John Glenn reflects on the legacy of NASA space 50 years after the first orbit

In this Jan. 25, 2012 photo, Sen. John Glenn speaks during an interview at his office in Columbus, Ohio. Glenn was the first American to orbit the Earth, piloting Friendship 7 around the planet three times in 1962. (Jay LaPrete / AP)

On February 20, 1962, Glenn piloted NASA's Mercury capsule, Friendship 7 called three times around the earth, matching the groundbreaking achievement of the rival Soviet Union, which launched cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin into orbit 10 months before .