Facing Your Fears with Faith

A rival far outpacing you. Mission failures and delays occurring again and again. Fear and uncertainty taking over as criticism mounts.

This was the situation facing two men, John Glenn and John F. Kennedy, as the United States tried to recover in the space race during the early 1960’s. This compelling – and dare I say critical – period is told by historian Jeff Shesol in his new book, Mercury Rising.

Given my affinity for space exploration and the lessons it offers, I read the book with great interest. Here’s what I learned.

You gotta have faith

John Glenn had faith. Not just religious faith, which he surely possessed, but in other aspects of his life. For example, Glenn had faith in his skills as a pilot due to his work ethic. In the Mercury program that aimed to launch the first astronauts into space. And in his steadfast belief that he was serving his country, no matter the grave dangers that faced him.

This faith brought forth a level of dedication from Glenn that few could match. His fellow Mercury 7 astronaut, Scott Carpenter, observed this: “John, I must say, is wearing me out. I am not capable of the continued dedication to this thing that he is…It amazes me. It makes me a little proud and a little sorry.”

To become a Mercury 7 astronaut, successful candidates had to endure an extensive and extended application process. As Shesol describes, it was a fluid process and involved plenty of paperwork, recommendations, physical and mental testing, and yes, some bureaucratic end-runs. Through it all, Glenn had faith it would work out because he knew, “When the call came, I would be ready.”

Focus on the priorities

Once the Mercury 7 astronauts were named in April 1959, a bevy of distractions emerged. Press requests, autograph seekers, and television bookings flooded in, as the seven became overnight sensations. On top of a brisk training schedule that left little down time, the distractions grew; so, too, did the rivalry between astronauts. After all, they were vying to be the first American in space.

The pressure only intensified as the Russians achieved multiple breakthroughs in space while the Mercury program faced regular delays and setbacks. This included rockets exploding soon after launch and missions being scrubbed on the launch pad.

To keep these pressures at bay, Glenn invested the time to learn the nuances of space exploration and focused on the top priorities: his effort, his preparation, and of course, his family when he had the chance to visit them. Because this venture to space was one that he wanted.

Find what you want to achieve

You’ve heard it before: Find and do what you love. It’s widely shared advice, but often fails to portray the many factors and nuances that go into a life’s pursuit. John Glenn was different though. From an early age, he was fascinated by flying. Which led to the Marine Corps, flying combat missions during World War 2 and Korea, and applying to become a NASA astronaut. In this path, he followed the family motto: Alta pete (Latin for aim at high things).

Even in the face of mortal danger, Glenn pursued what he wanted to achieve. As Sheshol writes: “he (Glenn) thought space exploration was important for the country, even if it cost him his life.”

This focus and this faith ultimately took John Glenn to space on February 20, 1962, becoming the first American to orbit the Earth.

Glenn’s successful mission unleashed a flood of national emotion – “people swarmed; they wept with raw emotion” – and provided an enduring boost to the space program. Projects Gemini and Apollo followed and in April 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon, fulfilling JFK’s national challenge from May 1961: “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth.”

Having read several books on space exploration, I found Mercury Rising to be a closer look at two pivotal figures when the US sought a space-race comeback. Amid a fierce political debate, Cold War rivalry, and advances in rocketry, Shesol provides an insightful view of the personalities who were integral to America’s efforts in space – and how faith led a man to overcome his fears.