The Flight of Friendship 7 [F-22-12]

On February 20, 1962 John Glenn became the first American astronaut to orbit the earth. Sitting in a tiny capsule, Friendship 7, for well over 4 hours, and orbiting the earth at a speed of 17,500 miles per hour, Glenn navigates what was a truly remarkable flight. The success of this flight gave Nasa a greatly needed boost, which propelled the space program towards the ultimate goal of landing men on the moon by decade's end. We will look back at the early days of Nasa and specifically this flight, and the various challenges that Glen confronted on that historic day.

Terry L. Niles is a native of northern New York. Niles graduated from St Lawrence University in 1976, with a degree in History and Government. Niles worked locally in banking for nearly 15 years before launching his own business Niles Asset Management Inc. He and his sons also own Niles & Sons Real Property Holdings, LLC, and Niles Insurance Agency. Niles has taught several SOAR classes on the life of President Lincoln, as well as others relating to both American and European history. He and his wife Paula live in East Dickinson.

Cap: 25