Friendship 7 was the first American spacecraft to successfully orbit the Earth. Launched on February 20, 1962, it carried astronaut John Glenn into space. The mission lasted about 4 hours and 55 minutes, during which Glenn completed three orbits around the planet. The spacecraft was part of the Mercury program, which aimed to explore human spaceflight. Friendship 7 provided valuable data about the effects of space travel on the human body and helped pave the way for future missions, contributing significantly to the United States' efforts in the Space Race.