On February 20, 1962, the United States made the first manned flight into space, launching John Glenn into orbit. This event was part of NASA's Mercury program. John Glenn was launched into orbit aboard the spacecraft called Friendship 7 and circled the earth three times. This was the United States' first human flight into space, and Glenn became the first American astronaut to orbit in space. Glenn's mission in space lasted approximately 5 hours and was completed successfully. This event was an important step for the United States against the Soviet Union in the space race and had great international repercussions. John Glenn made history by being among the first Americans to go into space. This event was a major turning point in the development of the American space program and the advancement of human spaceflight.