Our eighth grade English class started out the year with a blast! We jumped right into the study of the N.A.S.A. space program and the life and accomplishments of Senator John Glenn. To follow our studying with meaningful activities, we spent several days writing and word-processing poems and doing projects on different aspects of space and Senator Glenn's life.

In addition to the poems, we wrote letters for Senator Glenn and also did projects of our own choosing about a wide range of space topics. These include time lines of developments in general technology, a time line of the Cold War with the Soviet Union, which started the famous "space race" of the 1950's and 60's, and reports about John Glenn's life, N.A.S.A. missions, and space technology. All of these projects were word-processed by Team 3 students, who used computer graphics or inter net photos to enhance their reports. Other students did "hands on" projects, such as doing scientific drawings and scanning them onto our computers, or making three dimensional models. Some models were even edible, such as the various "cookie" rockets used for the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo Projects or the solar system cakes.

The hard work we've done has really paid off. We're just beginning to realize how fascinating space can be. We'll admit some of us began this unit with a frown, but we're all ending it with a big smile, not to mention the successful feeling that we've actually learned something! Although our space unit is just about ending, we're sure we'll always remember it. It certainly was a change for an English class rather than studying the usual types of poetry writing, literature, and grammar!

Our poems and projects were a great way to complete the unit because they helped us to apply what we've been learning onto a poster board, into a letter, or in whatever way our fellow classmates chose. Only the future will show how much each individual on our team of over one hundred students was influenced by the truly wonderful subject of space!

by Abigail

for Ms. Passeri's Team 3

Eighth Grade English Classes

This book is dedicated with respect and admiration to Senator John Glenn on the occasion of his participation in the Discovery Space Shuttle Mission STS-95.

1.) Mercury-Redstone

manned by: Alan Shepard

launched: May 5, 1961

purpose: To investigate man's ability to survive and perform in the space environment and to develop the basic space technology and hardware for manned space flight programs to come.

Size: length- 8 meters 74.5 in. wide.

2.) Mercury-Atlas

manned by: John H. Glenn, Jr.

spacecraft: Friendship 7

other: He was the first American to orbit the Earth three times.

launched: Feb. 20, 1962

manned by: M.Scott Carpenter

space craft: Aurora 7

other: He did another 3 orbit flight.

launched: May 24, 1962

manned by: Walter M. Schirra, Jr.

other: orbited 6 times and doubled flight time.

manned by: L. Gordon Cooper, Jr.

spacecraft: Faith 7

other: He did a 22 orbit mission of 34 1/2 hours.

launched: May 15-16, 1963

Cost of project: $392.6 million

3.) Gemini

space craft: Titan II

size: 10 feet wide 27.1 meters long 32.9 meters high

# of flights: 10

first flight: April 8, 1964

last flight: Nov. 15, 1966

total flight time: 969 hrs. 51 min. 26 sec.

Cost of project: $1.3 billion

4.)Apollo-Saturn IB

project began: April 1957

goal: to land on the moon and return before the end of the decade.

other: Many companies and organizations helped with the projects.

last flight: Apollo 17

Dec. 7, 1972

Cost of project: $25 billion

5.) Apollo-Saturn V

first mission: 10 orbits

manned by: Frank Borman, James A Lovell, Jr., and William Anders

other: The point of the Apollo missions was to practice and then land on the moon. Apollo missions 1-9 were to practice and Apollo missions 10-17 involved actually landing, except Apollo 13 which had to return without landing due to technical difficulty.

Early Years: Mercury to Apollo - Soyuz. NASA Information Summaries.

U.S Government Printing Office. 1988.

------------------------

Satellites

Before October 1957, the word "satellite" referred basically to one thing--a small body that revolves around a larger astronomical object. One example is the fact that all the planets are satellites revolving around the sun. Today we would call these satellites "natural satellites." The first artificial satellite was called Sputnik I. It was launched on October 4, 1957. The Soviet Union was the first to place a satellite into orbit.

Now any artificial object that revolves around a larger astronomical object is referred to as an artificial satellite. The idea of an artificial satellite was first made by an American clergyman, Edward Everett Hale, in a collection of stories, which he published in 1899.

Today hundreds of artificial satellites are revolving around the earth. Those satellites are used for communication, weather study, navigation, military observation, and other purposes. They are also used for the study of the planets and the sun.

How Artificial Satellites Work

We use multi-stage rockets to lift off the satellites into orbit. The United States has also dropped off satellites out of space shuttles. When put into orbit, the satellite is positioned 100 miles above the earth's surface so that the atmospheric drag will not slow down the satellite. When the satellite is at this height and it is moving fast enough, the satellite's motion is governed by the same laws that govern the motion of a natural satellite, and it will travel in a full circle around the earth.

The time of a satellite's orbit around the earth depends on the height at which the satellite is placed to go into orbit. The satellite goes in the same direction as the earth's rotation. The power to run a satellite usually comes from solar cells. However, sometimes the energy may come from thermoelectric generators that turn heat from radio active materials into electricity. The information is often stored in the form of electronic signals that are sent by radio to ground stations.

Scientific Research

The very first artificial satellites were used to study the upper atmosphere and the parts of space closer to the earth. Today we use them to study much greater objects and further into space. Earth-observing satellites can observe celestial objects without interference caused by the earth's atmosphere.

"Satellite." Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia.

1998 Edition.

Space shuttles have changed in many ways throughout the years. In 1962, John Glenn was the first American to orbit the earth; he traveled in the space capsule Friendship 7. Now, he is preparing to go on another mission in outer space; this time he will travel in the space shuttle Discovery. While similarities exist between Friendship 7 and Discovery, the differences are striking.

