{"id":405705,"date":"2021-05-05T07:06:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-05T11:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?p=405705"},"modified":"2023-08-28T15:26:27","modified_gmt":"2023-08-28T19:26:27","slug":"60-years-ago-alan-shepard-becomes-the-first-american-in-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/60-years-ago-alan-shepard-becomes-the-first-american-in-space\/","title":{"rendered":"60 Years Ago: Alan Shepard Becomes the First American in Space"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>In 1961, the United States and the Soviet Union found themselves in a race to put the first human being into space. The United States initiated Project Mercury in 1958 to put the first American into space and selected its first group of astronauts in 1959 to begin training for that mission. The Soviets kept their plans secret but began their own human spaceflight program and selected their own team of 20 cosmonauts in 1960. The Soviets won the race in April 1961 when cosmonaut Yuri A. Gagarin completed a single orbit around the Earth aboard his Vostok capsule. On May 5, 1961, Alan B. Shepard became the first American in space during a suborbital flight aboard his Mercury capsule named Freedom 7. Three weeks later, based on the success of Shepard\u2019s brief flight, President John F. Kennedy committed the United States to achieving a lunar landing before the end of the decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"985\" height=\"743\" class=\"wp-image-406110\" style=\"width: 312px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-1-mercury-spacecraft-under-construction-mcdonnel-douglas-st-louis.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-1-mercury-spacecraft-under-construction-mcdonnel-douglas-st-louis.jpg 985w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-1-mercury-spacecraft-under-construction-mcdonnel-douglas-st-louis.jpg?resize=300,226 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-1-mercury-spacecraft-under-construction-mcdonnel-douglas-st-louis.jpg?resize=768,579 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-1-mercury-spacecraft-under-construction-mcdonnel-douglas-st-louis.jpg?resize=400,302 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-1-mercury-spacecraft-under-construction-mcdonnel-douglas-st-louis.jpg?resize=600,453 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-1-mercury-spacecraft-under-construction-mcdonnel-douglas-st-louis.jpg?resize=900,679 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 985px) 100vw, 985px\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"753\" height=\"1024\" class=\"wp-image-406111\" style=\"width: 173px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-2-mr-2-being-lifted-on-top-of-rocket-for-hams-flight.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-2-mr-2-being-lifted-on-top-of-rocket-for-hams-flight.jpg 753w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-2-mr-2-being-lifted-on-top-of-rocket-for-hams-flight.jpg?resize=221,300 221w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-2-mr-2-being-lifted-on-top-of-rocket-for-hams-flight.jpg?resize=294,400 294w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-2-mr-2-being-lifted-on-top-of-rocket-for-hams-flight.jpg?resize=441,600 441w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-2-mr-2-being-lifted-on-top-of-rocket-for-hams-flight.jpg?resize=662,900 662w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 753px) 100vw, 753px\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"713\" height=\"1121\" class=\"wp-image-406112\" style=\"width: 150px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-3-ham-post-recovery.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-3-ham-post-recovery.jpg 713w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-3-ham-post-recovery.jpg?resize=191,300 191w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-3-ham-post-recovery.jpg?resize=651,1024 651w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-3-ham-post-recovery.jpg?resize=254,400 254w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-3-ham-post-recovery.jpg?resize=382,600 382w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-3-ham-post-recovery.jpg?resize=572,900 572w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 713px) 100vw, 713px\" \/><br><em>Left: Workers assemble Mercury capsules at the McDonnell Aircraft plant in St. Louis.<br>Middle: Ground crews lift the Mercury capsule for chimpanzee Ham\u2019s flight to the top<br>of the Redstone rocket. Right: Chimpanzee Ham on the prime recovery ship U.S.S.<br>Donner following his suborbital mission.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Space Task Group (STG) at NASA\u2019s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, initiated Project Mercury in 1958 with three goals: orbiting a crewed spacecraft, investigating man\u2019s ability to function in space, and safely recovering both spacecraft and crew member. NASA contracted the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation of St Louis to build the Mercury spacecraft. Initial plans called for up to seven early suborbital flights launched on Redstone rockets to test the single-seat spacecraft, followed by Earth orbital missions using the more powerful Atlas booster. After some early launch failures, the first successful test flight of the Mercury spacecraft without an astronaut on board took place in December 1960, launched on a suborbital flight atop a Redstone rocket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"985\" height=\"1231\" class=\"wp-image-406125\" style=\"width: 170px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-4-s62-08774.