Astronaut Profile
Alan Shepard
Pilot
Alan Shepard piloted Freedom 7, becoming the first American in space, and later commanded Apollo 14 to the Moon.
OrbitingTruths Archive
Pilot • Deceased
Biography
The person behind the mission
Alan Shepard was a U.S. Navy test pilot selected as one of the original Mercury Seven astronauts. On May 5, 1961, he became the first American launched into space aboard Freedom 7, a 15-minute suborbital flight that came just three weeks after the Soviet Union's Yuri Gagarin orbited Earth. Grounded for years by an inner-ear disorder, Shepard underwent surgery to correct it and returned to flight status, commanding Apollo 14 in 1971 and becoming the fifth person to walk on the Moon.
Astronaut Details
Born
November 18, 1923
Died
July 21, 1998
Birthplace
East Derry, New Hampshire, USA
Role
Pilot
Program
Mercury
Time in Space
9 days, 0 hours, 17 minutes
Missions
Freedom 7, Apollo 14
Recognition
Awards & Honors
- Congressional Space Medal of Honor
- NASA Distinguished Service Medal
- Navy Distinguished Flying Cross