Who was the first to orbit the Earth in a spacecraft after Alan Shepard?

The correct answer is John Glenn, who became the first American to orbit the Earth in a spacecraft after Alan Shepard. Shepard's historic flight in 1961 marked the United States' entry into the space race but was a suborbital flight, meaning he did not complete a full orbit around the Earth.

Glenn’s orbital flight took place on February 20, 1962, during the Mercury-Atlas 6 mission, where he completed three orbits around the Earth. This achievement not only solidified the United States' capabilities in space exploration but also demonstrated the potential for human space travel beyond brief, suborbital missions.

The other individuals listed are significant figures in aerospace history; however, they did not orbit the Earth in a spacecraft after Shepard. Robert Goddard was a pioneer of rocket technology but did not fly into space. Konstantin Tsiolkvosky is known as the father of astronautics but lived too early to take part in the space race. Wernher von Braun was essential in developing rocket technology and played a key role in the Apollo program but did not personally orbit the Earth. Thus, John Glenn stands out as the correct answer to this question.