Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter talks during the 50 Years of Americans in Orbit presentation for employees at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter talks to Bob Cabana, director of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, during the "50 Years of Americans in Orbit" presentation for employees at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Mercury astronaut John Glenn and NASA Administrator Charles Bolden joined Carpenter and Cabana for the event.

This year marks 50 years since Glenn and Carpenter became the first two Americans to orbit Earth. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett