Mercury-Redstone 3/FREEDOM 7

Al Shepard becomes the first American in space

Anchors Aweigh performed by USAF Heritage of America Band

Prime Crew: Alan B. Shepard, Jr.

Backup Crew: John H. Glenn, Jr.

May 5, 1961

Suborbital

Spacecraft name: "Freedom 7"

Alan Bartlett Shepard, Jr. participates in a countdown demonstration test. Al was born November 18, 1923, in East Derry, NH. He graduated from Annapolis with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1944, and served aboard the destroyer U.S.S. Cogswell in the Pacific during the last year of World War II. After the war, he entered flight training, earning his "wings of gold" in 1947, serving with VF-42 out of Norfolk, and aboard carriers in the Mediterranean. He graduated from the Navy Test Pilot School at Patuxent River, MD ("Pax River") in 1951, and served as a test pilot during high-altitude research missions, in-flight refueling development, and carrier trials for aircraft such as the F2H Banshee. Later assigned to VF-193 at Moffett Field, CA, he flew Banshee night fighters as the squadron operations officer. After a couple of deployments to the western Pacific aboard the U.S.S. Oriskany, Al returned to Pax River as a test pilot on the F4D Skyray, F3H Demon, F7F Tigercat, and F8U Crusader, and was the Navy's project pilot for the F5D Skylancer. He graduated from the Naval War College in 1957, and was assigned to the staff of the Commander in Chief, Atlantic Fleet, as aircraft readiness officer. (If the Atlantic Fleet flew it, he flew it.) That's what he was doing when he volunteered for the Mercury astronaut selections in 1959. He is about to become the first American in space. April 29, 1961. NASA Photo.

Alan Shepard and John Glenn have breakfast before Al's historic mission. It is a low-residue meal that will soon become the traditional prelaunch menu for American astronauts: "Launch Day Steak-And-Eggs." There have been variations on the theme over the years, but astronauts continue the tradition to this day. Although Shepard and the others had known for quite some time that he would be the one to get the first flight, it was kept secret almost until the last minute. He, John Glenn, and Gus Grissom were all considered contenders for the mission-with the gregarious Glenn being the press' favorite. NASA Photo.

Specifications of the Mercury spacecraft. NASA illustration.

Shepard suits up for the mission in the Crew Quarters building. His space suit is very simular to the one worn at the time by X-15 pilots. NASA Photo.

The walk-around check is the most important part of any flight....Alan Shepard checks out Freedom 7 before ingress. NASA Photo.

Shepard is helped into the tiny Mercury cockpit. The spacecraft is about the same overall size as a phone booth; if it were a phone booth, the astronaut would be curled up on the floor, facing the ceiling. NASA Photo.

Shepard strapped in the couch aboard Freedom 7, nearly ready for the hatch to be closed. NASA Photo.

The moment of truth: At the end of the countdown, the Redstone's systems function perfectly. Mercury-Redstone 3, Freedom 7, and Al Shepard are headed into space. NASA Photo.

Al has no window, but he does have a periscope to look through. A remote camera snaps this view of Earth as Freedom 7 reaches the top of its suborbital arc, 116.5 miles up. NASA Photo.

At the end of the flight-having splashed down 303 miles downrange, 15 minutes and 28 seconds after liftoff-Al is recovered from the Atlantic by a Marine Corps Sikorsky Sea Horse helicopter from the carrier U.S.S. Lake Champlain. NASA Photo.

With Al safely aboard the first Sea Horse, a second helicopter recovers Freedom 7 from the Atlantic; the spacecraft's landing bag cushion can be seen hanging beneath it as it is pulled from the water. NASA Photo.

Navy man Al Shepard arrives safely aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Lake Champlain, following the completion of his historic mission. NASA Photo.

Al (still wearing his stylish silver space boots) arrives at Grand Bahama Island via Grumman C-1 Trader, and is greeted by Deke Slayton (left) and Gus Grissom (far right), among others. NASA Photo.

Two Navy guys at the White House, where President John F. Kennedy presents Al Shepard with the NASA Distinguished Service Medal. Little did anyone know that due to an inner-ear problem, Al wouldn't fly in space again for ten years-when he went to the Moon as Commander of Apollo 14. NASA Photo.

Comedian Bill Dana-a/k/a Jose Jimenez: The Honorary Eighth Astronaut. CREDIT PENDING