{"id":308007,"date":"2016-05-02T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-05-02T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?migration=converted-node-383286"},"modified":"2023-07-25T14:49:22","modified_gmt":"2023-07-25T18:49:22","slug":"shepards-mercury-flight-was-first-step-on-the-long-journey-to-mars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/humans-in-space\/shepards-mercury-flight-was-first-step-on-the-long-journey-to-mars\/","title":{"rendered":"Shepard’s Mercury Flight Was First Step on the Long Journey to Mars"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-article-hero-header nasa-gb-align-full bg-carbon-90 width-full maxw-full color-mode-dark hds-module hds-module-full wp-block-nasa-blocks-article-hero-header\">\t\t<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper width-full maxw-full minh-tablet grid-container minh-tablet flex-column padding-0\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-foreground-wrapper display-flex flex-direction-column\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-container grid-container-block margin-top-auto width-full maxw-desktop-lg padding-y-9 padding-x-3 desktop:padding-x-3 z-400\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"z-400 grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-7 z-400\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"label color-spacesuit-white margin-bottom-2\">11 Min Read<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"heading-41 line-height-md color-spacesuit-white-important\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tShepard’s Mercury Flight Was First Step on the Long Journey to Mars\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-5\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"skrim-overlay skrim-left mobile-skrim-top z-200\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"982\" height=\"1536\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/6100884.jpg?w=982\" class=\"attachment-1536x1536 size-1536x1536\" alt=\"The launch of the Mercury-Redstone (MR-3), Freedom 7. MR-3 placed the first American astronaut, Alan Shepard, in suborbit on May\" style=\"transform: scale(1.2); transform-origin: 12% 31%; object-position: 12% 31%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/6100884.jpg 1918w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/6100884.jpg?resize=192,300 192w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/6100884.jpg?resize=768,1201 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/6100884.jpg?resize=655,1024 655w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/6100884.jpg?resize=982,1536 982w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/6100884.jpg?resize=1309,2048 1309w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/6100884.jpg?resize=256,400 256w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/6100884.jpg?resize=384,600 384w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/6100884.jpg?resize=575,900 575w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/6100884.jpg?resize=767,1200 767w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/6100884.jpg?resize=1279,2000 1279w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 982px) 100vw, 982px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"padding-y-3 padding-x-3\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-container grid-container-block padding-x-0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"hds-caption maxw-mobile desktop:padding-x-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0 color-carbon-30\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div><figcaption>Liftoff of the Mercury-Redstone 3 rocket carrying astronaut Alan Shepard into space on May 5, 1961.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Amid a backdrop for the effort to put a human in space was the Cold War. The Soviet Union also was working to put the first human in space, and they did on April 12, 1961. Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was launched aboard a spacecraft named Vostok (Russian for East) and completed an entire orbit of the Earth, landing after a flight of one hour and 29 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Three weeks later, NASA astronaut Alan Shepard flew aboard a Mercury spacecraft he named Freedom 7. It was a short, 15-minute flight into space, but it was a \u201csmall step\u201d that has led to many \u201cgiant leaps.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Following the success of Shepard\u2019s flight, President John F. Kennedy knew he needed a bold response to the challenge of the Soviet Union as the Space Race began to heat up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe knew we were in a competitive situation,\u201d said Dr. Kurt Debus, NASA\u2019s Launch Operations director at the time. \u201cBut, we never permitted the pressure to make us take risks that might endanger Shepard\u2019s life or the success of the mission.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Debus, who would go on to serve as the first director of the Kennedy Space Center, knew he and the Project Mercury team were on the verge of something historic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe were proud that we were permitted to do some of the pioneering work and aware that we were at the threshold of something very important,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When Ike Rigell, chief of Project Mercury Electrical Network Systems, looked back at Shepard\u2019s flight, he expressed similar emotions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis was a very significant flight, because the country needed this,\u201d he said. \u201cThe whole free world needed this flight at that time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Following a delay due to unfavorable weather on May 2, 1961, NASA was ready for another attempt to launch Mercury Redstone-3.