When it came time to name the Mercury spacecraft that would carry the first American to orbit, John Glenn turned to his kids. "There's only one ground rule," he told them. "The world is going to be watching, so the name should represent our country and the way we feel about the rest of the world." The kids pored over a thesaurus to find the perfect name: Friendship 7.

As we bid farewell to 2021 and look ahead to 2022, a year during which we will celebrate the 60th anniversary of Glenn's historic spaceflight, we are so grateful for our friends who have supported us over the last year, whether through a visit to one of our two locations, by engaging with us online and on social media, or with a donation to support our mission of inspiring the next generation of innovators and explorers.

As a thank you for your support this year, we commissioned Grammy award-winning creative director and graphic artist Lawrence Azerrad to create this piece of digital art looking forward to a bright 2022 filled with friendship and joy.

Digital art by Lawrence Azerrad.

Download a high resolution version.

Digital art by Lawrence Azerrad.

Download a high resolution version.

Related Topics Mercury program Spacecraft Behind the scenes
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