PaleyArchive ColorBars TopBanner2
Continue searching the Collection

CBS NEWS EXTRA: THE FLIGHT OF JOHN GLENN (TV)

Summary

Part one of this ten-part live "CBS News Extra" coverage of the Project Mercury flight of the Frienship 7 space capsule and astronaut Lt. Col. John Glenn who thus becomes the first American to orbit the earth. Douglas Edwards opens from New York with an update on the weather around the launch area at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Highlights of this portion include coverage of the following: Cronkite reports from CBS News Control Center at Cape Canaveral on the scope of coverage to be broadcast by CBS; an animated film explains various stages of the flight such as orbit, reentry, splashdown, and recovery; Richard Bate interviews the Range Safety Officer who will monitor safety features of the flight and who might also make the decision to abort the flight; an animated film explains the abort system; film shows Glenn at work in a capsule simulator; Cronkite reports it is T minus eighty-four minutes; Lt. Col. John "Shorty" Powers of Mercury Control gives a status report as the camera shows technicians bolting the capsule hatch; videotape shows Glenn suiting up earlier this day and boarding the space capsule; Hughes Rudd reports from the home of Glenn's parents in New Concord, Ohio; Nancy Hanschman reports from Glenn's home in Arlington, Virginia; Grant Holcomb and Robert Schakne report from General Dynamics in San Diego, California; Robert Pierpoint, Neil Strawser, and Roger Mudd report from Washington, D.C.; Dave Dugan, Joe Campbell, and Bill Downs report from ships in the Atlantic Ocean recovery zone; and Bernard Eismann reports from St. Louis on the McDonnell Aircraft Corp., makers of the space capsule.

Next, Cronkite opens from Cape Canaveral, Florida, where the count is T minus sixty and holding due to a broken bolt on the capsule's hatch. Highlights of this portion include coverage of the following: Bernard Eismann reports from the McDonnell Aircraft Corp. in St. Louis and interviews an engineer who helped design the capsule; in a film clip, Richard Bate interviews a NASA capsule engineer; Nancy Hanschman reports from Glenn's home in Arlington, Virginia, where she describes the day of Glenn's wife, Annie, thus far; Grant Holcomb reports from General Dynamics in San Diego, CA, and interviews its president, J.R. Dempsey who discusses the Atlas booster built by his company for Project Mercury; Eismann reports again from McDonnell Corp. where an engineer talks about space capsule improvements; Richard C. Hottelet reports from New York with a news summary; Cronkite describes Glenn's morning as the camera shows the launch pad area and the scene at nearby Cocoa Beach; an animated film shows the capsule in orbit; the countdown resumes at T minus fifty-nine minutes; Eismann and a McDonnell manager discuss new techniques required in the building of the space capsule; Cronkite illustrates various stages of the flight such as lift-off, orbit, reentry, splashdown, and recovery; Lt. Col. John "Shorty" Powers of Mercury Control reports the countdown at T minus forty-five minutes and holding; and a film illustrates how the space capsule will be tracked by Cape Canaveral Control Center and seventeen other tracking stations throughout the world.

Cronkite continues to countdown, which stands at T minus 45 minutes and holding due to a fueling problem. Highlights of this portion include coverage of the following: George Herman reports from the White House on the activities of President John F. Kennedy; Douglas Edwards reports from New York City's Grand Central Station, where commuters watch the coverage on a giant screen; Lt. Col. John "Shorty" Powers of Mercury Control reports the countdown has resumed at T minus 45 minutes; Cronkite reviews safety precautions as the camera shows the launch pad; Nancy Hanschman reports from Glenn's home in Arlington, Virginia, on the situation there; Cronkite discusses the loading of liquid oxygen and reviews the weather conditions; a pool reporter reports on a test of a recovery flotation device aboard the USS Randolph in the recover area; Cronkite narrates a film showing astronaut Alan Shepard in an earlier simulation which tests the flotation device; "Shorty" Powers reports the countdown at T minus 24 minutes; Hanschman reports that Glenn telephoned his home from the capsule and spoke to his wife Annie; Robert Schakne reports from General Dynamics in San Diego, California, and interviews men who helped build the Atlas booster for Glenn's flight; Powers reports countdown at T minus 22 minutes and holding due to fueling problems; Neil Strawser reports from the Voice of America on how the Glenn story is being broadcast to the world; the countdown resumes; and Bernard Eismann reports from the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation in St. Louis on back-up systems in the space capsule.