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-4-s62-08774.jpg 985w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-4-s62-08774.jpg?resize=240,300 240w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-4-s62-08774.jpg?resize=768,960 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-4-s62-08774.jpg?resize=819,1024 819w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-4-s62-08774.jpg?resize=320,400 320w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-4-s62-08774.jpg?resize=480,600 480w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-4-s62-08774.jpg?resize=720,900 720w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-4-s62-08774.jpg?resize=960,1200 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 985px) 100vw, 985px\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"255\" height=\"198\" class=\"wp-image-406126\" style=\"width: 274px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-5-mercury-7-astros-casual-in-front-of-mercury-capsule.png\" alt=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"643\" height=\"532\" class=\"wp-image-406127\" style=\"width: 258px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-6-gilruth-w-mercury-7-and-couch-1959.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-6-gilruth-w-mercury-7-and-couch-1959.jpg 643w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-6-gilruth-w-mercury-7-and-couch-1959.jpg?resize=300,248 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-6-gilruth-w-mercury-7-and-couch-1959.jpg?resize=400,331 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-6-gilruth-w-mercury-7-and-couch-1959.jpg?resize=600,496 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 643px) 100vw, 643px\" \/><br><em>Left: Group photo of the Mercury 7 astronauts. Middle: The Mercury 7 astronauts pose in front of a Mercury capsule. Right: Leader of the Space Task Group Robert R. Gilruth, right, with the Mercury 7 astronauts.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In parallel with Mercury spacecraft development, NASA <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/60-years-ago-nasa-introduces-mercury-7-astronauts\/\">selected its first group of astronauts<\/a> on April 9, 1959. The group consisting of <a href=\"https:\/\/historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov\/JSCHistoryPortal\/history\/oral_histories\/CarpenterMS\/carpenterms.htm\" rel=\"noopener\">M. Scott Carpenter<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov\/JSCHistoryPortal\/history\/oral_histories\/CooperLG\/cooperlg.htm\" rel=\"noopener\">L. Gordon Cooper<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov\/JSCHistoryPortal\/history\/oral_histories\/GlennJH\/glennjh.htm\" rel=\"noopener\">John H. Glenn<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/file-detail\/grissom_virgil\/\">Virgil I. \u201cGus\u201d Grissom<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov\/JSCHistoryPortal\/history\/oral_histories\/SchirraWM\/schirrawm.htm\" rel=\"noopener\">Walter M. Schirra<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov\/JSCHistoryPortal\/history\/oral_histories\/ShepardAB\/shepardab.htm\" rel=\"noopener\">Alan B. Shepard<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/file-detail\/slayton_donald\/\">Donald K. \u201cDeke\u201d Slayton<\/a> called themselves the Mercury 7 astronauts. They began intensive training in the hope of becoming the first human in space. On Jan. 19, 1961, STG leader <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/20-years-ago-remembering-robert-gilruth\/\">Robert R. Gilruth<\/a> informed the group that Shepard would fly the first suborbital mission, Grissom the second, with Glenn serving as a back up to both of them. To the public, NASA revealed only that one of the three men would make the first flight, with the actual individual made known only close to the launch. Before the first astronaut flight, NASA tested the Redstone rocket and the Mercury capsule by flying chimpanzee Ham on an identical suborbital mission on Jan. 31. Although the flight was mostly successful and the U.S. Navy recovered Ham in excellent shape, a problem with an electrical relay in the Redstone rocket caused NASA to schedule another uncrewed test flight on March 24. That successful flight cleared the way for the flight of the first American astronaut. But on April 12, the Soviets stole the prize by launching cosmonaut Yuri A. Gagarin aboard his Vostok capsule, in which he completed a single orbit around the Earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www3.nasa.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/full_width\/public\/thumbnails\/image\/freedom_7_7_glenn_grissom_shepard_w_redstone_rocket_s61-00239.jpg?itok=Uc9usK2n\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a>\u00a0<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1041\" height=\"1390\" class=\"wp-image-219950\" style=\"width: 199px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/freedom_7_7_glenn_grissom_shepard_w_redstone_rocket_s61-00239.jpg\" alt=\"Freedom 7 crew of John Glen, Gus Grissom, and Alan Shepard in their space suits in front of the Redstone rocket.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/freedom_7_7_glenn_grissom_shepard_w_redstone_rocket_s61-00239.jpg 1041w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/freedom_7_7_glenn_grissom_shepard_w_redstone_rocket_s61-00239.jpg?resize=225,300 225w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/freedom_7_7_glenn_grissom_shepard_w_redstone_rocket_s61-00239.jpg?resize=768,1025 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/freedom_7_7_glenn_grissom_shepard_w_redstone_rocket_s61-00239.jpg?resize=767,1024 767w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/freedom_7_7_glenn_grissom_shepard_w_redstone_rocket_s61-00239.jpg?resize=300,400 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/freedom_7_7_glenn_grissom_shepard_w_redstone_rocket_s61-00239.jpg?resize=449,600 449w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/freedom_7_7_glenn_grissom_shepard_w_redstone_rocket_s61-00239.jpg?resize=674,900 674w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/freedom_7_7_glenn_grissom_shepard_w_redstone_rocket_s61-00239.jpg?resize=899,1200 899w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1041px) 100vw, 1041px\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"985\" height=\"1363\" class=\"wp-image-406128\" style=\"width: 192px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-8-s61-03651.