenn orbits Earth Aboard Friendship 7 NASA, 20 February 1962 Printed 1962. Vintage gelatin silver print on fibre-based paper [NASA image 62-MA6-168]. With NASA caption numbered "62-MA6-168" on the reverse (issued by NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.). 20.3 x 25.4 cm. (8 x 10 in.) Historical context This image is a still frame exposed by the automatic pilot observer motion picture camera inside the Friendship 7 spacecraft during John Glenn's historic Mercury-Atlas 6 mission, where he became the first American astronaut to orbit the Earth on February 20, 1962. It represents some of the very first human visuals of space exploration. Glenn is seen in a state of weightlessness traveling at 17,500 mph. The tight quarters of the Mercury capsule are apparent, with various instruments and equipment surrounding Glenn as he operates within the small confines of Friendship 7. This image emphasizes the triumph of venturing alone into space, offering an intimate glimpse into what it meant to be the first American to orbit the Earth. Beyond mere scientific and historical documentation, this image brought the human experience of spaceflight to audiences on Earth, symbolizing the dawn of a new era in human evolution. Glenn's mission represented a significant leap in the United States' space capabilities during the early stages of the Space Race. His flight, lasting just under five hours, included three orbits around Earth, providing NASA with crucial data on how both the human body and spacecraft would function during extended spaceflight. "Weightlessness was a pleasant experience. I reported I felt fine as soon as the spacecraft separated from the launch vehicle, and throughout the flight this feeling continued to be the same." John Glenn (Pilot's Flight Report) Literature TIME, 2 March 1962, p. 12 (variant) NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, June 1962, cover (variant) NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, June 1962, p. 803 (variant)