Mercury-Atlas 6 was the third crewed spaceflight for the United States. The spacecraft, named Friendship 7, completed three orbits making John Glenn the first United States astronaut to orbit Earth. The mission lasted for 4 hours, 55 minutes & 23seconds. February 20, 1962 at 14:47 UTC · Launch Successful Atlas LV-3B — National Aeronautics and Space Administration, to Low Earth Orbit Space Launch Complex 14, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA Crew: John Glenn The world's 147th orbital launch attempt, and 5th of 1962. Program: Mercury Data: Launch Library 2, The Space Devs. Mission patch: via The Space Devs.