In John Glenn's mission in Friendship 7, he orbited the earth three times for eighty-eight minutes, twenty-nine seconds. He flew 75,679 statue miles. The altitude was 162.2 x 100 statue miles. In the Discovery, he will orbit approximately 144 times for approximately ninety minutes each orbit. He will fly about 3,600,000 miles at the altitude of 325 statue miles. The duration of his mission should be close to eight days, twenty hours.

Friendship 7 landed February 20, 1962 at 2:43:02 p.m. EST 800 miles southeast of Bermuda. The individual spacecraft mileage was 75,679 statue miles. Friendship 7 was raised onto the deck of the Navy destroyer Noa twenty-one minutes after the splashdown. Friendship 7 weighed about 4,256.34 pounds at the beginning of the mission and 2,657.6 pounds as it reentered the atmosphere. It had one window and only one crew member: John Glenn. It had no on board computers. The habitable volume of the spacecraft was only 36 cubic feet, and only 48 items were stowed. Also, there was only one work station.

The Discovery weighs 153,819 pounds. It also has ten windows. The crew will consist of 2-7 members; five general computers will be on board (four primary and one backup). The habitable volume of the crew compartment is 2,325 cubic feet, and 2,600 items will be stowed. Nine work stations are included in the spacecraft.

Friendship 7 had one hundred censors, four electrical buses, and twenty circuit breakers. The lift-off thrust was 360,000 pounds. The control panel included 143 cockpit display components and eight push-button switches.

Discovery has 961 circuit breakers, 219 push-button switches, 2,312 cockpit display components, and more than 7,800 censors. It also has a seven million pound lift-off thrust.

John Glenn had very limited space in Friendship 7; only one stowage compartment was available. In the Discovery orbiter, he will have much more room. He will also have fellow crew members along on the mission instead of being alone.

Thirty-six years have passed since his first momentous flight. Many things have changed on the spacecraft; these changes will increase our knowledge of behaviors and reactions in outer space. Data collected from John Glenn's first flight which was very important and this second one will provide much interesting and needed information for scientific studies.

Bibliography

http://shuttle.nasa.gov/index.html/mershut.html

This report is based entirely on another school's writing. All facts are information done by other students. Some information is a reliable source while others possibly opinion.

PART ONE

From the way we look at it, Mars is the "red planet." The "red" soil is not soil at all. Soil is a mixture of water, highly weathered rocks and minerals, and organic materials, (made up of waste from living things, dead plants, animals, and other nutrients.) Mars has none of these materials.

Since Mars has no organic materials, plants are impossible to grow. On Mars, the temperature is too low to grow plants. Plants need water, and water can't be thawed long enough for any plants to survive.

There is no oxygen on Mars, either. Therefore, there is little carbon dioxide, which is used in photosynthesis.

PART TWO

Terraforming is the process by which the land and atmosphere of Mars are made more like Earth. There are steps in terraforming Mars:

First, an atmosphere must be created. Mars' temperatures must be raised by the greenhouse effect. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that traps heat from the sun. Greenhouse gas harms the Earth's environment by causing global warming. This is good on Mars because it raises the temperature.

The next step is to get oxygen in the atmosphere. Single-celled life forms carry out photosynthesis constantly and reproduce just as quickly. After oxygen gets built up, water should be able to exist as a liquid, since the atmosphere will provide pressure and greenhouse gasses will provide heat.

If water is found in a liquid state, plants will be able to survive. The more plants, the quicker photosynthesis will occur, which creates more oxygen. After that, humans can walk outside the colony without an environmental suit on.

ThinkQuest 1997 Team 10274. mailto: 102742cybermail.net 102742cybermail.net

John Herschel Glenn Jr. was born on July 18, 1921, in Cambridge, Ohio. He was raised in New Concord, Ohio. Glenn later received his B.S. degree in engineering from Muskingum College.

During John's World War II service, John flew 59 combat missions. When the war was over, John was a member of Fighter Squadron 218 on North China patrol and had duty in Guam. From the year of June 1948 to December 1950, John Glenn was an instructor in advanced flight training at Corpus Christi, Texas. When John Glenn was in Korea, John flew 63 missions with Marine Fighter Squadrons 311, and 27 while an exchange pilot with the Air Force in F-86 Sabrejets. After John left Korea, he attended the Test Pilot School at the Naval Air Test Center, Patuxent River, Maryland. When John graduated, he was project officer on a number of aircraft. John was assigned to the Navy Bureau of Aeronautics in Washington from November 1956 to April 1959. During that time he also attended the University of Maryland.

Glenn was assigned to the NASA Manned Spacecraft Center in 1959 after his selection as a Project Mercury Astronaut.

On February 20, 1962, Glenn piloted the Mercury-Atlas 6 "Friendship 7" Spacecraft on the first manned orbital mission of the United States. Glenn's "Friendship 7" Mercury spacecraft landed in an area in the Atlantic approximately 800 miles southeast of Cape Kennedy in the vicinity of Grand Turk Island. John landed 41 miles west and 19 miles north of the planned impact point. The time of the flight from launch to impact was 4 hours and 55 minutes and 23 seconds.

John Glenn was promoted to the rank of colonel in October 1964 and retired from the Marine Corps on January 1, 1965.

John Glenn has had much recognition for his achievements. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross five times, and holds the Air Medal with 18 clusters for his service during World War II and Korea. Glenn holds the Navy Unit Commendation for service in Korea, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, the China Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation, the Navy's Astronaut Wings, the Marine Corps' New insignia, and the NASA Distinguished Service Medal.

He also was awarded honorary doctor of engineering degrees from Nihon University in Tokyo, Japan, and from Wagner and New Hampshire Colleges. John Glenn has more than 5,455 hours of flying time, including 1,900 hours in jet aircraft.

Regarding Glenn's appearance, he is 5 feet 10 1/2 inches tall and weighs 168 pounds and has green eyes and red hair. John's wife is the former Anna Margaret Castor. John and his wife have two children, John David and Carolyn Ann. John David was born on December 13, 1945, and Carolyn Ann was born on March 19, 1947.

