ON 20 February 1962, @NASA astronaut John Glenn became the first American to orbit Earth, but there were signs of trouble. As Glenn’s Friendship 7 spacecraft returned from its historic flight, a warning light indicated its heat shield had unlatched, risking complete incineration. This image captures Glenn at the moment he reenters Earth’s atmosphere, pieces of the burning spacecraft casting a fiery orange glow on his face.
Fortunately, Glenn splashed down safely in the Atlantic Ocean minutes later. A faulty switch in the heat shield circuit was to blame for the alarm.
The image is featured in a new book, Gemini and Mercury Remastered, which celebrates these early NASA missions through masterfully restored photographs and film stills.
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