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John Glenn

John Glenn Quotes

Former United States Senator

John Glenn, born on July 18, 1921, was a former United States Senator and astronaut from the United States. He was the first American to orbit the Earth and the first elderly astronaut in American history. Glenn made significant contributions in both political and space exploration fields and is hailed as a pioneer of the American space industry.

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Famous John Glenn Quotes

“The most important thing we can do is inspire young minds and to advance the kind of science, math and technology education that will help youngsters take us to the next phase of space travel.”

“It was the time of the Cold War and so there were was a lot of pressure on the - to get going and the Russians were claiming that they were - Soviets were claiming they were ahead of us in technology. And so it was against that backdrop that the early space flights took off.”

War Space Technology Cold Pressure Flight Cold War Backdrop Space Flight

Author:John Glenn

“That whole day [ of the space flight] is very vividly impressed on my memory because it was such a new experience. We hadn't done that before. And then I've recalled it so often since then I think that it's a - it's remained very vivid over the past 50 years, seems to me like about a week or two instead of 50 years.”

Thinking Years Two Done Whole Seems Past Memories Space Week Flight Impressed Vivid Over The Past New Experiences Space Flight

Author:John Glenn

“Because now, you know, it's going to be a number of years yet before we have our own new boosters and new spacecraft to go to our own International Space Station and proceed with all the research that we spent $100 billion putting up there to give us that research capability for the future for people right here on Earth.”

People Knows Giving Years Earth Space Numbers Research International Billions Stations Capability Spacecraft International Space Station

Author:John Glenn

“I don't like the way the whole thing has developed. And I just hope that we develop our own transportation system, both spacecraft and new boosters, as soon as possible. I hate to think that we may be out there seven to ten years out and dependent on the Russians for our journey into space.”

Thinking Way Years May Whole Hate Space Journey Ten I Hate Seven Dependent Transportation Spacecraft

Author:John Glenn

“I hate to think that we may be out there seven to ten years out and dependent on the Russians for our journey into space.”

Thinking Years May Hate Space Journey Ten I Hate Seven Dependent

Author:John Glenn

“I think that it's good for us to be able to travel in space and do research in space, and I emphasize the research, because space travel to me is far more than just seeing how far we can go.”

Thinking Able Space Seeing Research Space Travel

Author:John Glenn

“Exploration, of course, is going to new places, but I don't think we go to new places just solely to say: "Well, we've been there," and come back, interesting though it may be. To me, each time we go farther into space we should use that to do basic research - basic research that can't be done before you go there.”

Thinking Should Wells May Done Use Courses Space Interesting Research Exploration New Places Basic Research

Author:John Glenn

“I think we're a long ways from really putting colonies of people out there who would live their whole lives out there in space. I don't see that happening for quite some time.”

People Thinking Way Long Whole Space Happenings Whole Life Long Way Colony

Author:John Glenn

“I think no matter where we go in space to me the important thing is not only getting there and getting back, but it's also doing research, because that opens up as a possibility with that new distance of travel in space.”

Thinking Important Matter Space Possibility Research Important Things Distance

Author:John Glenn

“As far as actually setting up colonies of people who would live their whole lives in space, I think we're a long ways from doing that yet, and I think we have many, many decades before we could be able to even consider something like that.”

People Thinking Way Long Whole Able Space Decades Whole Life Setting Settings Long Way Colony

Author:John Glenn

“In America, we have no means of getting to our own Space Station. We have to pay the Russians to put our people up there to send them into space - rendezvous with the Station and bring them back at the end of their stay, and that to me is just wrong. We're supposed to be the world's greatest space-faring nation, and to cancel our own means of getting there I thought was a mistake, even though it would save some money.”

People World Mean Ends America Nations Space Pay Mistake Supposed To Be Stations Rendezvous

Author:John Glenn

“I don't know what you could say about a day in which you have seen four beautiful sunsets.”

Knows Beautiful Night Space Darkness Four Sunset Space Exploration Beautiful Sunset

Author:John Glenn

“This is a day we have managed to avoid for a quarter of a century. We've talked about it before and speculated about it, and it finally has occurred. We hoped we could push this day back forever.”

Space Forever Century This Day Exploration Quarters Space Travel Quarter Of A Century

Author:John Glenn

“As I hurtled through space, one thought kept crossing my mind - every part of this rocket was supplied by the lowest bidder.”

Inspirational Mind Funny Space Humorous Cosmos Senators Lowest Rockets Astronaut Crossings Supplies Aviator

Author:John Glenn

“We used to joke about canned men, putting people in a can and seeing how far you can send them and bring them back. That's not the purpose of this program... Space is a laboratory, and we go into it to work and learn the new.”

People Men Used Purpose Space Seeing Jokes Program Laboratory Star Gazing

Author:John Glenn

“To get your name well enough known that you can run for a public office, some people do it by being great lawyers or philanthropists or business people or work their way up the political ladder. I happened to become known from a different route.”

People Way Wells Different Enough Running Political Names Space Known Happened Office Lawyer Routes Ladders Star Gazing Philanthropist Public Office

Author:John Glenn

About the Author

Born: July 18, 1921
Died: December 8, 2016
Known for: Former United States Senator
Quotes: 55

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