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Shepard climbed aboard Freedom 7 at 5:15 a.m. for the planned 7:20 a.m. liftoff from Launch Complex 5 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. But the launch was held for an hour to allow cloud cover to clear. Next, an inverter in the electrical system had to be repaired. Once the countdown began again, another hold was required to recheck a computer at Goddard Space Flight Center. The Greenbelt, Maryland-based center was responsible for management and operations of Project Mercury\u2019s communication networks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Shepard Reaches Space<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, at 9:34 a.m., the Mercury Redstone rocket roared to life with 78,000 pounds of thrust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cRoger, liftoff and the clock has started,\u201d Shepard radioed back to Mercury Control at the Cape.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/image-article\/launch-of-mercury-redstone\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1041\" height=\"1628\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/746515main_6100884_full.jpg?w=1041\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"The Launch of Mercury-Redstone\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/746515main_6100884_full.jpg 1041w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/746515main_6100884_full.jpg?resize=192,300 192w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/746515main_6100884_full.jpg?resize=768,1201 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/746515main_6100884_full.jpg?resize=655,1024 655w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/746515main_6100884_full.jpg?resize=982,1536 982w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/746515main_6100884_full.jpg?resize=256,400 256w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/746515main_6100884_full.jpg?resize=384,600 384w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/746515main_6100884_full.jpg?resize=575,900 575w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/746515main_6100884_full.jpg?resize=767,1200 767w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1041px) 100vw, 1041px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">With NASA astronaut Alan Shepard aboard, Mercury Redstone-3, America’s first piloted spaceflight is launched on May 5, 1961 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Launch Complex 5.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>An estimated 45 million American television viewers watched as the sleek, 83-foot launch vehicle rose into the blue Florida sky. Thousands more \u201cbird watchers\u201d flocked to Cocoa Beach and Port Canaveral to witness the historic event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After the flight, Shepard reported the launch phase went smoothly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe cockpit section experienced no vibration and I did not even have to turn up my radio receiver to full volume to hear the radio transmissions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the rocket\u2019s acceleration, Shepard was subjected to 6.3 <em>g, <\/em>or 6.3 times his normal weight, just before shut down of the Redstone engine, two minutes and 22 seconds after liftoff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTen seconds later, the spacecraft separated from the launch vehicle,\u201d Shepard said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Soon after, America\u2019s first space traveler got his first view of the Earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat a beautiful view,\u201d Shepard said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now weightless in space, Shepard took control of the spacecraft with a hand controller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI made this manipulation one axis at a time, switching to pitch, yaw and roll in that order until I had full control of the craft,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These options were not available to Gagarin on Vostok.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Freedom 7\u2019s retrorockets fired five minutes, 15 seconds after liftoff to begin the return to Earth. Strapped atop the heat shield, the retro pack was successfully jettisoned for the return through the atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe re-entry and its attendant acceleration pulse of 11 <em>g<\/em> was not unduly difficult,\u201d Shepard said, \u201cand I noticed no loss of peripheral vision.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An experienced Naval aviator, Shepard reported that the splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean \u201cdid not seem any more severe than a catapult shot from an aircraft carrier.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Helicopters dispatched from the recovery carrier, the USS Lake Champlain, were soon hovering above the floating Mercury spacecraft.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/image-article\/recovery-of-freedom-7\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1041\" height=\"787\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/535479main_recovery_full.jpg?w=1041\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"Helicopter recovering Freedom 7 capsule from ocean\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/535479main_recovery_full.jpg 1041w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/535479main_recovery_full.jpg?resize=300,227 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/535479main_recovery_full.jpg?resize=768,581 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/535479main_recovery_full.jpg?resize=1024,774 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/535479main_recovery_full.jpg?resize=400,302 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/535479main_recovery_full.jpg?resize=600,454 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/535479main_recovery_full.jpg?resize=900,680 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1041px) 100vw, 1041px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">After recovery crews attached a cable to the top of the Freedom 7 Mercury spacecraft, Alan Shepard is hoisted into a Marine helicopter hovering overhead. Minutes later, both were delivered to the deck of the USS Lake Champlain aircraft carrier.