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-8-s61-03651.jpg 985w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-8-s61-03651.jpg?resize=217,300 217w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-8-s61-03651.jpg?resize=768,1063 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-8-s61-03651.jpg?resize=740,1024 740w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-8-s61-03651.jpg?resize=289,400 289w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-8-s61-03651.jpg?resize=434,600 434w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-8-s61-03651.jpg?resize=650,900 650w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-8-s61-03651.jpg?resize=867,1200 867w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 985px) 100vw, 985px\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"985\" height=\"2424\" class=\"wp-image-406129\" style=\"width: 108px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-9-mercury-3-launch-may-5-1961-s61-01927.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-9-mercury-3-launch-may-5-1961-s61-01927.jpg 985w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-9-mercury-3-launch-may-5-1961-s61-01927.jpg?resize=122,300 122w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-9-mercury-3-launch-may-5-1961-s61-01927.jpg?resize=768,1890 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-9-mercury-3-launch-may-5-1961-s61-01927.jpg?resize=416,1024 416w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-9-mercury-3-launch-may-5-1961-s61-01927.jpg?resize=624,1536 624w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-9-mercury-3-launch-may-5-1961-s61-01927.jpg?resize=832,2048 832w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-9-mercury-3-launch-may-5-1961-s61-01927.jpg?resize=163,400 163w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-9-mercury-3-launch-may-5-1961-s61-01927.jpg?resize=244,600 244w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-9-mercury-3-launch-may-5-1961-s61-01927.jpg?resize=366,900 366w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-9-mercury-3-launch-may-5-1961-s61-01927.jpg?resize=488,1200 488w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-9-mercury-3-launch-may-5-1961-s61-01927.jpg?resize=813,2000 813w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 985px) 100vw, 985px\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www3.nasa.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/full_width\/public\/thumbnails\/image\/freedom_7_9_mercury_3_launch_may_5_1961_s61-01927.jpg?itok=OjKpwSBN\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a><br><em>Left: John H. Glenn, left, Virgil I. \u201cGus\u201d Grissom, and Alan B. Shepard, the astronauts selected for the first suborbital mission. Right: Shepard climbing aboard Freedom7 on launch day. Right: Liftoff of the Redstone rocket carrying Alan B. Shepard,the first American in space, aboard Freedom 7.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After hundreds of hours of training in simulators, and three simulations inside the capsule itself, Shepard and his backups Grissom and Glenn prepared for the actual flight. Inclement weather scrubbed the first launch attempt on May 2, 1961, and NASA decided it was time to announce that Shepard would indeed be making the first flight. On May 5, the weather proved more cooperative and Shepard climbed aboard Freedom 7 atop the Redstone rocket poised on Launch Pad 5 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, now the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, in Florida. Half a million people had gathered on nearby beaches to watch the launch in person. An estimated 45 million Americans anxiously watched the liftoff on live television, including President Kennedy at the White House. After more than two hours of delays due to technical issues, the rocket engine ignited at 9:34 a.m. Eastern time, propelling Shepard skyward and into the history books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"267\" height=\"210\" class=\"wp-image-406130\" style=\"width: 301px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-10-kennedy-watching-launch-in-white-house-may-5-1961.jpg\" alt=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"985\" height=\"832\" class=\"wp-image-406131\" style=\"width: 281px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-11-mercury-3-photo-of-earth-may-5-1961-s61-01918.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-11-mercury-3-photo-of-earth-may-5-1961-s61-01918.jpg 985w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-11-mercury-3-photo-of-earth-may-5-1961-s61-01918.jpg?resize=300,253 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-11-mercury-3-photo-of-earth-may-5-1961-s61-01918.jpg?resize=768,649 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-11-mercury-3-photo-of-earth-may-5-1961-s61-01918.jpg?resize=400,338 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-11-mercury-3-photo-of-earth-may-5-1961-s61-01918.jpg?resize=600,507 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-11-mercury-3-photo-of-earth-may-5-1961-s61-01918.jpg?resize=900,760 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 985px) 100vw, 985px\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www3.nasa.