{"id":19143,"date":"2016-12-08T18:14:27","date_gmt":"2016-12-08T10:14:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/astronaut-senator-john-glenn-first-and-oldest-american-in-orbit-dies-at-age-of-95\/"},"modified":"2016-12-08T18:14:27","modified_gmt":"2016-12-08T10:14:27","slug":"astronaut-senator-john-glenn-first-and-oldest-american-in-orbit-dies-at-age-of-95","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/astronaut-senator-john-glenn-first-and-oldest-american-in-orbit-dies-at-age-of-95\/","title":{"rendered":"Astronaut-senator John Glenn, first (and oldest) American in orbit, dies at age of 95"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"John
John Glenn orbited the planet in 1962 and flew on the space shuttle in 1998. (NASA Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Godspeed, John Glenn.<\/p>\n

The first American to go into orbit, and the first astronaut to become a senator and presidential candidate, died today in Ohio at the age of 95.<\/p>\n

The Columbus Dispatch reported that Glenn was surrounded by family, including his wife Annie, at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center when he died.<\/p>\n

President Barack Obama said that with Glenn\u2019s passing, \u201cour nation has lost an icon, and Michelle and I have lost a friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJohn always had the right stuff, inspiring generations of scientists, engineers and astronauts who will take us to Mars and beyond \u2014 not just to visit, but to stay,\u201d Obama said in a statement.<\/p>\n

Glenn made history as one of NASA\u2019s original Mercury 7 on Feb. 20, 1962, when he circled the planet three times. That mission followed up on Soviet astronaut Yuri Gagarin\u2019s first-ever orbital flight in 1961 and two U.S. suborbital spaceflights, setting the stage for America to get into the race to the moon in earnest.<\/p>\n