Times of the Islands Winter 2020/21

green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
“Splashing down” into the ocean opens up a world of wonders just as exciting as space exploration—and much more accessible!
One Small Splash for Man
SCUBA diving revolutionized ocean exploration for all.
Story & Photos By Carmen Hoyt, Waterfront Assistant, The School for Field Studies
Late one summer night, nearly 51 years ago, half a billion people watched in anticipation as Neil Armstrong
was the first human to step onto the moon. An event embodied by the phrase “One small step for a man,
one giant leap for mankind,” marked the climax of the infamous space race playing out on (and beyond)
the global stage.
Less celebrated in pop culture, but equally as significant to the development of the US space program
was Lieutenant Colonel John Glenn and his spacecraft Friendship 7. In 1962, after three years of training,
he was the first American to orbit the Earth not once but three times, spending nearly five hours appreciating
our planet from afar. Upon his return later that day, Friendship 7 landed in the Atlantic Ocean
just off the coast of Grand Turk, where Glenn was transported for medical testing before returning to the
States.
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