The First American in Space: Alan Shepard

Alan Shepard became the first American in space on May 5, 1961.
He flew aboard the Freedom 7 capsule during the Mercury-Redstone 3 mission.
Shepard’s suborbital flight lasted just 15 minutes and 22 seconds.
He reached a maximum altitude of 116 miles (187 km) above Earth.
His spacecraft splashed down safely in the Atlantic Ocean after the flight.
Shepard later commanded Apollo 14 in 1971, becoming the fifth man on the Moon.
He famously hit two golf balls on the lunar surface during Apollo 14.
Shepard was one of NASA’s original “Mercury Seven” astronauts.
His historic flight helped restore U.S. confidence during the early Space Race.
Alan Shepard remains a symbol of courage and pioneering spirit in American space history.