246

UNITED STATES NAVAL AVIATION 1910-1995

1962-Contin ued

8 February A detachment of VP-ll at NAS Argentia,

New Foundland, began ice reconnaissance flights over

the Gulf of St. Lawrence to aid in evaluating satellite

readings of ice formations transmitted by Tiros 4

which was put into orbit the same day.

20 February Lieutenant Colonel John H. Glenn,

USMC, in Mercury spacecraft Friendship 7, was

launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla., by an Atlas rock-

et. His three turns about the earth were the first U.S.

manned orbital flights. He was recovered some 166

miles east of Grand Turk Island in the Bahamas by

Noa (DD 841) and then delivered by helicopter to

Randolph.

Jl

Glenn begins orbital fJjght NASA62MA6-1l2

Navy men on first

astronaut team:

Shepard (NH69953)

Glenn (NH69952)

Carpenter (NH6995l)

SchiITa made six orbits

NASA62MA 7-24