Remembering Aurora 7

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Fifty years ago today, Scott Carpenter became the second American to orbit the Earth.

The flight was far from perfect. But little was in those early days.

Aurora 7 was essentially a test flight, as were all the Mercury flights. Humanity was dipping its toe into the celestial ocean for the first time. Much could go wrong, and it usually did.

In remembering Commander Carpenter's historic flight, you may wish to stop by his official web site at ScottCarpenter.com.

Fifty years later, the SpaceX Dragon just made its closest flyby of the International Space Station. Carpenter's flight helped lay the foundation.