Houston - Astronaut John Glenn's tour of space moved into its second day yesterday with another blast from the past in store. Just as they did for his historic 1962 flight, residents of the Australian city of Perth planned to turn on their lights to greet the world's oldest spaceman as he soared overhead.
Glenn's mission has enthralled Americans, reviving huge popular interest in the space programme. Critics say his presence is a public relations gimmick to drum up interest in the space programme, but NASA insists that by using him as a guinea pig for medical research, he will provide valuable insight into the ageing process and how it is mimicked in space.