“Friendship 7” Project Mercury Pinback Button
1962
Diameter: 1¼ inches
 
Commemorating the historic February 20, 1962 flight of Friendship 7, this pinback button depicts the Mercury spacecraft orbiting Earth beneath the inscription “FRIENDSHIP 7 / PROJECT MERCURY.” Piloted by John H. Glenn Jr., the mission made Glenn the first American to orbit the Earth, completing three orbits during a flight lasting 4 hours, 55 minutes. 
 
The successful flight was a defining moment in the American space program and the Space Race. Following the Soviet Union's earlier orbital successes, Glenn's mission demonstrated that the United States had achieved the capability to place a human in orbit and return him safely to Earth. The mission also became an extraordinary national event, making Glenn an American hero and helping restore confidence in the United States' position in the race for space. 
 
Condition: Excellent.