▁ 1 9 5 8 , ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁American ▁in ▁orbit , ▁John ▁Gl enn ▁in ▁Friend ship ▁ 7 ▁on ▁February ▁ 2 0 , ▁ 1 9 6 2 . ▁As ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁Marshall ▁Space ▁Fl ight ▁Center , ▁Von ▁Braun ▁o vers aw ▁development ▁of ▁a ▁larger ▁class ▁of ▁ro cket ▁called ▁Sat urn , ▁which ▁allowed ▁the ▁US ▁to ▁send ▁the ▁first ▁two ▁humans , ▁Neil ▁Arm strong ▁and ▁B uzz ▁Ald rin , ▁to ▁the ▁Moon ▁and ▁back ▁on ▁Apol lo ▁ 1 1 ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 6 9 . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁secret ly ▁tried ▁but ▁failed ▁to ▁develop ▁the ▁N 1 ▁ro cket , ▁meant ▁to ▁give ▁them ▁the ▁cap ability ▁to ▁land ▁humans ▁on ▁the ▁Moon . ▁ ▁Ph ases ▁ ▁La unch ▁▁ ▁Rock ets ▁are ▁the ▁only ▁means ▁currently ▁capable ▁of ▁reaching ▁orbit ▁or ▁beyond . ▁Other ▁non - ro cket ▁spac ela unch ▁techn ologies ▁have ▁yet ▁to ▁be ▁built , ▁or ▁remain ▁short ▁of ▁orb ital ▁spe eds . ▁A ▁ro cket ▁launch ▁for ▁a ▁space fl ight ▁usually ▁starts ▁from ▁a ▁space port ▁( cos mod rome ), ▁which ▁may ▁be ▁equ ipped ▁with ▁launch ▁complex es ▁and ▁launch ▁p ads ▁for ▁vertical ▁ro cket ▁launch es , ▁and ▁run ways ▁for ▁take off ▁and ▁landing ▁of ▁car rier ▁air plan es ▁and ▁wing ed ▁space craft . ▁Space ports ▁are ▁situated ▁well ▁away ▁from ▁human ▁habit ation ▁for ▁noise ▁and