John was a business executive from 1965 until his election to the United States Senate on November 1974. Currently, he is serving his fourth term. He is now scheduled to be part of the Discovery STS-95 space shuttle mission as a payload specialist. He will perform experiments which show the effects of aging in space. Bone and muscle mass in weightlessness will be studied. This flight is scheduled to be launched on Oct. 29, 1998.

http://www.lerc.nasa.gov/www/PAO/html/jglebio.htm

http://www.senate.gov/~glenn/main.html

Senator John Glenn is 77 years old. John Glenn will become the oldest person to travel in space when he boards space shuttle Discovery for Mission STS-95 on Oct. 29, 1998.

Senator John Glenn was born on July 18, 1921, in Cambridge, Ohio. He was the first American astronaut to orbit the Earth on February 20, 1962. Earlier, John Glenn had married Anna Margaret Castor, whom he had known since school days in New Concord. A few years later, Glenn had two children, John David and Carolyn Ann.

The space shuttle is a spacecraft that can be used for many flights into space. This is the important reason why the word "shuttle" is used for NASA's newest space launch system. Only the external tank gets burned up when it reenters the Earth's atmosphere. Having a reusable orbiter and booster rockets saves money and time for the space program and the American people.

Vogt, Gregory. The Space Shuttle. New York: Franklin Watts. 1983.

Crocker, Chris. Great American Astronauts. New York: Franklin Watts. 1988.

John Glenn- He's Not Just History Anymore.

http://www.rtdl.com/glenn/index.html

This is my amateur drawing of what I think the "Friendship 7" looked like in space. I think that it must have been totally inspiring and magnificent. I have wondered how it feels to be weightless and to be a national icon. It must have been amazing to see the world from the sky, seeing it from a totally new perspective-- to see the world as a whole without boundaries and race, where everyone is the same and there is no war. This humble picture is nothing compared to what you must have experienced, but I hope that it will remind you of what you saw.

by Heather

In the 1950's and 60's, the United States was in a race with Russia--a race to space! By 1961, the Soviet Union had already sent a man, Yuri Gagarin, to orbit the Earth. America sent Mercury astronauts Alan Shepard and Virgil Grissom into sub-orbit and John Glenn into orbit--later. America was losing to the USSR, and the only thing left to do was to send a man to the moon. They did this on Apollo 11.

Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, and Michael Collins were the crew who achieved this goal. Neil Armstrong was the mission commander, Buzz Aldrin1 was the pilot of the lunar module, the Eagle, and Michael Collins, the pilot of the command module, Columbia. The back-up crew included James Lovell, the back-up commander, and Fred Haise, the back-up lunar module pilot.

On July 16, 1969, at 9:32 A.M., Apollo 11 was off to the moon. The whole world was watching. Neil Armstrong said as he stepped onto the moon, "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." The Apollo 11 crew came back from their mission to the moon on July 24, 1969.

The mission went without many problems except for when a yellow caution light went off because the computer had been called on to do too many things at once. The mission would have been aborted if not for the man in Houston who did his job noticing the problem.

The Apollo 11 flight made America see that through hard work, our talents can be brought out in ways that we didn't know we could do. Through our God-given ability, we're able to explore beyond His creations on Earth and aim throughout the universe. It just goes to show that the universe isn't just there for us to look at. We can study it and explore more and see what else is out there. Our food won't be chewed for us all the time. We have to work for the good stuff. The right stuff.

by Noel

Ask An Astronaut: Buzz Aldrin, Gemini 12, Apollo 11. http: www.nss.org/askastro

NASA website http://ww.ksc.nasa.gov./history/apollo/apollo-11/apollo-11.html

John Glenn went up into space and orbited the Earth three times in the Friendship 7 space capsule in 1962. Now he is 77 years old, and he's going back up in space in the space shuttle Discovery STS-95 on October 29th.

Our project shows the order of the different planets (with Earth enlarged). The spaceship represents Senator John Glenn's orbit around the Earth. We hope John Glenn has a great trip.

Cortland Jr. Sr. High School

October 6, 1998

Dear Senator Glenn,

My name is Tamara. I live in Cortland, New York. I am in the eighth grade. I go to Cortland Jr. Sr. High School. In English class, we have read many NASA packets about space, space shuttles, you, and your life. We have also written poems about space and your life.

Are you excited about going back into space? Do you worry about the effects space has on the aging process? Do you weigh more or less when you come back from your journey into space? Do you ever get bored or lonely while you are up in space? Has anything terrible ever happened when you were up in space? Who was the most interesting person you ever met because of your job as an astronaut?

Were you excited about finding the Glenn Effect "fireflies" you found on one of your expedition into space? What is your favorite thing to do while you are up in space? Where you scared about going up in space for the first time? What is your favorite food to eat up in space? What is your job on the space ship? What kinds of things do you bring onto the space ship?

I know that you are probably overwhelmed with letters from people all over the United States. I will understand if you don't get a chance to send me a letter, but I wanted you to know some typical questions young people like me are wondering about. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.

Sincerely,

Tamara

Cortland Jr. Sr. High School

Sept. 29, 1998

Dear Senator Glenn,

Hello, my name is Rochelle. My friend, Alisha, and I are doing an English project about you and your life. We know that you are a very busy man and you probably don't have any time to read all of this book with your going up into space. However, we made you a cake, and we hope that you like the picture of it. We spent a lot of time on it, and it tasted really good. Too bad you couldn't have any.

In this letter we also want to tell you of things that we learned about you. From what research we did, it seems that you have had a very productive life.

We appreciate all the "cool stuff" you have done for us. You are really neat, and I'm glad I now know more about you. I hope you have a good and safe trip and successful findings.

