▁along ▁the ▁coast ▁came ▁to ▁be ▁known ▁as ▁Miss ile ▁Row ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s . ▁ ▁Project ▁Mercur y ▁ ▁NASA ' s ▁first ▁man ned ▁space fl ight ▁program ▁was ▁prepared ▁for ▁launch ▁from ▁C ana ver al ▁by ▁U . S . ▁Air ▁Force ▁cre ws . ▁Mercur y ' s ▁object ives ▁were ▁to ▁place ▁a ▁man ned ▁space craft ▁in ▁Earth ▁orbit , ▁investigate ▁human ▁performance ▁and ▁ability ▁to ▁function ▁in ▁space , ▁and ▁safely ▁recover ▁the ▁astr onaut ▁and ▁space craft . ▁Sub orb ital ▁fl ights ▁were ▁launched ▁by ▁derivatives ▁of ▁the ▁Army ' s ▁Red stone ▁miss ile ▁from ▁L C - 5 ; ▁two ▁such ▁fl ights ▁were ▁made ▁by ▁Alan ▁She p ard ▁on ▁May ▁ 5 , ▁ 1 9 6 1 , ▁and ▁G us ▁Gr iss om ▁on ▁July ▁ 2 1 . ▁Or b ital ▁fl ights ▁were ▁launched ▁by ▁derivatives ▁of ▁the ▁Air ▁Force ' s ▁larger ▁Atlas ▁D ▁miss ile ▁from ▁L C - 1 4 . ▁The ▁first ▁American ▁in ▁orbit ▁was ▁John ▁Gl enn ▁on ▁February ▁ 2 0 , ▁ 1 9 6 2 . ▁Three ▁more ▁orb ital ▁fl ights ▁followed ▁through ▁May ▁ 1 9 6 3 . ▁ ▁Fl ight ▁control ▁for ▁all ▁Mercur y ▁miss ions ▁was ▁provided ▁at ▁the ▁Mercur y ▁Control ▁Center ▁located ▁at ▁C ana ver al ▁near ▁L C - 1 4 . ▁ ▁Tem por ary ▁name ▁change ▁On ▁November ▁