John Glenn

Mdanner423 · Post by **Mdanner423** » Wed Aug 18, 2004 4:23 pm

Hey,

When watching movies or hearing people refer to the space race, etc, they always make the mistake saying that John Glenn was the first man in space. Everyone forgets Gagarin and Sheppard. My question is, why was Glenn considered more of a hero then Sheppard?

Benji · Post by **Benji** » Wed Aug 18, 2004 4:29 pm

You hear a lot more about Glenn. More people know who he is.

Mdanner423 · Post by **Mdanner423** » Wed Aug 18, 2004 4:36 pm

Yea i know, but I'm wondering why that is.

CastAway · Post by **CastAway** » Wed Aug 18, 2004 5:47 pm

Yeah... I've always wondered this. It's even in the From the Earth to the Moon series... like, Sheppard is going into surgery and one of the nurses putting him under anastesia (sp?) says "you know who that is? The first American in space." Then the second nurse says "I think I'd recognize John Glenn."

...?

SamM · Post by **SamM** » Wed Aug 18, 2004 6:22 pm

i've always wondered that too....i think it's because he was a senator..and before he was an astronaut a lot of people knew him because of his flying...so that probably had something to do with it

Space Nerd · Post by **Space Nerd** » Wed Aug 18, 2004 8:51 pm

I have always wondered about that as well. I have lots of ideas but i think it all comes down to publicity.

meg · Post by **meg** » Wed Aug 18, 2004 10:09 pm

wasnt he the first one to orbit, and the others were just an up and down kind of mission?

spacebarfie · Post by **spacebarfie** » Wed Aug 18, 2004 10:10 pm

it could be that John Glenn when up a second time, that Shepard's flight was only 15 min. compard to Glenn's +hour/orbits around the earth, that he became a senator, and because of the publicity

tennisrox014 · Post by **tennisrox014** » Wed Aug 18, 2004 11:35 pm

john glenn was my senator in ohio when i lived there... and in cleveland there is the john glenn space research center. i think the reason he is more famous is because he was a senator too. he got more public exposure.

SpaceCanada · Post by **SpaceCanada** » Thu Aug 19, 2004 9:02 am

John Glenn was the first American to orbit the Earth. I would recommend that everyone watch the film "The Right Stuff", as it will explain a lot. Speaking of which, I should watch it again and brush up on some of my American space history before I go to camp...

Space Nerd · Post by **Space Nerd** » Thu Aug 19, 2004 11:38 am

Becareful though, it's not entirely accurate.

SpaceCanada · Post by **SpaceCanada** » Thu Aug 19, 2004 12:39 pm

Then watch it with the commentaries, they usually point out places where the filmmakers used artistic license. (Although I have yet to watch the commentaries for that film... I probably should.) I really enjoy watching APOLLO 13 with Mr. and Mrs. Lovell's commentaries - excellent!

Another resource for the Mercury programme is the book of John Glenn's biography.

I have so many resources and books and stuff. I read something about why John Glenn was so popular over the other Mercury astronauts, but I forget where... hmmm...