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/full_width\/public\/thumbnails\/image\/freedom_7_11_mercury_3_photo_of_earth_may_5_1961_s61-01918.jpg?itok=yhV4vuPP\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a><br><em>Left: In the White House, President John F. Kennedy, center, anxiously watches the launch of Alan B. Shepard, as Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, left, and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy look on. Right: View of the Atlantic Ocean taken during the flight of Freedom 7.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the mission, Shepard communicated with the Mercury Control Center (MCC) at Cape Canaveral. Flight Director <a href=\"https:\/\/historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov\/JSCHistoryPortal\/history\/oral_histories\/KraftCC\/kraftcc.htm\" rel=\"noopener\">Christopher C. Kraft<\/a> designed the control center to monitor every aspect of the mission. Fellow astronaut Slayton served as the capsule communicator, or capcom, speaking directly with Shepard in Freedom 7. The Redstone rocket\u2019s engine shutoff as planned 2 minutes, 22 seconds after liftoff, with the launch escape tower jettisoning immediately thereafter. After another 10 seconds, the spacecraft separated from the booster, and Shepard began to experience weightlessness. At 3 minutes 10 seconds into the flight, Shepard took over manual control of the spacecraft\u2019s attitude and found that he could control Freedom 7\u2019s orientation with remarkable ease and precision. He conducted visual observations of the Earth below and took some photographs of the cloud-covered Atlantic Ocean. At 5 minutes, 11 seconds, Freedom 7 reached the highest point of its ballistic flight at 116 miles and began descending toward the Earth. Fifteen seconds later the retro-fire maneuver took place. At an altitude of 230,000 feet, Freedom 7 encountered the top layers of the Earth\u2019s atmosphere, ending Shepard\u2019s time in weightlessness after five minutes. During the deceleration, he experienced <em>g<\/em>-loads of up to 11 times the force of Earth\u2019s gravity, but only for a few seconds. A drogue parachute deployed at 22,000 feet to slow and stabilize the spacecraft, followed by the main parachute at 10,000 feet. A landing bag deployed at the bottom of the spacecraft to further cushion the impact, and after a flight of 15 minutes 22 seconds, Freedom 7 splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean north of the Bahama Islands and 300 miles southeast of Cape Canaveral, completing Shepard\u2019s flight as the first American in space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www3.nasa.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/full_width\/public\/thumbnails\/image\/freedom_7_12_jsc2004e19882.jpg?itok=smvDRUmI\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a>\u00a0<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"985\" height=\"744\" class=\"wp-image-406132\" style=\"width: 280px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-12-jsc2004e19882.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-12-jsc2004e19882.jpg 985w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-12-jsc2004e19882.jpg?resize=300,227 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-12-jsc2004e19882.jpg?resize=768,580 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-12-jsc2004e19882.jpg?resize=400,302 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-12-jsc2004e19882.jpg?resize=600,453 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-12-jsc2004e19882.jpg?resize=900,680 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 985px) 100vw, 985px\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"985\" height=\"1493\" class=\"wp-image-406133\" style=\"width: 139px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-13-s88-31376-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-13-s88-31376-1.jpg 985w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-13-s88-31376-1.jpg?resize=198,300 198w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-13-s88-31376-1.jpg?resize=768,1164 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-13-s88-31376-1.jpg?resize=676,1024 676w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-13-s88-31376-1.jpg?resize=264,400 264w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-13-s88-31376-1.jpg?resize=396,600 396w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-13-s88-31376-1.jpg?resize=594,900 594w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-13-s88-31376-1.jpg?resize=792,1200 792w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 985px) 100vw, 985px\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"985\" height=\"726\" class=\"wp-image-406120\" style=\"width: 286px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-14-s88-31379.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-14-s88-31379.jpg 985w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-14-s88-31379.jpg?resize=300,221 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-14-s88-31379.jpg?resize=768,566 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-14-s88-31379.jpg?resize=400,295 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-14-s88-31379.jpg?resize=600,442 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-14-s88-31379.jpg?resize=900,663 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 985px) 100vw, 985px\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www3.nasa.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/full_width\/public\/thumbnails\/image\/freedom_7_14_s88_31379.jpg?itok=mNeqQp14\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a><br><em>Left: Helicopter from the U.S.S. Lake Champlain hoists Alan B. Shepard from his spacecraft following splashdown. Middle: View of Shepard\u2019s recovery from the helicopter. Right: Shepard aboard the Lake Champlain with his Freedom 7 capsule behind him.