[sangnoir]

> The Americans made a huge deal about John Glenn, yet his record is basically worthless.

The whole reason the US was in the race to the moon was because the had lost the race to space (Sputnik, and then Yuri). The US badly needed a win.

[sangnoir]

Though I do wonder: had the Soviet Union been first to the moon as well, would that have sparked a race to Mars?