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>After the main hatch was blown off, Shepard climbed out and into a sling and was hoisted into a Marine helicopter. Both astronaut and Freedom 7 were flown to the deck of the Lake Champlain where sailors cheered the arrival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The flight of Mercury Redstone-3 lasted 15 minutes, 22 seconds with Freedom 7 ascending to an altitude of 116 miles, splashing down 302 miles from Cape Canaveral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Three days after the flight of Freedom 7, President Kennedy presented Shepard with the NASA Distinguished Service medal in a ceremony at the White House.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S67-19572\/S67-19572~large.jpg?w=1920&h=1508&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1508\" src=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S67-19572\/S67-19572~large.jpg?w=1920&h=1508&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S67-19572\/S67-19572~large.jpg?w=1920&h=1508&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1920w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S67-19572\/S67-19572~large.jpg?w=300&h=236&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 300w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S67-19572\/S67-19572~large.jpg?w=768&h=603&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 768w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S67-19572\/S67-19572~large.jpg?w=1024&h=804&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1024w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S67-19572\/S67-19572~large.jpg?w=1536&h=1206&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1536w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S67-19572\/S67-19572~large.jpg?w=400&h=314&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 400w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S67-19572\/S67-19572~large.jpg?w=600&h=471&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 600w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S67-19572\/S67-19572~large.jpg?w=900&h=707&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 900w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S67-19572\/S67-19572~large.jpg?w=1200&h=943&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">President John F. Kennedy congratulates Alan Shepard in a Rose Garden ceremony at the White House.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Opening a New Frontier<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Walt Kapryan, who was capsule project engineer for Shepard\u2019s flight, recalled the excitement of being a part of America\u2019s first human spaceflight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe felt we were on the threshold of something very important,\u201d Kapryan said. \u201cWe were on the threshold of opening a new frontier.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kapryan, who went on to become director of Launch Operations at Kennedy, soon learned that feeling was well founded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During a joint session of Congress on May 25, 1961, Kennedy challenged the nation to take the next steps in the journey in space by \u201clanding a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth.\u201d In remarks at Rice University in Houston on Sept. 12, 1962, Kennedy put in perspective the challenge that was ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard,\u201d he said, \u201cbecause that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As Project Mercury\u2019s orbital flights transitioned to the technological advances of Project Gemini, NASA honed skills in maneuverable spacecraft, spacewalking, rendezvous, docking and flights of up to two weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then came the giant leap to the moon.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s65-30427\/s65-30427~large.jpg?w=1920&h=1819&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1819\" src=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s65-30427\/s65-30427~large.jpg?w=1920&h=1819&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"Astronaut Ed White floats in space above the planet on the Gemini Titan 4 flight\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s65-30427\/s65-30427~large.jpg?w=1920&h=1819&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1920w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s65-30427\/s65-30427~large.jpg?w=300&h=284&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 300w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s65-30427\/s65-30427~large.jpg?w=768&h=728&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 768w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s65-30427\/s65-30427~large.jpg?w=1024&h=970&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1024w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s65-30427\/s65-30427~large.jpg?w=1536&h=1455&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1536w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s65-30427\/s65-30427~large.jpg?w=400&h=379&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 400w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s65-30427\/s65-30427~large.jpg?w=600&h=568&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 600w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s65-30427\/s65-30427~large.jpg?w=900&h=853&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 900w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s65-30427\/s65-30427~large.jpg?w=1200&h=1137&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">Gemini IV Astronaut Ed White floats in the microgravity of space outside the spacecraft. His spacewalk was another step in advancing space technology.