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The original seven Mercury astronauts look at a model of the rocket that would eventually launch their Mercury capsules into space. From the left, front row: Virgil "Gus" Grissom, Scott Carpenter, Donald "Deke" Slayton, Gordon Cooper. From the left, back row: Alan Shepard, Walter Schirra, John Glenn. Click on image for full size (63K JPEG) Image courtesy of NASA

NASA just announced that Glenn will fly on the shuttle Discovery in October. Glenn is now 76 years old. So in October he will become the oldest person to fly in space!

The original seven Mercury astronauts look at a model of the rocket that would eventually launch their Mercury capsules into space. From the left, front row: Virgil "Gus" Grissom, Scott Carpenter, Donald "Deke" Slayton, Gordon Cooper. From the left, back row: Alan Shepard, Walter Schirra, John Glenn. Click on image for full size (63K JPEG) Image courtesy of NASA

NASA just announced that Glenn, who is 76 years old, will fly on the shuttle Discovery in October.

This shuttle flight will be much different than his flight 36 years ago in the small Mercury capsule. The Discovery mission will last 10 days, not just five hours like his Mercury trip did. This time Glenn will be part of a seven person team, not flying solo.

In October, Glenn will become the oldest person to fly in space. So this Discovery mission will focus on how people age in space.

The original seven Mercury astronauts look at a model of the rocket that would eventually launch their Mercury capsules into space. From the left, front row: Virgil "Gus" Grissom, Scott Carpenter, Donald "Deke" Slayton, Gordon Cooper. From the left, back row: Alan Shepard, Walter Schirra, John Glenn. Click on image for full size (63K JPEG) Image courtesy of NASA

NASA announced Friday that Glenn, who is 76 years old, will fly on the shuttle Discovery to be launched in October. This upcoming flight will be much different than his last flight 36 years ago. The Discovery mission will last 10 days, not just five hours. This time Glenn will be part of a seven person team, not flying solo. Unlike the Mercury mission which focused on survival, the Discovery mission will focus on how people age in space.

"Not only is John Glenn a Marine test pilot, an astronaut, and the first American to orbit the Earth, he brings a unique blend of experience to NASA," said NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin. "He has flight, operational, and policy experience. Unlike most astronauts, he never got the opportunity for a second flight. He is part of the NASA family, an American hero, and he has the right stuff for this mission."