Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-02-20
Glenn Capsule Orbits ; Times
Astronout Begins
Descent Following
Successful FLIGHT
BY WILLIAM HINES
Star Science Writer


CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla, Feb. Astronaut
John H. Glenn, r., roared into space in a Mercury
capsule at 9:47 am today and orbted the earth three
times.
The mission-Mercury- Atas-6-was the first
American effort to orbit
Trouble with the steering mechan of the capsule
developed early in the flight Oddly the of man
aboard made experts here less concerned rather than
more concerned the trouble.
Col Glenn master test pilot, able to control the
crafts steering by overriding the defective system.
spokesman said that if Col Glenn had not
been aboard likely that the spacecaft could not
have been brought safely to earth.
Decision Made
Yet so cody and kiuly Col Glenn his craft
the first orbits that the decision made to let him
the whole route
Retro-rockets designed to slow capsule
orbal speed him back to earth fired at 22O
while the rocket was 500 miles west OF San Diego out
the Pacific
the velocity of Friendship down
to about 1880 miles hour.
He now scheduled the Atlantic Ocean 200 miles
north of Puerto Rico at approximately ESQ pm today
of Naval vessels including aircraft carrier is await
The apparently fawless launching carried after
series of delays due to weather and minor mechanical
difficulties
The calm of Col Glenn received at Cape canav
era from minutes after the launching Zero G-I feel
fine-the view tremendous the 40-year-od Marine test
pilot said.
Only two in the history of the world have flown
into orbit high the Atlantic. Both RussanYuri
Gagarin and .Gherman Titov.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administrations
Project Mercury control center announced shortly after the
launching that Col Genns capsule in orbit with mini
altitude of 100 miles and maximum of 100 miles 49,
His speed he streaked the African coast at the
start of the " orbit 1880 miles an hour Just shade
miles second At this rate he circled the earth
each 80 minutes
Passes Over Charleston
completed his first orbit of the earth at liz
when his capsule streaked across the Atlantic Coast OF
about 100 miles over Charleston, S. c. He
finished his second at 1886 pm.
When he into contact by radio with the Mercury
control center here Col Glenn reported small
particles" at the speed as himself as ne passed
from into sunlight He could not elaborate on
their nature but said they were not affecting his mission
The trouble reported by the astronau some minor
difficulty his attitude control system This also nae
trouble flight last November but regarding
this difficulty spokesman for the space agency had SAID
pilot could have corrected it.
Col switched from automatic attitude control to
semirnanual fly by wire. This method
by pilot gives orders to autoplot which IN turn
regulates the roll pitch and yaw controls OF the space craft
COL Glenn passed range of Bermuda for the second
time at 26 am said he continuing to fly by wire
and having trouble He reported beautiful view OF
the Atlantic Coast.
The first trip around the world Mercury control sad had
taken 1925 minutes.
Control Trouble Persists
The trouble with the control system persisted through the
orbit the proved able to with the machine
On his second swing around, Col. Glenn checked in with
his stations sharply schedule In contact with Col
Glenn Canary Island at 1877 am, he responded to
doctors instructions with the words Rodger-taklng deep
breath"
The sun was bright and he feeling pretty warm, the
passed the west African coast.
1t about this time that Col Glenn explained what was
the with the steering mechanism He seemed to be
getting small thrust out of of the peroxide jets which
controls the horizontal axis of his craft This had
making the vehicle to the right at obout
degree for about 20 seconds before being brought
back automatically to the straight ahead position