John Glenn, first American to orbit the Earth: 1921-2016

Godspeed, John Glenn.

The Friendship 7 spacecraft launches on a Mercury-Atlas rocket on Feb. 20, 1962, propelling John Glenn toward orbit — and making history. (Source: NASA)

The right stuff: A camera on board the Friendship 7 Mercury spacecraft photographs astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. during his historic first orbital flight on February 20, 1962. (Source: NASA)

Earth from 884,055 miles away on Dec. 7, 2016, the day John Glenn left us. (Source: NASA DISCOVR—EPIC)