GOOD LUCK!!

Sincerely,

Rochelle & Alisha

-------------------

Cortland Jr. Sr. High

Oct. 6, 1998

Dear Senator John Glenn,

I would like to congratulate you on your tremendous accomplishment of orbiting the earth! Although that was many years ago, I still believe that only a person with great knowledge and bravery can accomplish such a task.

I built a space shuttle out of "Legos" to show you. (Please see the pictures.) It has the rocket boosters and an external tank. They can come off just like they would in a real mission. I am so excited to know that you, Senator John Glenn, will be looking at my work.

While I was building it, I thought of what it would be like to be in the shuttle and to orbit the earth. I cannot believe a human being has actually gone around the colossal planet, Earth. What an accomplishment!!!

I would like to wish you the best of luck on your next mission to space. You are an amazing person who has accomplished much more than I have ever imagined. Once again, congratulations and good luck.

Cortland Jr. Sr. High School

October 6, 1998

Dear Senator Glenn,

My name is Michelle. I am an eighth grader from Cortland. We have been studying your flights and missions for some time. Although I've never met you, I think you are just about the greatest person in the world. I have always been interested in the stars and planets ever since I can remember, so when we started reading about you I got really excited.

If I had the chance to go up in space, I would probably be too scared. I don't really like tight spaces. I don't like to be very high off the ground, either. On the other hand, it would be a "once in a life time chance," so I'd have to go. Have you ever had to make a decision like that?

When you strapped yourself in that capsule 36 years ago, did you ever think about what you were really doing? You made history; you are just like Lincoln or Washington. I think it would be so cool if our nation had a President who is an astronaut.

Sincerely yours,

Michelle

Cortland Jr-Sr High School

Oct. 6, 1998

Dear Senator Glenn,

In English class, it has been a pleasure learning and writing about you and your space voyages. We have read very much about you, NASA, and the space shuttle. From what we have read, you have lead and lived a very interesting and proud life as a businessman, astronaut, and senator.

You must be excited you are going back "up." Early in the space program the "world's eyes" were on you. Once more we will watch you in an awe-inspiring way. Once again we watch you, as a historic space figure and senator.

I live in New York, I love the state. Have you spent any of your life in New York state? What do you think about it? I love the hills, the trees, and the people. I love the autumn season the trees turn many beautiful colors. I wonder if you like the colors? Autumn is the most colorful time of the year.

When I think of the word "space," I think of planets, stars, and astronauts. I love space and looking into space through a telescopic eye at the beautiful planets and stars.

When you go to space, I would like you to remember three things: have fun, be safe, and wave on the way out. Go to space. Remember great memories, and come back to us all safely. Have a great trip. I am looking forward to seeing you in space.

Yours truly,

Mark

Cortland Jr.Sr. High School

October 9, 1998

Dear Senator Glenn,

I am an 8th grade student at Cortland Jr. Sr. High School. I am very excited to be able to write to you, the first American to orbit the Earth.

Your life is a great achievement that you have chosen to share with us, and I myself am particularly interested in your life. From fighting in World War II to becoming senator, your life has been one accomplishment after another.

You have drastically changed the lives of many young star-watchers, including myself. You are a role model to many people, young and old, and should be proud of your life accomplishments. I would give anything to have the opportunity to do the things that you have done.

Sincerely,

Michelle

Dear Senator John Glenn,

My class was assigned to write reports and send them to you, so my friend and I decided to work together to write to you. We made a project for you. Unfortunately, we couldn't send it to you, so we took a picture of it for you to look at. It is a model of the space shuttle. We worked hard on it, and we hope you enjoy it. We also hope you have a nice time in space. Maybe when you get back from space, if you have any free time, you could write to us or our school. We hope you like our project.

Sincerely,

Liz

Cortland Jr. Sr. High School

October 6, 1998

Dear Senator Glenn,

My name is Anis. I have done a lot of research about you and about what is done in space. I have learned a lot about space, and I enjoy reading about it.

In English class, we are writing letters to you. I'm in eighth grade and my teacher is Ms. Passeri. I think that is neat that you were the first American to orbit the earth. I want to be an astronaut when I grow up.

I'm wondering a few things about your experiences in space and politics. In space, is it fun to have "0" gravity? Also, how does it feel in your space suit? How do you feel about the press? Do you enjoy your job as a senator and as in astronaut? I have never heard of another senator who is an astronaut, but I think that is really neat.

I think you have a great life because I'd love to be an astronaut. I hope you have a great trip to space once again on October 29, 1998, and I hope you accomplish your mission.

Cortland Jr. Sr. High

October 8, 1998

Dear Senator Glenn,

Hello, my name is Ben. I am thirteen years old, and I live in Cortland, NY. When I get older, I hope either to be an astronaut or meteorologist. I have been interested in space since I was about seven years old.

My opinion is that you are lucky to be able to go into space not just once but twice. I am hoping to be able to go to NASA and see what it is like down there. I also want to go to the National Weather Service in Miami.

In 1993, after hurricane Andrew, my mother and her boyfriend went down to Florida to repair satellites. I have a background in how to build satellites, both the big ten feet to sixteen feet dishes. I can also build the small twelve inch dishes. That is another reason why I like space and space travel so much.

I'm glad that you were the first American in space. Because of you, the whole space program was a success. I bet it must have been fun when you were in space. I have one question. Did the weightlessness affect you, or were you strapped into your seat? One thing that I want to experience one time in my life is the experience of weightlessness.

Sincerely,

Ben

October 6, 1998

Dear Senator John Glenn,

I am an eighth grade student at Cortland Jr. Sr. High School. I am very excited about your next flight into space. I'm sure that you are, too. I would give anything to go into space. I think it would be fun, but I don't think I would be able to go through the tests. I would probably get sick, and I would get homesick. I think it would be "cool" to work for NASA and help design new shuttles or help astronauts get through their training. NASA technicians and astronauts deserve to get paid a lot.

