60 years ago: John Glenn puts US in space race

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- There were only 3 television networks. Most, but not all, homes had a TV set, but they were all black-and-white. There was no cable. FM radio was around but not popular.

On the morning of February 20, 1962 -- exactly 60 years ago -- astronaut John Glenn was strapped into a capsule he dubbed Friendship 7 that was poised on an Atlas rocket with enough firepower to blast him into outer space. Or into a million pieces.

Two other American astronauts had already been launched but those were suborbital flights that Alan Shepard and Gus Grissom had. This, the fourth time Glenn was trying to go up (the first 3 were weather delayed), would be the flight that would catapult the Americans into the speed lane to catch up to the Soviet Union in the Space Race.

That morning, John Glenn blasted into space and into history, becoming the first American to orbit the Earth when he also became the first American to reach the magic speed of 17,000 miles per hour, the orbital velocity needed to maintain a stable low-Earth orbit.

It was a short trip, just 4 hours and 55 minutes. He orbited Earth 3 times and became a national hero.

Times were different 60 years ago. But space inspired generations -- and it still does. Many of the technological advances over these past 60 years can be traced to the space program.

And if there is one face that is connected with all of it, it is arguably John Glenn.