posted 07-13-2016 03:56 PM               

In-flight instructions used by first American in orbit John Glenn heads to auction

A scrolling checklist used by John Glenn as he became the first American to orbit the Earth is now circling the auction block.

The long and narrow document, which Glenn used aboard his Mercury spacecraft "Friendship 7," helped to track the space capsule's position and the astronaut's planned flight activities as he rounded the Earth three times on Feb. 20, 1962. The in-flight instructions detailed when Glenn was to photograph the planet below and when to complete certain tasks, such as changing the film and filter on his camera.

"All data on the instructions was personally used by Glenn to confirm the capsule's flight path during its 4 hour and 55 minute mission," the Nate D. Sanders auction house wrote in its description of the lot.