I have studied your previous flight into space, and I studied about your being a pilot in World War II and the Korean War. I also studied what happened when you were up in space like seeing the Glenn Effect particles.

I hope you do well in your next mission, and come back safely. Good Luck!

Cortland Jr. Sr. High School

Oct. 25, 1998

Dear Senator Glenn,

My class and I are very excited to see you return to space. It is great for you to experience another launch into space. My class and I have had the best of times learning about your life and about trips that you have taken into space.

You must be excited about going back to space. These past couple of weeks I have become very interested in the space program and NASA. It's amazing to watch T.V. and to think about what will be going on after lift-off.

Most people your age stopped caring about their body, but when people look at you, they see a seventy-seven year old man going into space and they think, "Wow! What a terrific person!" That is really a big accomplishment. Good luck and Godspeed, John Glenn.

Sincerely,

Joe

Dear Senator Glenn,

Hello. My name is Erica. I'm an eigth grader at Cortland Jr. Sr. High School. I am in Ms. Passeri's English class. We all learned about "SPACE," and we talked about you. We had to do a project, so I decided to write a letter to you.

In this unit my class learned about, we had to write poems and do a project. I really enjoyed this unit because I had the opportunity to learn about you. It was really fun because we saw you lift off on television,and we saw the rocket boosters fall off. It was really interesting to see this experience. Yours truly, Erica

P.S. I hope you liked the book we made for you and the school sweatshirt and award we sent you. I also hope you had a fun time in space again.

Sincerely,

Erica

Cortland Jr. Sr. High School

October 6, 1998

Dear Senator Glenn,

Hello, my name is Vanessa. I'm thirteen years old. I'm from Cortland Jr. Sr. High School, in Cortland, New York.

I am curious about your scheduled flight on the space shuttle Discovery. How does it feel to be going on the Discovery Space Shuttle on your upcoming flight? What are you looking forward to the most when you get into space? What kind of experiments will you be doing dealing with aging when you get into space? My last question is how does it feel to work with the different Presidents of the United States?

I'm happy that you're able to go into space again. You seem like you're very excited to be going up. I admire that someone your age now can have the chance to be going into space. I'm proud of all of your accomplishments: of your being elected senator and being the first American astronaut to orbit the earth three times. I know you have a busy schedule, but if you answer just one question, I would be very grateful.

Cortland Jr-Sr High School

10/6/98

Dear Senator Glenn,

Hello, my name is Thomas. We discussed your first flight into space in my English class. I think your trip into space was very interesting.

How did you get exercise up there? It's not like there was a lot of room to move around. Did you have special machines that could be used in space to exercise? If you did, how could you fit them in the space shuttle since it was so small?

Did you get claustrophobic in space? The space capsule was a lot smaller than what you will be going up in on the mission in October. I think it would be easier for an aging person to live in space because nothing weighs anything on the moon or not as much.

Enjoy your trip and good luck.

Sincerely,

Thomas

I am an astronaut. By Allison

I am a father.

I am John Glenn.

I rode in a space capsule.

I saw the stars.

I saw ice crystals.

I saw something that most people never get to see -- space!

I went around the world three times.

I stayed in cramped quarters.

I wore a spacesuit.

I slept in a sleep restraint.

I was worried about my eyes reshaping, but not anymore.

I worked with six crew men.

I love my job!

When we saw the "Glen Effect," it was so shiny.

It was as bright as gold, but very, very cold!

It was yellowish green like big fireflies.

When we saw the "Glen Effect," we wanted to touch it.

We thought that it would be lumpy and bumpy.

It must be ice cold, for it was freezing to our ship.

I just wish that we could have touched it!

When The "Glen Effect" went by our ship, it made a whooshing sound.

It also made a ping, ping, ping as the ice hit our ship.

At first I was afraid, but not anymore!

When the "Glen Effect" went by, we wished that we could smell it. We thought that it would smell like ice and rocks, with a hint of mint.

If only we could have smelled it!

If only we could have.

***********

http://www.nss.org/askastro

*

John

serious, intelligent, determined astronaut

husband of the loving Anna Margaret Castor

who thrived throughout his work at Ohio Muskingum College

who was certainly liked among his fellow astronauts

who was disappointed at the thought of Mission Control telling

him there was no problem when really there was

who cherishes the time spent with his children, John David and Carolyn Ann

who treasured riding in a parade alongside President John

Kennedy and air force general, Leighton Davis

who rejoices at the thought of his wonderful accomplishments

resident of "Friendship 7"

Glenn

by Abby

http://nasa.gov/

Meteor

Moving as fast as it can,

Every particle a piece of art,

To its destination, which no one knows,

Even its tail is art,

Or maybe it's an angel answering a wish.

Remember it ; for it is a free wish.

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv/

John

Heroic, brave

Making a leap

Striving for all mankind

Glenn

by Brian

S ailing through a long

P eriod of time in space,

A lift-off needs rocket boosters to

C ount on and an

E xternal tank

S oaring upward, you can see the rocket boosters

H gh in the sky fall away from the orbiter to the water,

U sing ships to come and pick

T hem up for more lift-offs.

