What significant event does Friendship 7 relate to?

What significant event does Friendship 7 relate to?

• A. First U.S. space station
• B. First American orbital flight
• C. First weather satellite
• D. First artificial satellite

Answer: (B)

Friendship 7 is significant because it was the first American spacecraft to successfully complete an orbital flight around the Earth. Launched on February 20, 1962, as part of NASA's Project Mercury, the mission was piloted by astronaut John Glenn. This achievement marked a crucial milestone in the U.S. space program and represented a key moment in the early stages of the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. Friendship 7 lasted approximately 5 hours and completed three orbits of the Earth, providing critical data about human spaceflight in low Earth orbit. Other options relate to different historical events in space exploration, such as orbital space stations, weather satellites, and artificial satellites, but none of these achievements were associated with Friendship 7, making the recognition of this mission's orbital flight a significant moment in space history.

Friendship 7 is significant because it was the first American spacecraft to successfully complete an orbital flight around the Earth. Launched on February 20, 1962, as part of NASA's Project Mercury, the mission was piloted by astronaut John Glenn. This achievement marked a crucial milestone in the U.S. space program and represented a key moment in the early stages of the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. Friendship 7 lasted approximately 5 hours and completed three orbits of the Earth, providing critical data about human spaceflight in low Earth orbit.

Other options relate to different historical events in space exploration, such as orbital space stations, weather satellites, and artificial satellites, but none of these achievements were associated with Friendship 7, making the recognition of this mission's orbital flight a significant moment in space history.