Who was the first US astronaut to orbit the earth?
John Herschel Glenn Jr. (born July 18, 1921) became the first US astronaut to orbit the Earth, the third US astronaut in space, and the fifth man in space. He flew the capsule Friendship 7 on February 20, 1962, on the “Mercury Atlas 6” mission, circling the globe three times during a flight lasting 4 hours, 55 minutes, and 23 seconds.
