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Saluting a real American hero

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    50th anniversary of John Glenn's spaceflight

  • Duration 3:30
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Sixteen years ago today John Glenn -- friendship seven and was launched into space becoming the first American to orbit the earth.

Legendary astronaut and former Ohio senator John Glenn joins us today from Columbus, Ohio -- -- senator.

Good morning are you I'm I'm fine.

I -- them all that up to remember that day you blasted off and we got the updates of course we didn't have the coverage.

Then that we have today.

As we look at some of the pictures of you or -- -- three times what are you what are your best memories of that day.

All of the lot of good memories of that day personal thing that we it was brand new Wii and experienced that before and so everything that day is very remember actually it seems like about two weeks ago to me instead of fifty years because it was so -- at that time and and I guess -- recalled in almost every day since then somebody want to talk to say something about so it.

It's been a are of like collection quite often and I can think has kept a very fresh in my memory.

-- one of the things people may not realize is how dangerous this was for you to do right.

Well we had a very high confidence level perhaps higher than anybody else because we've been through all the testing of the equipment machinery we've gone through simulations time after time.

If there was danger involved well we were I was a military test pilots.

And -- so you view it accepted those risks but the -- were small -- by what we've but the way we looked at that drove our training.

And the so I'm just anxious to go and on the eleven scheduled date.

Suit up four times -- once who uses the flight was canceled because of weather when I was in the transfer event on the way to the launch fed.

But I was up twice before.

And Minnesota almost hard to believe from the ruins of the final 182 count them and realize -- I'm really gonna go on this day fifty years ago period of great feeling.

Right I know one point -- a thruster fail and you actually had to drive the darn thing.

But then -- when you were coming back into.

The Earth's atmosphere.

You know this is something we never thought about here on earth to heat shield on the bottom of the capsule -- actually drove in backwards.

As you came through reentry.

There was some worry that it was loose and that you were gonna burn up.

Well there was there have been two -- one down said that the two telemetry signals.

Radio signals that went down to the ground that two different stations -- said that the the heat shield was -- -- deal latches had pulled on the heat shield that it normally that would not occur normally into -- down the main parachute.

And heat -- would drop about four feet on a rope rubber bag so that you.

Had sort of an air cushion of air pillow that was mainly in case you had to make an emergency landing on land some place.

And -- indication was that it already occurred in space have -- bad days so a lefty.

The retro fact -- sat right in the middle of these you left it on that or to hold that in place.

During -- high heat of reentry -- the lead the heat on the shield itself is up around 3000 degrees.

And the -- analyzed there out about three and a half or four feet in front.

Gets up around 9000 degrees so.

But it all worked right then the the retro back burned off from the abolition -- -- just the way it should.

-- it all work out attend today were honoring the fiftieth anniversary of friendship 7UP a lot of young kids are watching today.

And that they can -- you -- the hero that you are and be inspired to one day do something like you did.

Senator John Glenn thanks contravene our guests.

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