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA\/Jim McDivitt<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Leaving Earth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>On Dec. 21, 1968, Apollo 8 astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders became the first humans to leave Earth orbit and make the 250,000 mile journey to the moon. The trio orbited the moon 10 times on Christmas Eve.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S68-56050\/S68-56050~large.jpg?w=1306&h=1920&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1306\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S68-56050\/S68-56050~large.jpg?w=1306&h=1920&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"The Saturn V rocket launches with Apollo 8\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S68-56050\/S68-56050~large.jpg?w=1306&h=1920&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1306w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S68-56050\/S68-56050~large.jpg?w=204&h=300&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 204w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S68-56050\/S68-56050~large.jpg?w=768&h=1129&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 768w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S68-56050\/S68-56050~large.jpg?w=697&h=1025&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 697w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S68-56050\/S68-56050~large.jpg?w=1045&h=1536&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1045w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S68-56050\/S68-56050~large.jpg?w=272&h=400&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 272w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S68-56050\/S68-56050~large.jpg?w=408&h=600&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 408w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S68-56050\/S68-56050~large.jpg?w=612&h=900&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 612w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/S68-56050\/S68-56050~large.jpg?w=816&h=1200&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 816w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1306px) 100vw, 1306px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">As a Saturn V rocket launches Apollo 8 on Dec. 21, 1968, Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders became the first astronauts to leave Earth orbit and circle the moon.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Kennedy\u2019s goal was achieved in July 1969 when Apollo 11 launched from Kennedy to land on the moon. While Mike Collins remained aboard the command module in lunar orbit, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed in the area known as the Sea of Tranquility. Soon after, Armstrong descended the lunar module\u2019s ladder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind,\u201d said Armstrong as he stepped onto the lunar soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It was just over eight years since Shepard\u2019s small, 15-minute step in what was becoming an ongoing journey. By December 1972, 12 NASA astronauts had walked on the moon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the mid-1970s, NASA\u2019s focus returned to low-Earth orbit with the prototype space station, Skylab. In July 1975, a joint mission, called the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, turned into an opportunity to develop international cooperation with the rendezvous and docking of a U.S. Apollo with a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/image-article\/this-week-nasa-history-apollo-15-astronauts-deploy-first-lunar-roving-vehicle-july-31-1971\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1041\" height=\"1041\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/as15-88-11866orig.jpg?w=1041\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"This week in 1971, Apollo 15 astronauts Jim Iwrin and David Scott deployed the first Lunar Roving Vehicle on the moon.\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/as15-88-11866orig.jpg 1041w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/as15-88-11866orig.jpg?resize=150,150 150w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/as15-88-11866orig.jpg?resize=300,300 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/as15-88-11866orig.jpg?resize=768,768 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/as15-88-11866orig.jpg?resize=1024,1024 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/as15-88-11866orig.jpg?resize=50,50 50w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/as15-88-11866orig.jpg?resize=100,100 100w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/as15-88-11866orig.jpg?resize=200,200 200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/as15-88-11866orig.jpg?resize=400,400 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/as15-88-11866orig.jpg?resize=600,600 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/as15-88-11866orig.jpg?resize=900,900 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1041px) 100vw, 1041px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">Apollo 15 lunar module pilot Jim Irwin salutes the U.S. flag on Aug. 1, 1971. The lunar module, Falcon, is visible on the right. Irwin and mission commander David Scott were among 12 Americans to walk on the moon between July 1969 and December 1972.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA\/David Scott<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Highway to Space<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A new era in spaceflight began on April 12, 1981, with the launch of NASA astronauts John Young and Bob Crippen on the first space shuttle mission. The reusable spacecraft opened a highway to space traveled by shuttle crews for more than 30 years.