Tag: Freedom 7

Artist’s Talent Broke into the All-Male World of Pad Operations

Artist’s Talent Broke into the All-Male World of Pad Operations

In early 1962, preparations were underway for John Glenn’s historic flight as the first American to orbit the Earth. He named his Mercury spacecraft “Friendship 7,” and he wanted the illustrator who created the design for the logo to paint it on his capsule. In doing so, artist Cecelia Bibby stepped into what was otherwise an all-male domain.

Shepard’s Flight was Crucial Step in Long Journey of Exploration

Shepard’s Flight was Crucial Step in Long Journey of Exploration

According to an ancient Chinese proverb, “A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” NASA is preparing to return astronauts to the Moon followed by exploration of Mars, a planet that is 121 million miles from Earth. Those journeys began 60 years ago with a single, 116-mile “step” into space by Alan Shepard on May 5, 1961.