Well Done, Col. Glenn / First American in Orbit
Manufacturer / MakerCreated by
Col. John Glenn
(1921 Cambridge, Ohio - 2016 Colombus, Ohio)
Dateca. 1962
Mediummetal
Dimensions1/4 × 1 3/4 in. (0.6 × 4.4 cm)
ClassificationsDocumentary Artifact
Credit LineAlbuquerque Museum, gift of the Albuquerque Museum Foundation from the Lucia v.B. Batten Estate
Object numberPC2015.26.18
DescriptionThis metal button features a red, contoured stripe on the top portion of the button which reads "Well Done, Col. Glenn" in white lettering. The center includes a smiling lithograph portrait of politician and astronaut Col. John Glenn (1921-2016) wearing an astronaut helmet against a white background. A blue spacecraft symbol is pictured (left) likely a representation of Friendship 7, the mercury capsule named by Col. Glenn, who rode in it under NASA's Mercury-Atlas 6 mission, marking the first human to orbit around Earth in 1962. A blue symbol of Earth is illustrated on the right, and a small stripe on the bottom portion of the button reads "First American in Orbit" in the same white lettering. Signifying a significant technological advancement for the U.S. and hope for the future, Col. Glenn's spaceflight solidified him as a national hero, resulting in a sense of national technological pride during a time period characterized by competition, specifically against the Soviet Union. Causing a restoration of national confidence, creating a social and political impact through parades and the support of President John F. Kennedy (1917-1963), Col, Glenn's spaceflight greatly inspired the continuation of the Apollo Programs, leading to the Moon landing to take place in 1969, ultimately symbolizing the evolution of future space exploration.On View
Not on view