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/8111969\/8111969~large.jpg?w=1564&h=1920&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1564\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/8111969\/8111969~large.jpg?w=1564&h=1920&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"Launch of the first shuttle mission in 1981\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/8111969\/8111969~large.jpg?w=1564&h=1920&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1564w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/8111969\/8111969~large.jpg?w=244&h=300&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 244w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/8111969\/8111969~large.jpg?w=768&h=943&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 768w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/8111969\/8111969~large.jpg?w=834&h=1024&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 834w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/8111969\/8111969~large.jpg?w=1251&h=1536&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1251w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/8111969\/8111969~large.jpg?w=326&h=400&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 326w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/8111969\/8111969~large.jpg?w=489&h=600&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 489w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/8111969\/8111969~large.jpg?w=733&h=900&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 733w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/8111969\/8111969~large.jpg?w=978&h=1201&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 978w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1564px) 100vw, 1564px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">The new era in space flight began on April 12, 1981. That is when the first Space Shuttle mission (STS-1) was launched. The Marshall Space Flight Center developed the propulsion system for the Space Shuttle. This photograph depicts the launch of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia marned with two astronauts, John Young and Robert Crippen.<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Launching satellites, astronomical observatories and research labs provided opportunities for more advances in developments of space technology, none more crucial to understanding the universe than deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lifting off from Kennedy on April 24, 1990, the STS-31 crew deployed the 24,490-pound observatory in an orbit 347 miles above the Earth. Avoiding distortions of the atmosphere, Hubble has an unobstructed view peering to planets, stars and galaxies, some more than 13.4 billion light years away.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/18-1990_s31_imax_view_of_hst_release-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1730\" height=\"1037\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/18-1990_s31_imax_view_of_hst_release-1.jpg?w=1730\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"Hubble Space Telescope\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/18-1990_s31_imax_view_of_hst_release-1.jpg 1730w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/18-1990_s31_imax_view_of_hst_release-1.jpg?resize=300,180 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/18-1990_s31_imax_view_of_hst_release-1.jpg?resize=768,460 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/18-1990_s31_imax_view_of_hst_release-1.jpg?resize=1024,614 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/18-1990_s31_imax_view_of_hst_release-1.jpg?resize=1536,921 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/18-1990_s31_imax_view_of_hst_release-1.jpg?resize=400,240 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/18-1990_s31_imax_view_of_hst_release-1.jpg?resize=600,360 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/18-1990_s31_imax_view_of_hst_release-1.jpg?resize=900,539 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/18-1990_s31_imax_view_of_hst_release-1.jpg?resize=1200,719 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1730px) 100vw, 1730px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">The Hubble Space Telescope is deployed on April 25, 1990 from the space shuttle Discovery. Avoiding distortions of the atmosphere, Hubble has an unobstructed view peering to planets, stars and galaxies, some more than 13.4 billion light years away.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA\/Smithsonian Institution\/Lockheed Corporation<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>After only nine space shuttle missions, President Ronald Reagan asked NASA to use the shuttle\u2019s capabilities for the agency\u2019s next giant leap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI am directing NASA to develop a permanently manned space station,\u201d he said in his State of the Union address on Jan. 25, 1984. <em>\u201c<\/em>Nowhere can we so effectively demonstrate our technological leadership and ability to make life better on Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As plans for the orbiting outpost progressed, it became a global effort known as the International Space Station, or ISS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kennedy\u2019s director, Bob Cabana, a former space shuttle astronaut, considers international cooperation an essential element of space exploration going forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI believe it\u2019s the model for how we are going to explore beyond planet Earth,\u201d he said. \u201cRight now we\u2019ve got the United States, Japan, Canada, Russia, ESA and all its partners working together as one up there. When we leave planet Earth, we\u2019re not going to leave as any one nation, we\u2019re going to leave as the people from planet Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The 11 members of ESA \u2014 the European Space Agency \u2014 that participate in the ISS program include Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-cover \"><a