John Glenn, the first American astronaut to orbit the Earth, has spent most of his life in public service. His exploits, his dedication to family and friends, and his rock-ribbed traditional values have made John Glenn a true American icon. In his memoir, written with biographer Nick Taylor, he tells the story of his unique life.
In the following excerpt, Glenn takes us into the early days of NASA, where he first served as a backup pilot for astronauts Alan Shepard and Gus Grissom and helped refine some of the initial cockpit and control designs for the Apollo program.
In 1962 Glenn finally piloted spacecraft himself, the "Friendship 7", on the first manned orbital mission of the United States. Then came several years in international business, followed by a twenty-four-year career as a U.S. senator--and in 1998 a return to space for his remarkable Discovery mission at the age of seventy-seven.
Listen to Glenn read an excerpt from the BDD Audio release of "John Glenn: A Memoir."
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