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Stinky The Clown

(67,823 posts) Mon Feb 20, 2012, 12:07 AM Feb 2012

It was fifty years ago tomorrow that John Glenn made the US's first orbital flight in Friendship 7.

"God speed, John Glenn."

12 replies

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It was fifty years ago tomorrow that John Glenn made the US's first orbital flight in Friendship 7. (Original Post) Stinky The Clown Feb 2012 OP

It was America's first orbital flight, but not THE first.... lastlib Feb 2012 #1

Heh, I also had the date wrong. It is tomorrow. Stinky The Clown Feb 2012 #2

that's ok, Stinky, we still love ya, mon! lastlib Feb 2012 #12

Gagarin with the first human in space, and the first human to orbit the earth. drm604 Feb 2012 #3

And his golf ball has been found! pokerfan Feb 2012 #6

What did he hit it with, a 99-iron? lastlib Feb 2012 #11

I was 15. Lugnut Feb 2012 #4

Irony is we depend on the Russians now Ichingcarpenter Feb 2012 #5

I clearly remember watching as a 6 year old ... Trajan Feb 2012 #7

I also wanted to be an astronaut. I think we all did in those days. drm604 Feb 2012 #9

We used to watch EVERY launch Are_grits_groceries Feb 2012 #8

EVERYONE watched back in those days. drm604 Feb 2012 #10

lastlib

(23,311 posts)

1. It was America's first orbital flight, but not THE first....

Reply to Stinky The Clown (Original post)

Mon Feb 20, 2012, 12:14 AM

Feb 2012

The Soviet Union achieved that with Yuri Gagarin in Vostok I--April 12, 1961, ten months ahead of Glenn's three-orbit flight.

But it was still cool to watch John Glenn go up. I was a four-year-old at the time, and I still remember it.

Stinky The Clown

(67,823 posts)

2. Heh, I also had the date wrong. It is tomorrow.

Reply to lastlib (Reply #1)

Mon Feb 20, 2012, 12:17 AM

Feb 2012

And yes, I also knew Gagarin was the first. I was barely a teen.

lastlib

(23,311 posts)

12. that's ok, Stinky, we still love ya, mon!

Reply to Stinky The Clown (Reply #2)

Mon Feb 20, 2012, 07:17 PM

Feb 2012

drm604

(16,230 posts)

3. Gagarin with the first human in space, and the first human to orbit the earth.

Reply to lastlib (Reply #1)

Mon Feb 20, 2012, 01:31 AM

Feb 2012

Alan B. Shepard was the first US astronaut in space (straight up, then down), and John Glenn was the first US astronaut to orbit the Earth. Shepard was also the fifth person to walk on the Moon, and hit a couple of golf balls while he was there.

pokerfan

(27,677 posts)

6. And his golf ball has been found!

Reply to drm604 (Reply #3)

Mon Feb 20, 2012, 02:52 AM

Feb 2012

http://www.universetoday.com/93419/a-bouncing-moon-boulder/

lastlib

(23,311 posts)

11. What did he hit it with, a 99-iron?

Reply to pokerfan (Reply #6)

Mon Feb 20, 2012, 06:13 PM

Feb 2012

Looks like he had a little bit of a slice, but it might be a fairly easy putt....

Lugnut

(9,791 posts)

4. I was 15.

Reply to lastlib (Reply #1)

Mon Feb 20, 2012, 02:24 AM

Feb 2012

Good lerd! Was it really that long ago?

Ichingcarpenter

(36,988 posts)

5. Irony is we depend on the Russians now

Reply to Stinky The Clown (Original post)

Mon Feb 20, 2012, 02:31 AM

Feb 2012

for our man space program. I went to junior high with his kids BTW.

Trajan

(19,089 posts)

7. I clearly remember watching as a 6 year old ...

Reply to Stinky The Clown (Original post)

Mon Feb 20, 2012, 02:58 AM

Feb 2012

They scrubbed a number of launch attempts over the weeks, and my mom accommodated my interest, and let me stay up late (or woke me early) to watch each attempt. I was an early reader, and I was fascinated by planes and rockets ... This was a huge deal for me ...

Sometime after the launch, my mom asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, and of course I said "Astronaut" ..

Mom, "No, you dont want to be an astronaut ... You want to be a PRIEST !"
Me, "Um ... I don't want to be a Priest, momma ... I wanna be an ASTRONAUT !"
Mom. "No son .... You wanna be a PRIEST!"
Me, now with tears welling and voice breaking, "Mom ? .... I don't want to be a Priest! ... I wanna be an astronaut, like John Glenn ...."\

She didn't push it any further ....

In the end; The closest I got to being an 'astronaut' was working for Rockwell, building (in Downey) or maintaining (in Palmdale) each of the 5 orbiters, and actually sitting in the CMD and PLT chairs, flipping switches during functional tests .... I was grateful that I had such an amazing job in my twenties and thirties ....

I never did become a Priest .... I became an Atheist instead ....

Love you Mom ......

drm604

(16,230 posts)

9. I also wanted to be an astronaut. I think we all did in those days.

Reply to Trajan (Reply #7)

Mon Feb 20, 2012, 05:19 PM

Feb 2012

Like you, it didn't happen. But I did get to write code for NASA for STGT (Second TDRSS Ground Terminal).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracking_and_Data_Relay_Satellite_System

I have a coffee mug from the project, but the handle is broken.

Are_grits_groceries

(17,111 posts)

8. We used to watch EVERY launch

Reply to Stinky The Clown (Original post)

Mon Feb 20, 2012, 08:02 AM

Feb 2012

holding our breath. It was must see teevee. I remember watching them in black and white. They really were dangerous 'experiments' and much more dicey than we realized.

THAT was reality teevee.

drm604

(16,230 posts)

10. EVERYONE watched back in those days.

Reply to Are_grits_groceries (Reply #8)

Mon Feb 20, 2012, 05:28 PM

Feb 2012

I think everyone was planted in front of a TV set for Apollo 11. On the day of the actual landing people had the day off or took portable TVs to work, or at least listened on the radio.

You're right about it being the real reality TV. There's nothing like it today.

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