T he external tank gets burned by

L ots of heat from the ozone layer. At the

E nd of the flight, the orbiter lands just like a plane. *

http://www.senate.gov/~glenn/main.html

John,

a test pilot, an astronaut, a senator

husband of Anna Margaret Castor

who loves to travel through space

who loves his children and his wife

who is a dreamer

who achieves his goals

resident of the universe

Glenn

Space

stars, dark

empty, glimmering, quiet

comets, asteroids, planets, galaxies

alone

*

by Liz

by Crystal htpp://www.jpl.nasa.gov/

hhtp://www.cnn.com/TECH/9801/15/glenn.space.2/

Ship

Large, fast,

Howling, roaring, flying

Darkness consuming in its flight,

searching, challenging, finding

Discoveries

External

Big, doomed

Firing, splitting-off, plummeting,

Doomed, burning into our atmosphere,

Falling, crashing, burning

Tank

Perilous Journey

When the ship lifts off into its

John perilous journey,

Orbiting Bright colors blind my eyes,

Hero of a Like staring at the happy sun,

Nation Etching pictures into the stars,

Like a pencil on paper.

Gliding in space

Like a bird When the ship lifts off in its

Etching through stars perilous journey, it

Near to us yet far away sounds like thunder booming in my

Now and again ears,

Like standing on a storm cloud,

Hearing a lion roar,

Like the sound of a mighty elephant

Striding with pride,

When the ship lifts off.....

Shuttle

People

Space Astronaut

Nothing there City

No air there Event

I would go there

Space

John Glenn

Shuttle I jump into the rocket to go into space.

Big plane I wait for the countdown.

Goes in space I soar through the atmosphere and orbit the

I'd go in it earth.

Cool! I am John Glenn.

Universe

Huge place

Contains the planets

It is very big

Stars

J olly

O utgoing Grateful

H eroic Learning

N ice Energetic

N oble N.A.S.A.

A thletic

S tar

T echnical

R adical

O lder

N ifty

A stronaut

U seful

T rustworthy

*By Erica

Universe

Unlimited

New space!

I will learn

Very much.

Every inch

Renders

Something new and

Exciting!

Lift Off

When the boosters lifted the capsule,

John Glenn heard the fire roar,

like an untamed lion,

deep in the treacherous jungle.

He heard commands from mission control,

buzzing in his ear like a swarm of hungry bees.

When the boosters lifted the capsule,

John Glenn felt the vibration,

as if he were next to a passing train.

He felt the controls of his vessel

as he ran his fingers over the buttons and switches.

When the boosters lifted the capsule,

John Glenn saw his reflection

in the glass of his helmet,

like a child full of wonder,

he saw greenish-yellow specks fly past his capsule

like fiery sparks in the night.

by Greg

The Alien I Met

I met an alien who was scary.

He was really hairy.

He had three eyes,

and ate a lot of flies,

and didn't like the taste of berries.

He was really short,

and had to snort.

He was really fat,

and had a six-footed cat.

All he could say was, "Abort!"

He smelled really funny,

and had a seven-eared bunny.

He walked really weird,

and had a funky beard,

and had a son name Sunny.

John Glenn

John Glenn

strong, brave

instructor, pilot, friend

happy, respectful, grateful, excited

Astronaut

by George

THERE AND BACK

Launch

Hot, smoky

rising, escalating, inspiring

racing away from the earth

curving, leveling, floating

amazing, majestic

Orbiter

cold, hot

rotating, observing, experimenting

retrograde engines balancing orbit

re-entering, accelerating, plummeting

compressing, weighty

Touchdown

John Glenn

J ust by the rules

O pening horizons

H ero

N ew adventure

G reat first

L ifting experience

E xiciting

N A.S.A.

N ational news

by Heather

John

astronaut, hero

wishful, hopeful, enjoying

respected, celebrate, trusted

Glenn

J ohn

o uter space

h umanitarian

n avy

*

Great

latest flight

enjoys being in outer space

new Concord

nASA

*

Space flight

space shuttle, astronauts

Invigorating, exciting, launching

disappearing into the sky

blasting, flying, returning

landing safely

Success

S urprising

P eculiar

A ngry

C razy

E xciting

M onster

O dd

N on-existing

S trange

T edious

E xtra-terrestrial

R eal

by Joe http://photojornal.jpl.nasa.gov

Astronaut

brave man

explores the universe

a really adventurous person

spaceman

Just a brave guy

Orbiter

Has no fear

Never slacks off

Great when it comes to space

Loves what he does

Everyone likes him

Never does less than his best

Now he's off again!

hhtp://www.cnn.com/TECH/9801/15/glenn.space.2/

Joyful

Observing

Honest

Noble

Giving

Loving

Exciting

Nervously

Now preparing

Planets

Circle, nine

Revolving, spinning, rotating

Part of our solar system

Heavenly bodies

http://www.hevanet.com/mccharles

Air supply

Space travel

Tight space

Risk their lives

Orbiter

Nasa

Astronomy

Universal

Terrific

NASA

Air Travel

Flying through space

Wonderful experiences and fun

Space

Aliens

Green Things

They run everywhere.

They are cute creatures.

Weirdos

by Jessica

by Justin

J UMPING SPACE

O RBITING TUMBLING

H EAVEN A ROUND

N O...

G RAVITY

L IGHT

E ARTH

N O

N ONSENSE

SPACE

PARTICLES

AIRLESS

COMING TOWARDS

EARTH

htpp://windows.engin.umich.edu/cgi-bin/tour.cgi/long.button.map(back=/saturn/saturn.html&sw=

false&sn=42707

Shoots through the sky

Hits planets

Orbits in

Outer space

Traveling wherever

It wants

Never stops

Going until it hits

Something

Tremendous in size

Always dies away

Remembering the way it flew through the sky

Alien

ugly, slimy

floating, destroying, conquering

explores different unknown territories

learning, understanding, protecting

nice, helpful

Friend

Constellations

In the sky there are stars and planets.

All you can see are the constellations.

There's Orion, the dippers, and even Gemini.

Taurus is the bull,

Standing as a bull.

Scorpio with its sting,

Waiting for its prey.

Cancer is the crab,

Sitting in the sand.

Leo the lion is waiting,

Ready to pounce at the drop of a dime.

Pisces are fish,

Swimming in the river called Milky Way.

