What almost happened to John Glenn?

Answer 1

John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, faced a life-threatening situation during his Friendship 7 mission in 1962 when his spacecraft experienced a potential retrofire failure. After completing three orbits, Glenn reported a warning light indicating a possible issue with the heat shield, which could have led to catastrophic consequences during re-entry. Fortunately, mission control decided to proceed with re-entry, and Glenn successfully returned to Earth, marking a significant achievement in the space race. This event highlighted the risks faced by astronauts during early space exploration.