href=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s88e5118\/s88e5118~large.jpg?w=1920&h=1280&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s88e5118\/s88e5118~large.jpg?w=1920&h=1280&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1.1); transform-origin: 51% 50%; object-position: 51% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s88e5118\/s88e5118~large.jpg?w=1920&h=1280&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1920w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s88e5118\/s88e5118~large.jpg?w=300&h=200&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 300w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s88e5118\/s88e5118~large.jpg?w=768&h=512&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 768w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s88e5118\/s88e5118~large.jpg?w=1024&h=683&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1024w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s88e5118\/s88e5118~large.jpg?w=1536&h=1024&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1536w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s88e5118\/s88e5118~large.jpg?w=400&h=267&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 400w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s88e5118\/s88e5118~large.jpg?w=600&h=400&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 600w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s88e5118\/s88e5118~large.jpg?w=900&h=600&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 900w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/s88e5118\/s88e5118~large.jpg?w=1200&h=800&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">S88-E-5118 (12-10-98) — The attire of Robert D. Cabana, left, and Sergei Krikalev stands out brightly against the whiteness of the pressurized mating adapter (PMA) connected to the Russian-built Zarya module.  Cabana, mission commander, and the mission specialist  representing the Russian Space Agency (RSA) were joined by crew mates on this day in installing needed equipment aboard Zarya and the U.S.-built Unity connecting module.  The photo was taken with an electronic still camera (ESC) at 21:14:41 GMT, Dec. 10.<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>The station\u2019s first element, the functional cargo block named \u201cZarya,\u201d was placed in orbit by Russia on Nov. 20, 1998. Two weeks later, the space shuttle Endeavour lifted off from Kennedy with Cabana as commander. The crew carried with them the first American-launched station element, node 1, called \u201cUnity.\u201d During the 12-day STS-88 shuttle flight, the crew connected Unity to Zarya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As ISS construction continued, permanent occupancy of the space station began with the Expedition 1 crew launched Oct. 31, 2000, establishing a continuous human presence conducting landmark research in space that endures today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIn addition to being just a phenomenal scientific laboratory, the space station is a superb engineering test bed,\u201d Cabana said. \u201cWe\u2019re proving the systems that we need to explore beyond our own planet to stay in space for extended periods of time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Next Steps for NASA<\/h2>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-fit \"><a href=\"\"><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">The Orion crew module pressure vessel for NASA\u2019s Exploration Mission-1 has arrived inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center. A lifting crane has been attached to the crew module for transfer to a test stand called the birdcage. Technicians and engineers with Orion’s manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, will begin preliminary checkout of the crew module.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA\/Bill White<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Speaking at the Florida spaceport on April 15, 2010, President Barack Obama outlined the course his administration was charting for NASA\u2019s next steps in space exploration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBy 2025, we expect new spacecraft designed for long journeys to allow us to begin the first-ever crewed missions beyond the moon into deep space,\u201d he said. \u201cBy the mid-2030s, I believe we can send humans to orbit Mars and return them safely to Earth. And a landing on Mars will follow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To achieve that next giant leap, NASA is developing the Orion crew vehicle, Space Launch System, or SLS, rocket and Exploration Ground Systems that will one day allow astronauts to travel beyond low-Earth orbit. The SLS is a new heavy-lift rocket that will be capable of sending humans aboard Orion to deep-space destinations such as an asteroid and Mars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to an ancient Chinese proverb, \u201cA journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.\u201d NASA is preparing for a journey to Mars, a planet that is 49 million miles from Earth. That journey began 55 years ago with a single, 116-mile \u201cstep\u201d into space on May 5, 1961.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Launched atop a Delta IV Heavy rocket on Dec. 5, 2014, an Orion spacecraft performed a near flawless flight test on its first journey to space. During the two-orbit, four-and-a-half hour mission, engineers evaluated systems critical to crew safety, the launch abort system, the heat shield and the parachute system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The next Orion flight will be Exploration Mission-1. On Feb. 1, the pressure vessel for that Orion spacecraft arrived at Kennedy. Late in 2018, this spacecraft will liftoff atop NASA\u2019s SLS rocket on the launch vehicle\u2019s maiden voyage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis is our full-up Orion spacecraft on top of the SLS rocket, the most powerful rocket ever launched,\u201d said Scott Wilson, NASA\u2019s manager of Orion Production Operations at Kennedy. \u201cThis will be our test to wring out the vehicle to make sure it\u2019s safe to put humans on the very next flight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The long Journey to Mars began with a single step in 1961. In the 55 years since Alan Shepard\u2019s sub-orbital flight, NASA has followed with many giant leaps forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The ongoing endeavor is designed to improve lives on Earth by advancing scientific knowledge and discovery, developing new technologies, providing economic opportunities, and continuing U.S. leadership in the peaceful, international exploration of space.