Aries is the ram,

Using its horns to fight for a mate.

The constellations tell you about yourselves.

They even tell the future.

Who knows??

by Jennie

Little Green Martians

See the little Martians,

Eating marshmallows.

See their ships floating,

With a silvery coating,

Their little antennae,

Sticking out of their heads.

That's what little Martians do.

M A R T I A N S

M- Mars is where they live

A- Antennae poking from their heads

R- Roaming around the universe

T- Taking over planets

I- Inching closer to Earth

A- Anticipating Earth's fall

N- Not about to give up

S- Sent by their king

M A R S

M- Most aliens are from there.

A- Air is thinner.

R- Red planet

S- Sandstone is on the planet.

by Jennie

J ob with NASA

O ne time wasn't enough

H ow does he do it?

N ot afraid

G oing into space

L ikes his job

E xtraordinary

N atural

N eeds to be retrained for the shuttle

by Jeffrey

By Jamey

s ome light

p eace

a toms

c ontact

e ffect

s pace

h igh

u p

t all

t hunder

l ack of air

e ureka

Joyful

Optimistic

Hero

Neat

Glad

Lending

Exciting htt://www.newsnet5.com/news/stoies/

Nice news-980921-125744.html

Never-ending

An Astronaut

An astronaut,

An astronaut who will go to new heights,

An astronaut who will soar again,

An astronaut who is strong

An astronaut who will not turn away,

John Glenn is an astronaut,

John Glenn will go to new heights,

John Glenn will soar again,

John Glenn is strong,

John Glenn will not turn away,

John Glenn is a hero!

by Jay

Stars

Sparkle, Glisten

Coasting,Glowing, Shining

Sunset, Stars Will Appear

Never-ending, Fading, Sky-scraping

Galaxies, Meteors

Outer Space

Appearing in a spacecraft

Lifting human bodies to bring into space

Interested in our species

Extraterrestrial life

Never to be seen by me.

*

Meteor

Blaze, Shoot

Firing, Gliding, Roaring

They soon fade out

Rock

Going into outerspace

Leaving October 29

Even happier than before by Jennifer

Never stopped loving space

Now 77-years old http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/cig-bin/PIAGenPlanetPage.pl?Earth

John

Outstanding

Honest

Nice

Generous

Loving

Explorer

Needed

NASA'S SPACE

SPACE SHIP

Flying in the sky

Lifting off, exploring,working

Desire to go to the moon

Transportation

http:www.windows.umich.edu

f light Jettison

r ocket orbiter

i ntertank heat

e levons nASA

n ose

d ependable Gemini

s huttle launch

h ydrogen effects

i nternational naval academy

p ayload national

s atellite

e ngines

v ehicles

e xternal tank

n asa

Space

big, dark

so very dangerous

zero gravity, meteors, stars, planets

lonely

by Keith

THE COSMIC BODIES

Stars are like sparklers

Sparkling in the night sky.

Some stars start to twinkle

When evening is nigh.

There are nine planets:

Jupiter, Mars, and Uranus,

Mercury, Earth, Saturn,

Neptune, Pluto, and Venus.

On a dark, clear night

Comets look like some dots.

If you look really hard,

A comet you can spot.

Remember the Glenn Effect,

Yellowish green fireflies?

There are many cosmic bodies

In space, past our skies.

by Kristin

I am an astronaut.

I climb slowly aboard the space shuttle.

Like a turtle,

Cautiously looking around the area.

Getting ready to settle into my "space home"

for the journey.

Preparing for take-off.

Afraid of what might go wrong.

Like a mouse,

Watching for a cat or trap.

The motors begin to roar loudly.

Like a train,

Rumbling down the track.

Cautious, afraid, deafening.

Once in space,

The fun begins.

I float around the shuttle.

Playing,

Like a child.

All over again.

Astounding

Strong

Talented

Role Model

Outstanding

Not Afraid

Amazing

Unique

Technological

By Katie

http://images.jsc.nasa.gov/ *

John Glenn

The things you've seen,

The places you've been,

My, I would've thought

That you were my dad!

You probably have a

Million more stories than

He'll ever have, though.

You've probably even

Seen more planets than

I'll ever see. You've seen

So many stars. Do you really

Think that there is an ET on Mars?

John Glenn

Joyous

Outstanding

Heading out to the vast understanding of space

Navigating through space

Galaxy

Light years away

Exciting

Natural

Near the time line

by Lisa

http://www.senate.gov/~glenn/main.

John,

a test pilot, an astronaut, a senator

husband of Anna Margaret Castor

who loves to travel through space

who loves his children and his wife

who is a dreamer

who achieves his goals

resident of the universe

Glenn

Space

stars, dark

empty, glimmering, quiet

comets, asteroids, planets, galaxies

alone

*

by Liz

Space

Astronauts

Television

Energy

Long distance

Long time

Intelligent

Traveling

Eating

Glad

Learning

Enormously dedicated

Never gives up

Nice

Joyful

Outer space

Happy

Nice

Glad

Learning

Exploring

New things

Nice things he does

Journeying through

Outer space to the

Heavens up above

Never did

Glenn think he'd see the day he'd

Leave the

Earth again, but

Night after night he will soar through the sky; we

Need to say hip hip hooray to this courageous guy.

Astronaut

Brave, courageous

Soaring through space

One with no fears

Weightless

By Michelle

http://www.senate.gov/~glenn/

Earth

Life and Nature

Water, light, air

Endless movement

Nurturer

Between Sun and Earth

Venus turns

And in its sunless night

Still shines the light

by Maria

poems by Mark

A ll

S tars

T winkle,

R ockets

O n

N ow

A rising

U p

There somewhere

John in

Outer space

Having

Nice fun, out there

launchpad

quiet, alone

firing, flying, being

scary, intrueging, exciting, stimulating

sky

peaceful, beautiful

flying, heightening, leaving

blue, cloudy, clear, nice

space

**

H as a tremendous job

U nleashes a great deal of technology

B roke down while in space

B rave astronauts

L eaving to repair it

E xcellent pictures...