Lt. Col. John "Shorty" Powers of Mercury Control reports that the countdown is T minus fifteen minutes as Walter Cronkite at Cape Canaveral, Florida, describes the scene at nearby Cocoa Beach. Highlights of this portion include coverage of the following: the camera shows New York City's Grand Central Station, where commuters watch the coverage on a giant screen; Powers begins the countdown at T minus ten seconds and lift-off is achieved; an animation shows the flight nearing the ten minute mark; Glenn's voice is heard by the TV audience for the first time; Powers reports on the orbit of the Friendship 7 and says the capsule is traveling at 17,545 mph; a voice tape of Glenn is aired and it begins at the countdown and lasts six to seven minutes; Powers reports the capsule is over Africa; Cronkite comments as slow motion videotape of the lift-off is shown; another voice tape is aired; and Cronkite reports that the capsule is now over the Indian Ocean as the flight nears the forty minute mark.

At Cape Canaveral, Florida, Cronkite discusses experiments Glenn will perform while in orbit. Lt. Col. John "Shorty" Powers of Mercury Control reports that Glenn is in excellent condition. Highlights of this portion include coverage of the following: Cronkite describes Glenn's first meal in space and notes that Glenn will conduct experiments in weightlessness; George Herman reports from the White House on President John F. Kennedy's reaction to the flight's success; Cronkite reports that the Friendship 7 is approaching Australia at about 52 minus since lift-off; Bernard Eismann reports from the McDonnell Aircraft Corp. in St. Louis, makers of the space capsule, as an engineer explains the functions of some of the instruments in the capsule; as an animation shows the flight nearing the 1 hour, 6 minutes mark, Powers describes Glenn's health; a voice tape of Glenn speaking with Gordon "Gord-O" Cooper is aired; Douglas Edwards reports from New York City's Grand Central Station, where commuters watch the coverage on a giant screen; Grant Holcomb reports from General Dynamics in San Diego, California, where technicians are receiving medical readouts on Glenn's condition; Cronkite reports the capsule is flying over Texas at 1 hour, 34 minutes into his flight; and Powers reports that the Friendship 7 has passed Bermuda and has begun its second orbit.

Cronkite delivers a brief review of Glenn's flight as Richard C. Hottelet reports from New York with a news summary; Cronkite describes what's ahead for the remainder of Glenn's flight as an animation plots Glenn's current position and time since lift-off; Cronkite mentions President John F. Kennedy's reaction to the flight; Lt. Col. John "Shorty" Powers of Mercury Control reports on Glenn's condition; a voice tape of Glenn speaking with Alan Shepard is aired; Hughes Rudd reports from the home of Glenn's parents in New Concord, Ohio; Grant Holcomb and Robert Schakne report from General Dynamics in San Diego, California, where the Atlas booster was made; Bernard Eismann reports from the McDonnell Aircraft Corp. in St. Louis where the Gemini is being developed; Powers reports that Glenn is over the middle of the Indian Ocean as an animation shows the flight nearing the 2 hours, 19 minutes mark; Powers reports Glenn is nearing Australia; Cronkite reports a mechanical malfunction with Glenn's attitude control; Roger Mudd reports from Washington, D.C., at the Voice of America where the Glenn story is being broadcast to the world; Neil Strawser comments on the efforts of the Russians to jam portions of the Voice of America's broadcasts; Powers reports on Glenn's condition; and Schakne reports from General Dynamics on future space missions.

A voice tape of Glenn is aired, and other highlights of this portion include coverage of the following: Cronkite reports that Glenn is approaching Hawaii as an animation shows the flight nearing the 2 hours, 50 minutes mark; Nancy Hanschman reports from Glenn's home in Arlington, Virginia, where she describes the day of Glenn's wife, Annie, and the two Glenn children; Lt. Col. John "Shorty" Powers of Mercury Control reports difficulties with the attitude control system; Powers reports that the Friendship 7 is cleared for a third and final orbit; Grant Holcomb reports from General Dynamics in San Diego, California, where medical data on Glenn is being received; Powers reports that the Friendship 7 is nearing Bermuda; George Herman reports from the White House on President John F. Kennedy's day; voice tapes of Glenn speaking with Wally Schirra and Alan Shepard are aired; Bernard Eismann reports from the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation in St. Louis and discusses the attitude control system with an engineer; and Hughes Rudd reports from New Concord, Ohio, and interviews a former classmate of Glenn's.

