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How old was John Glenn when he flew on the space shuttle in 1998?

77, the oldest person to fly in space at that time.

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  1. 57
  2. 67
  3. 77 ✔

Why: John Glenn returned to space on the shuttle Discovery on October 29, 1998, at age 77. That made him the oldest human to go to space.

Huh, didn't know that: His two spaceflights were 36 years apart.

The dad joke
Why did John Glenn go back to space at 77? He wanted to prove age is just a number, and so is altitude.
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References

Answer: 77. John Glenn returned to space on the shuttle Discovery on October 29, 1998, at age 77. That made him the oldest human to go to space.

  1. NASA, John H. Glenn www.nasa.gov/people/john-glenn
    launched Oct. 29, 1998, when he was 77, made him the oldest human to venture into space.
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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