Page 18 - Mercury Program News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

>> we're under way. >> on february 20th, 1962, john glenn, in a space shut dubbed friendship 7 became the first american to orbit the earth. >> oh, that view is tremendous. >> we choose to go to the moon in this decade and dot other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard. >> the mercury program would ultimately have six manned flights. each mission a step closer to the ultimate goal. then, as mercury was winding down, on november 22nd, 1963, president kennedy was assassinated. >> to honor his memory and the future of the works that he started, the nasa law enforcement ope...

The alleged boston bomber headlines "rolling stone" magazine just as an officer counters with pictures from a man hunt. did they go too far? also ahead. >> this is supposed to have been a very tightly kept secret. how did you begin to suspect something? >> well, listening to the news, and that's putting two and two together, and that's just about it. >> not astronauts but astrowives. the mercury program catapulted families into the public eye, becoming the first reality tv stars, if you will. now a new book revealing the tension and anxiety of being married to the space race. into a business...

>> nasa marked three of the worst tragedies today. each occurring in the same winter week. in 1967, fire on the launch pad killed three astronauts on board apollo 1. including gus grisham, member of the original mercury program. in 1986, the shuttle acc challenger exploded killing all seven on board, including the first teacher in space. the tragedy witnessed by school children shook the nation. >> i know it's hard to understand that sometimes painful things like this happen. it's all part of the process of exploration and discovery. it's all part of taking a chance and expanding man's horizon...

Killed when the shuttle columbia burned up upon reentry. then president bush remembered the heroes who reached for the stars but never came home. >> our journey into space will go on. in the skies today we saw destruction and tragedy. it is farther than we can see. there is comfort and hope. martha: steve harrigan is live at the kennedy space center in cape canaveral, florida. morning, steve. >> reporter: martha, we're just a few minutes away here from the ceremonies to mark the day of remembrance for men and women who have given their lives in service of space exploration, beginning in 1967 w...

Are easy, but because they are hard. >> the mercury program would ultimately have six manned flights. each mission a step closer to the ultimate goal. then as mercury was winding down on november 22nd, 1963 president kennedy was assassinated. >> to honor his memory and the future of the works that he started, the nasa launch operation center shall here to be known as the john f. kennedy space center. >> in april 1964 nasa launched project gemini. >> the gemini was started and it was a two-man spacecraft. the gemini program was specifically to show that we could do a rendezvous and dock. >> in ...