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Freedom 7 splashed down just four miles from the prime recovery ship \u2013 an aircraft carrier called the U.S.S. Lake Champlain (CVS-39). Recovery forces deployed from the Lake Champlain and retrieved Shepard and his capsule within 20 minutes of splashdown and delivered them onto the flight deck. Shepard went below decks for a brief medical exam and a congratulatory phone call from President Kennedy. At a press conference afterward, the President hinted that he would soon be seeking more funding for a greatly expanded space program. Less than two and a half hours after arriving aboard the Lake Champlain, Shepard boarded a plane that took him the Grand Bahama Island for more in-depth medical examinations. Meanwhile, a helicopter retrieved Freedom 7 from the Lake Champlain and delivered it to Cape Canaveral. After initial inspections, the capsule traveled to Paris to go on exhibit May 25 at the International Aeronautical Show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www3.nasa.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/full_width\/public\/thumbnails\/image\/freedom_7_15_s63-06268.jpg?itok=f2gxhyPQ\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a>\u00a0<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"985\" height=\"644\" class=\"wp-image-406119\" style=\"width: 300px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-15-s63-06268.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-15-s63-06268.jpg 985w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-15-s63-06268.jpg?resize=300,196 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-15-s63-06268.jpg?resize=768,502 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-15-s63-06268.jpg?resize=400,262 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-15-s63-06268.jpg?resize=600,392 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-15-s63-06268.jpg?resize=900,588 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 985px) 100vw, 985px\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"985\" height=\"789\" class=\"wp-image-406117\" style=\"width: 245px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-16-kennedy-address-to-congress-may-25-1961-s70-18218.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-16-kennedy-address-to-congress-may-25-1961-s70-18218.jpg 985w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-16-kennedy-address-to-congress-may-25-1961-s70-18218.jpg?resize=300,240 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-16-kennedy-address-to-congress-may-25-1961-s70-18218.jpg?resize=768,615 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-16-kennedy-address-to-congress-may-25-1961-s70-18218.jpg?resize=400,320 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-16-kennedy-address-to-congress-may-25-1961-s70-18218.jpg?resize=600,481 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-16-kennedy-address-to-congress-may-25-1961-s70-18218.jpg?resize=900,721 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 985px) 100vw, 985px\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www3.nasa.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/full_width\/public\/thumbnails\/image\/freedom_7_16_kennedy_address_to_congress_may_25_1961_s70-18218.jpg?itok=TBW4LX9s\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a><br><em>Left: President John F. Kennedy pins TBS medal to congratulate Alan B. Shepard, the first American in space. Right: President Kennedy addresses a joint session of Congress and commits the nation to landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth before the end of the decade.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On May 8, 1961, Shepard arrived at the White House where in a ceremony in the Rose Garden President Kennedy presented him with NASA\u2019s highest award, the Distinguished Service Medal. From there, Shepard with his wife Louise riding in Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson\u2019s limousine took part in a motorcade that took them to the Capitol for a reception with lawmakers. On May 25, President Kennedy returned to the Capitol to address a joint session of Congress. During the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jfklibrary.org\/learn\/about-jfk\/historic-speeches\/address-to-joint-session-of-congress-may-25-1961\" rel=\"noopener\">speech<\/a>, he stated that the United States should \u201ccommit itself to achieve the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth.\u201d That risky commitment, based on a single 15-minute suborbital spaceflight, culminated with the landing on the Moon of Apollo 11 on July 20, 1969.<\/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 \"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/a4245284-34a4-4141-b10f-6a40e6f72aae\" ><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"671\" height=\"900\" class=\"wp-image-406116\" style=\"width: 150px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-17-on-display-at-nasm-udvar-hazy.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-17-on-display-at-nasm-udvar-hazy.jpg 671w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-17-on-display-at-nasm-udvar-hazy.jpg?resize=224,300 224w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-17-on-display-at-nasm-udvar-hazy.jpg?resize=298,400 298w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-17-on-display-at-nasm-udvar-hazy.jpg?resize=447,600 447w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 671px) 100vw, 671px\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"985\" height=\"655\" class=\"wp-image-406115\" style=\"width: 303px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-18-mercury-control-center-at-ksc-visitors-center-debus-conference-center.