John Glenn, right, shows the Mercury spacecraft, in which he became the first American in orbit.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — In-flight instructions used by astronaut John Glenn during his historic 1962 Mercury spaceflight have been sold at auction.

Nate D. Sanders Auctions says the instructions used by Glenn as he became the first American to orbit Earth sold in Los Angeles on Thursday for $66,993. There were eight bids.

The instructions included a flight plan detailing celestial bodies and geographical landmarks to guide Glenn’s flight of nearly five hours on Feb. 20, 1962. They also told Glenn at what points to take photos, change the film and color filter, put on his helmet, and exercise. The document is scrolled around a bobbin that Glenn could maneuver with his thumb.

Glenn, now 95, gave the instructions as a thank-you to a frogman who helped recover NASA capsules from the ocean.