Former astronaut and U.S. Senator John Glenn has died at the age of 95.
Hank Wilson with the John Glenn School of Public Affairs says Glenn died Thursday afternoon at the James Cancer Hospital in Columbus.
Glenn was the first American to orbit the earth, doing so on Feb. 20, 1962 while aboard the tiny Friendship 7 capsule.
On that mission Glenn became the third American in space, following colleagues Alan Shepard and Gus Grissom who went to space on separate but brief missions in 1961.
FIREFLIES IN SPACE? The real story behind John Glenn's amazing view
Glenn's trip into low-earth orbit inside the Friendship 7 space capsule, though, would make him the first American to actually orbit our planet for an extended period of time. He was only in space for five hours or so, but he became a hero to millions.
The Friendship 7 capsule is currently on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. It's incredibly small, showing just how cramped Glenn was during his ride around the Earth.
Glenn also holds the distinct honor of being the first Marine in space. His
distinguished military career routinely gets overlooked due to his NASA exploits.
As a Marine fighter pilot in World War II and in the Korean War, Glenn flew 149 combat missions. He earned the nickname "Old Magnet Ass" since it seemed that the enemy was drawn to him, drawing more enemy fire than most others. He was able to keep a plane flying with huge holes blown into it, to the astonishment of his comrades.
No doubt that steely resolve came in handy later when it came time to orbit the earth.
In Oct. 1998 at the age of 77 he became the oldest man to fly in space when he served as a payload specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery.
PHOTOS: John Glenn through the years
He was also the first man to drink Tang in space during that 1962 mission, setting sales off of the powdered drink for years to come. The drink became so connected to NASA that people thought that it was invented especially for the space agency.
He served with distinction as a U.S. senator from Ohio from 1974 to 1999. In the '80s and '90s his name came up when it came time to draft a list of potential Democratic vice presidential candidates, but it was always just talk.
On Thursday afternoon, just as news of Glenn's death began to make the rounds, NASA tweeted its condolences.
"We are saddened by the loss of Sen. John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth. A true American hero. Godspeed, John Glenn. Ad astra," the space agency wrote.
Former president George H.W. Bush expressed his admiration for Glenn in a statement, mentioning Glenn’s military career and dedication to his country in all facets of his life.
“By his inspirational leadership spearheading our space program, John helped push back the horizon of discovery. And by his long and able service in the United States Senate, John Glenn helped bring hope and opportunity not only to his beloved Ohio — but to every corner of America as well. Few risked more for, or showed greater dedication to, our nation, and Barbara and join our countrymen in extending our most sincere condolences to his widow Annie and the extended Glenn family.”
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