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-18-mercury-control-center-at-ksc-visitors-center-debus-conference-center.jpg 985w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-18-mercury-control-center-at-ksc-visitors-center-debus-conference-center.jpg?resize=300,199 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-18-mercury-control-center-at-ksc-visitors-center-debus-conference-center.jpg?resize=768,511 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-18-mercury-control-center-at-ksc-visitors-center-debus-conference-center.jpg?resize=400,266 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-18-mercury-control-center-at-ksc-visitors-center-debus-conference-center.jpg?resize=600,399 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/freedom-7-18-mercury-control-center-at-ksc-visitors-center-debus-conference-center.jpg?resize=900,598 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 985px) 100vw, 985px\" \/><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Left: The Freedom 7 capsule at the Smithsonian\u2019s National Air and Space Museum Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.\u00a0Credit: Image courtesy of Smithsonian\u2019s National Air and Space Museum.\u00a0Right: A recreation of the Mercury Control Center at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center\u2019s Visitor Complex.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Freedom 7 capsule is on display at the Smithsonian\u2019s National Air and Space Museum <a href=\"https:\/\/airandspace.si.edu\/collection-objects\/capsule-mercury-mr-3\/nasm_A19620021000\" rel=\"noopener\">Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center<\/a> in Chantilly, Virginia. A recreation of the MCC is on display inside the Kurt Debus Center at NASA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kennedyspacecenter.com\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Kennedy Space Center\u2019s Visitor Complex<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>To be continued\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In 1961, the United States and the Soviet Union found themselves in a race to put the first human being into space. The United States initiated Project Mercury in 1958 to put the first American into space and selected its first group of astronauts in 1959 to begin training for that mission. The Soviets kept [...]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":206,"featured_media":233007,"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":[2671,3703,2955],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[12664],"coauthors":[11996],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"60 Years Ago: Alan Shepard Becomes the First American in Space","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/60-years-ago-alan-shepard-becomes-the-first-american-in-space\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/60-years-ago-alan-shepard-becomes-the-first-american-in-space\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/9460616788_d08d4ae81b_o.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/9460616788_d08d4ae81b_o.jpg"},"articleSection":"NASA History","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"John Uri"}],"creator":["John Uri"],"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)","NASA History","Alan B. Shepard Jr."],"dateCreated":"2021-05-05T11:06:00Z","datePublished":"2021-05-05T11:06:00Z","dateModified":"2023-08-28T19:26:27Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"60 Years Ago: Alan Shepard Becomes the First American in Space\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/60-years-ago-alan-shepard-becomes-the-first-american-in-space\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/9460616788_d08d4ae81b_o.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2021-05-05T11:06:00Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"NASA History\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"Missions,Project Mercury,Redstone 3 (Freedom 7),NASA History,Alan B. Shepard Jr.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"John Uri\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":8,"time_ago":"3 years","featured_image":{"id":233007,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/9460616788_d08d4ae81b_o.jpg","title":"May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard in Spacesuit Before Mercury Launch","alt":"Side profile closeup photo of astronaut Alan Shepard in pressure suit with helmet","caption":"Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., in his silver pressure suit with the helmet visor closed, prepares for his Mercury Redstone 3 launch on May 5, 1961. Shepard's Freedom 7 Mercury capsule lifted off at 9:34 a.m. and flew a suborbital trajectory lasting 15 minutes and 22 seconds. He became the first American to fly into space."},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/405705"}],"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\/206"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=405705"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/405705\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":498503,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/405705\/revisions\/498503"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/233007"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=405705"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=405705"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=405705"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=405705"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=405705"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}