Former astronaut, US Sen. John Glenn of Ohio has died at 95

In 1959, NASA picked Glenn to join Project Mercury in the first group of American astronauts.

Born in 1921, Mr. Glenn’s heroism began during his college years as America headed into World War II.

He died at the James Cancer Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, where he had been treated for more than a week.

Sad to learn of the passing of #JohnGlenn.

Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown tweeted, “It has been a blessing to know John Glenn and for Connie and me to count him and Annie as mentors and friends”. Mr. Glenn was the last survivor of the Mercury Seven.

The U.S. Marine Corps called Glenn a U.S. hero and one “Marine Corps Aviation’s legendary trailblazers”.

He also campaigned in the Democratic primary for the 1984 presidential election, but ended up losing to Mondale. But he was judged too important as a space icon to fly again during the glory days of the moon race.

He represented OH in the Senate for longer than any other senator in the state’s history.

The US space agency NASA was among the first to pay tribute to the legendary astronaut who later served in the Senate for more than two decades, calling him a “hero”.

He began a long career as a pilot in World War 2 and then as a fighter pilot in the Korean War.

“Godspeed, John Glenn”, fellow astronaut Scott Carpenter radioed on February 20, 1962, just before Mr Glenn thundered off a Cape Canaveral launchpad to a place America had never been. Despite some criticism that his presence on the mission was a political payoff, a waste of money and of doubtful scientific merit, he was launched aboard the space shuttle Discovery on October 29, 1998.

“Everyone at Kennedy Space Center had warm feelings for John Glenn”, Diller said. He then returned to space in 1998 aboard Space Shuttle Discovery.

While in the Senate, Glenn chaired the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, and sat on the Foreign Relations, Armed Services Committees and the Special Committee on Aging.

President Barack Obama released a statement about Glenn’s death. Although the Soviets managed to get a man in orbit first in 1961, Glenn holds that honor for the USA and made it around the planet three times in 1962. Glenn passed away surrounded by his children and wife of 73 years.