Bill Ramsey (American, B. 1951) "Space" Signed lower left. Original Water Color painting on Cold Press Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. On February 20, 1962, an Atlas rocket lifted off from the launch pad at Cape Canaveral, carrying the small Friendship 7 capsule toward the heavens. Inside, astronaut John Glenn -- his every heartbeat monitored for signs of strain or stress -- sat cool, calm and collected. Friendship 7 soon reached its fixed orbit 162 miles above the Earth's surface. Beneath the spacecraft, the Earth turned on its axis 15 degrees every hour, causing night and day to pass before Glenn's spellbound eyes -- from Tuesday to Wednesday and back again. Completing his third orbit, Glenn piloted Friendship 7 back to Earth. The flight had lasted for 4 hours, 55 minutes and 24 seconds. In that time, Glenn had traveled 83,450 miles at speeds up to 17,545 mph -- becoming the first American to orbit Earth. Image Size: 4.25 x 5.25 in. Overall Size: 10 x 10 in. Unframed. (B07325)