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/PIA23302\/PIA23302~large.jpg?w=1920&h=966&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"966\" src=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/PIA23302\/PIA23302~large.jpg?w=1920&h=966&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"This artist's concept depicts astronauts and human habitats on Mars. NASA's Mars 2020 rover will carry a number of technologies that could make Mars safer and easier to explore for humans.\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/PIA23302\/PIA23302~large.jpg?w=1920&h=966&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1920w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/PIA23302\/PIA23302~large.jpg?w=300&h=151&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 300w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/PIA23302\/PIA23302~large.jpg?w=768&h=386&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 768w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/PIA23302\/PIA23302~large.jpg?w=1024&h=515&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1024w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/PIA23302\/PIA23302~large.jpg?w=1536&h=773&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1536w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/PIA23302\/PIA23302~large.jpg?w=400&h=201&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 400w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/PIA23302\/PIA23302~large.jpg?w=600&h=302&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 600w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/PIA23302\/PIA23302~large.jpg?w=900&h=453&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 900w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/PIA23302\/PIA23302~large.jpg?w=1200&h=604&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">This artist concept represents work taking place on Mars. It is based on current studies in developing hardware and operations necessary for a sustainable human presence on the Red Planet.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p><em>By Bob Granath<\/em><br><em>NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center, Florida<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Amid a backdrop for the effort to put a human in space was the Cold War. The Soviet Union also was working to put the first human in space, and they did on April 12, 1961. Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was launched aboard a spacecraft named Vostok (Russian for East) and completed an entire orbit of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":311382,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":[],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[3703,2656,2671,2955],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[5041,5897],"coauthors":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Shepard’s Mercury Flight Was First Step on the Long Journey to Mars","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/humans-in-space\/shepards-mercury-flight-was-first-step-on-the-long-journey-to-mars\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/humans-in-space\/shepards-mercury-flight-was-first-step-on-the-long-journey-to-mars\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/2-s61-01928b.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/2-s61-01928b.jpg"},"articleSection":"Humans in Space","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"NASA"}],"creator":["NASA"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["Missions","Project Mercury","Redstone 3 (Freedom 7)","Alan B. Shepard Jr.","Humans in Space","NASA History"],"dateCreated":"2016-05-02T16:00:00Z","datePublished":"2016-05-02T16:00:00Z","dateModified":"2023-07-25T18:49:22Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"Shepard’s Mercury Flight Was First Step on the Long Journey to Mars\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/humans-in-space\/shepards-mercury-flight-was-first-step-on-the-long-journey-to-mars\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/2-s61-01928b.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2016-05-02T16:00:00Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"Humans in Space\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"Missions,Project Mercury,Redstone 3 (Freedom 7),Alan B. Shepard Jr.,Humans in Space,NASA History\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"NASA\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":11,"time_ago":"8 years","featured_image":{"id":311382,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/2-s61-01928b.jpg","title":"2-s61-01928b","alt":"Liftoff of Mercury 3","caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/308007"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=308007"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/308007\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":371617,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/308007\/revisions\/371617"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/311382"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=308007"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=308007"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=308007"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=308007"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=308007"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}