T raveling to Earth

E scapes the Earth, thrusting deep into space

L iabilities to

E veryone if it fell to Earth.

S atellite

C omputer controlled

O n a mission

P oses in a beautiful way

E legantly floating in space

Space Tiger

sophisticated, tame

planting, growing, harvesting

one who eats plants

chasing, hunting, killing

savage, wild

Earth Tiger

Space

Dark, gloomy

A lot of stars

Out of this world

Interesting

Stars

Bright, shining

Burning, gleaming, awesome

Sight in the sky

Milky Way Galaxy

Sapphire Sky

S oaring through the night

H opping between the sun and the moon

O ver the sky

O ut of space

T errific view

I nteresting

N ever ending

G ases burning

S uspended in space

T ime consuming

A erodynamic

R eticulating through stars

By Mark

****

Space

Dark, gloomy

A lot of stars

Out of this world

Interesting

by Mark

Stars

Bright, shining

Burning, gleamimg, awesome

Sight in the sky

Milky Way Galaxy

Sapphire sky

Beautiful

by Mark

John Glenn

John is a good person.

Once he went to outer space,

He just had to go again.

Not one person I know would go out there after going once.

Glenn seemed to like space very much,

Leading himself into space,

Enjoying his ride .

Nobody knows what he was thinking,

Nobody except himself.

By Morgan

John

There once was a man named John

who wasn't sure what was going on.

He stepped into a capsule hole

but didn't lose all control.

He went up in space.

There was a big smile on his face.

John orbited the world.

He must have been hurled.

The shuttle had its effects

but didn't have a wreck.

The shuttle landed far from the South Pole,

and John was greeted by Mission Control.

Stars

I sit on our dock

and look up in shock.

I see the big dipper from so far.

All that I see are stars and more stars.

Stars make me feel good,

just how I should.

I wish upon a star some night.

I choose the one that is so bright.

by Maria

*"Fireflies" *

Flying

Ice crystals

Really bright

Emerging particles of light

Floating

Luminous

Infinity

Energy

Suspended in space

Halley's Comet

Halley's

dark fantasy

bright, hurtling streak

lightening-like flash

Comet

by Michelle

Mars

Planet

Red, Immense

Orbiting, Baking, Overlooking,

In perpetual motion around the sun

Glowing, Boiling, Aging

Old, Dense

Mars

John Glenn

Pilot

Clever, Courageous

Thinking, Calculating, Estimating

Forging the path for others

Lifting off, Orbiting, Observing

Proud, Famous

Astronaut

Businessman

Successful, Important

Planning, Signing, Hiring

With constant thought about his company

Campaigning, Speaking, Concerned

Victorious, Satisfied

Senator

A Great Man

By Matt

John Glenn

Is an inspiration to women and men.

He is a pioneer of space,

And to the Soviets,

He gave chase.

His courage is unmatched

Along with his pride,

His list of feats

Is a mile wide.

By Matt

Moonhouse

*

To have a house

on the moon

you would have to live

in a bio-dome,

A bio-dome which you would call

home.

You would need

air to breathe and

gravity

to hold you down,

and spacesuits

so your blood wouldn't boil.

We would not learn of 7 continents,

but of 9 planets.

But not today,

maybe tomorrow,

We'll live on the moon.

Stars

The stars glimmer and gleam

like the moon shining on the water at night.

So calm and peaceful,

all singing together.

If you look

there are constellations.

Pictures of lions and bears,

snakes and hunters.

These gaseous

particles in space,

they glimmer and gleam.

Like the moon on the water at night.

So calm and peaceful,

all singing together.

by: Nick

http://cesp.nasm.edu:2020/RPIF/Moon/CGalileo.html

* *

John

Older

Hero

Now

G oing back to

L earn

E ven more about a

N ew

N umber of things

by Peter *

John

hero, wise

going into space

a very important man

Glenn

by Peter

by Jasmin

Soaring through the

Peaceful

Atmosphere

Calming every

Emotion

____________________________________

Space

Dark, Quiet

Calming, Soothing, Appealing

Looking at Golden Planets

Peaceful

____________________________________

John is a man who went into

Outer Space

He is hero and

Never gives up!!

*******

Space

Dark, gloomy

A lot of stars

Out of this world

Interesting

Stars

Bright, shining

Burning, gleaming, awesome

Sight in the sky

Milky Way Galaxy

Sapphire Sky

S oaring through the night

H opping between the sun and the moon

O ver the sky

O ut of space

T errific view

I nteresting

N ever ending

G ases burning

S uspended in space

T ime consuming

A erodynamic

R eticulating through stars

By Mark

Space

Dark, gloomy

A lot of stars

Out of this world

Interesting

by Mark

Stars

Bright, shining

Burning, gleamimg, awesome

Sight in the sky

Milky Way Galaxy

Sapphire sky

Beautiful

by Mark

John is a good person.

Once he went to outer space,

He just had to go again.

Not one person I know would go out there after going

once.

Glenn seemed to like space very much,

Leading himself into space,

Enjoying his ride .

Nobody knows what he was thinking,

Nobody except himself.

John

There once was a man named John

who wasn't sure what was going on.

He stepped into a capsule hole

but didn't lose all control.

He went up in space.

There was a big smile on his face.

John orbited the world.

He must have been hurled.

The shuttle had its effects

but didn't have a wreck.

The shuttle landed far from the South Pole,

and John was greeted by Mission Control.

Stars

I sit on our dock

and look up in shock.

I see the big dipper from so far.

All that I see are stars and more stars.