An animation shows the flight nearing the 3 hours, 43 minutes mark over Africa. Highlights of this portion include coverage of the following: Bill Downs delivers an audio report from the recovery aircraft carrier USS Randolph, some 200 miles northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico; Robert Schakne reports from General Dynamics in San Diego, California, and interviews the man who designed a giant flying space laboratory (i.e., a prototype of Skylab); Cronkite reports at the four-hour mark and discusses the problem of prolonged weightlessness; Lt. Col. John "Shorty" Powers of Mercury Control reports that Friendship 7 is nearing Australia; Douglas Edwards reports from New York City's Grand Central Station where commuters watch the coverage on a giant screen; a voice tape of Glenn is aired; an animated film explains retro-rocket firing, reentry, splashdown, and recovery; Marvin Kalb reports from Moscow on reaction there; Cronkite reports there may be a problem with the Friendship 7's heat shields; Grant Holcomb reports from General Dynamics in San Diego, California; Powers reports that the retro-rockets have been fired; Schakne reports from General Dynamics where Glenn's transmissions are being picked up; and Cronkite reports that Glenn is over the coast of Florida on his way to a splashdown in the recovery zone.

As Glenn's splashdown approaches, Bill Downs delivers an audio report from the recovery aircraft carrier USS Randolph, some 200 miles northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico; Downs reports the capsule is at 10,000 feet and that rescue helicopters are standing by; Lt. Col. John "Shorty" Powers of Mercury Control reports that Glenn's splashdown has been confirmed by the destroyer USS Noah; Cronkite recaps the situation, as clock shows the splashdown occurred at about 4 hours, 56 minutes into the flight; Douglas Edwards interviews people at New York City's Grand Central Station, where commuters have been watching the coverage on a giant screen; Powers reports that the Friendship 7 space capsule has been safely recovered by helicopter and is now on the deck of the USS Noah, with astronaut Glenn safely inside; Robert Pierpoint reports from Washington, D.C., where members of Congress watch the coverage on television; Cronkite reports on the sense of relief felt by all at Cape Canaveral; Nancy Hanschman reports from Glenn's home in Arlington, Virginia, where crowds wait for Glenn's wife, Annie, and the two Glenn children to appear; Powers reports that Glenn emerged from the capsule and is now on the deck of the Noah; George Herman reports from the White House, where President John F. Kennedy pays tribute to Glenn and the space program; and Hughes Rudd reports as Mr. and Mrs. John Glenn, Sr. leave their home in New Concord, Ohio.

Nancy Hanschman reports from Glenn's home in Arlington, Virginia, where crowds wait for Glenn's wife, Annie, and the two Glenn children to appear. Highlights of this portion include coverage of the following: Cronkite reports from Cape Canaveral, Florida, as the camera shows the scene at Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio, as Glenn's parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Glenn, Sr., arrive at Glenn's former college; at the college, the Glenns talk about their son and answer questions from Hughes Rudd and others; Nancy Hanschman reports back from Arlington, where Annie Glenn and the two Glenn children speak to the press; Cronkite speaks to Annie Glenn and the astronaut's parents, and various Glenns speak to each other via television microphones; the camera shows the scene at Mercury Control as Peter Hackes comments on the subdued atmosphere there; Cronkite reports that astrologers predicted a "difficult day" for Glenn; Richard C. Hottelet reports from New York with world reaction to the flight; and Cronkite reviews Glenn's flight and comments on the future of the U.S. space program. Includes commercials.

Details

  • NETWORK: CBS
  • DATE: February 20, 1962 6:30 AM
  • RUNNING TIME: 9:55:03
  • COLOR/B&W: B&W
  • CATALOG ID: T79:0220
  • GENRE: News
  • SUBJECT HEADING: Animation; Friendship 7; Manned space flight; She Made It Collection (Nancy Dickerson); U S - Officials - Talk/Interviews
  • SERIES RUN: CBS - TV, 1962
  • COMMERCIALS:
    • TV - Commercials - Insured Savings and Loan

CREDITS

  • Robert Wussler … Producer
  • Don Hewitt … Producer, Director
  • Walter Cronkite … Anchor, Chief Correspondent
  • Richard Bate
  • Joe Campbell
  • L. Gordon Cooper, Jr.
  • J.R. Dempsey
  • Nancy Hanschman Dickerson
  • Bill Downs
  • Dave Dugan
  • Douglas Edwards
  • Bernard Eismann
  • Annie Glenn
  • John Glenn
  • Peter Hackes
  • George Herman
  • Grant Holcomb
  • Richard C. Hottelet
  • Marvin Kalb
  • John F. Kennedy
  • Roger Mudd
  • Robert Pierpoint
  • John Powers
  • Hughes Rudd
  • Robert Schakne
  • Alan Shepard
  • Neil Strawser
Continue searching the Collection