Alan B. Shepard Jr.

Alan B. Shepard Jr. was one of the first seven American astronauts -- the "Mercury Seven".^[1] Shepard was the first astronaut to reach outer space, during a 15 minute sub-orbital flight, on May 5, 1961.

In 1971 Shepard would later serve as the commander of Apollo 14, a voyage to Luna, Earth's moon.^[1]

In 1974 Shepard retired from the United States Navy as an Admiral.^[1]

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 "Mercury Crew Bids Farewell To Colleague, Alan Shepard". The Associated Press. 1998-08-02. Retrieved 2026-06-10 – via The New York Times. It was Mr. Shepard's 15-minute flight on May 5, 1961 aboard the Freedom 7 Mercury spacecraft that made the United States a contender in the race for the moon.

[ApNews1998-08-02-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 "Mercury Crew Bids Farewell To Colleague, Alan Shepard". The Associated Press. 1998-08-02. Retrieved 2026-06-10 – via The New York Times. It was Mr. Shepard's 15-minute flight on May 5, 1961 aboard the Freedom 7 Mercury spacecraft that made the United States a contender in the race for the moon.

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