#alan shepard
May 5, 1961: Alan Shepard becomes the first American in space
“From Cape Canaveral, Florida, Navy Commander Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. is launched into space aboard the Freedom 7 space capsule, becoming the first American astronaut to travel into space. The suborbital flight, which lasted 15 minutes and reached a height of 116 miles into the atmosphere, was a major triumph for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
NASA was established in 1958 to keep U.S. space efforts abreast of recent Soviet achievements, such as the launching of the world’s first artificial satellite–Sputnik 1–in 1957. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the two superpowers raced to become the first country to put a man in space and return him to Earth. On April 12, 1961, the Soviet space program won the race when cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was launched into space, put in orbit around the planet, and safely returned to Earth. One month later, Shepard’s suborbital flight restored faith in the U.S. space program.
NASA continued to trail the Soviets closely until the late 1960s and the successes of the Apollo lunar program. In July 1969, the Americans took a giant leap forward with Apollo 11, a three-stage spacecraft that took U.S. astronauts to the surface of the moon and returned them to Earth. On February 5, 1971, Alan Shepard, the first American in space, became the fifth astronaut to walk on the moon as part of the Apollo 14 lunar landing mission.”
This week in History:
May 2, 1670 - King Charles II grants charter to Hudson’s Bay Company
May 3, 1954 - Supreme Court rules in Hernandez v. Texas
May 4, 1961 - The first Freedom Ride departs from Washington, D.C.
May 5, 1921 - Chanel No. 5 perfume launches
May 6, 1937 - The Hindenburg disaster
May 7, 1994 - Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” recovered after theft
May 8, 1945 - V-E Day celebrated in America and Britain
Thisphotograph of Commander Alan Shepard can be found in the online collection of the Navy Seal Museum.
Post link
This week in History: May 5, 1961: The first American in space
”From Cape Canaveral, Florida, Navy Commander Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. is launched into space aboard the Freedom 7 space capsule, becoming the first American astronaut to travel into space. The suborbital flight, which lasted 15 minutes and reached a height of 116 miles into the atmosphere, was a major triumph for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
NASA was established in 1958 to keep U.S. space efforts abreast of recent Soviet achievements, such as the launching of the world’s first artificial satellite–Sputnik 1–in 1957. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the two superpowers raced to become the first country to put a man in space and return him to Earth. On April 12, 1961, the Soviet space program won the race when cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was launched into space, put in orbit around the planet, and safely returned to Earth. One month later, Shepard’s suborbital flight restored faith in the U.S. space program.
NASA continued to trail the Soviets closely until the late 1960s and the successes of the Apollo lunar program. In July 1969, the Americans took a giant leap forward with Apollo 11, a three-stage spacecraft that took U.S. astronauts to the surface of the moon and returned them to Earth. On February 5, 1971, Alan Shepard, the first American in space, became the fifth astronaut to walk on the moon as part of the Apollo 14 lunar landing mission.”
This week in History:
April 29, 1854: First African-American college chartered
April 30, 1803: Louisiana Purchase concluded
May 1, 1931: Empire State Building dedicated
May 2, 1933: Loch Ness sighted
May 3, 1946: US Supreme Court decides Paramount antitrust case
May 4, 1776: Rhode Island declares independence
May 5, 1904: Cy Young pitches perfect game
Thisphotograph of Alan Shepard, Jr. (center in silver space suit) and Navy SEALS can be found in the collection of the Navy SEAL Museum’s collection.
Post link
The Mercury Capsules that took John Glenn, Friendship 7 bottom, and Alan Shepard, Freedom 7 top, to space with Alan Shepard being the first American and Second person in space and John Glenn being the first to orbit the Earth. True American Hero’s that helped us change our future.
An excellent view of the Apollo 14 Lunar Module on the moon, as photographed during the first Apollo 14 extravehicular activity (EVA) on the lunar surface. The astronauts- Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell- have already deployed the U.S. flag.
Post link
