The first American to orbit the Earth was John Glenn, an astronaut and former United States Marine Corps aviator. He was the first American to make a complete orbit of the Earth on February 20, 1962, aboard Friendship 7, a Mercury-Atlas 6 spacecraft. His mission lasted 4 hours, 55 minutes, and 23 seconds. Glenn's flight made him an instant national hero and he later went on to serve four terms as a U.S. Senator from Ohio.