how long was alan shepards first space flight

How did Alan Shepard become the first American in space?

Alan Shepard became the first American to reach space when he launched on a suborbital flight on May 5, 1961. Shepard narrowly missed out on being the first human in space -- Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin beat him to the punch about three weeks earlier, successfully completing one orbit of Earth on April 12.

How high did Shepard fly in the Space Shuttle?

On May 5, Freedom 7 lifted off, carrying Shepard to an altitude of 116 miles (187 kilometers) for a 15-minute suborbital flight. Because of the placement of the porthole windows, the first American in space was unable to catch a glimpse of the stars, and he was strapped in too tight to experience weightlessness.

Could Shepard's flight have occurred before 1961?

Historians say Shepard's flight likely could have occurred before April 12, 1961, if NASA and chief rocket designer Wernher von Braun had been a little less cautious. On Dec. 19, 1960, NASA launched an unmanned Mercury capsule atop a Redstone booster into suborbital space for the first time.

How many hours and minutes did Shepard spend in space?

Over his two space flights, Shepard logged a total of 216 hours and 57 minutes in space. After Apollo 14, Shepard continued his crucial behind-the-scenes role as the Chief Astronaut at NASA, making him the person responsible for astronaut training and giving him a voice in deciding which astronauts would be flying in the Gemini program.

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How long was Alan Shepard in space the first time?

15 minutesThe 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).

How long did Shepard's space flight last?

15-minuteThe project had the ultimate objective of putting an astronaut into orbit around the Earth and returning him safely. Shepard's mission was a 15-minute suborbital flight with the primary objective of demonstrating his ability to withstand the high g-forces of launch and atmospheric re-entry.

When was Alan Shepard's first space flight?

Mercury-Redstone 3Alan Shepard / First space flight

How high did Alan Shepard fly on his first flight?

116 milesSixty years ago, on May 5, 1961, a Redstone rocket hurled Alan Shepard's Mercury capsule, Freedom 7, 116 miles (187 km) high and 302 miles (486 km) downrange from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Who was the 1st person to go to space?

Yuri GagarinYuri Gagarin from the Soviet Union was the first human in space. His vehicle, Vostok 1 circled Earth at a speed of 27,400 kilometers per hour with the flight lasting 108 minutes.

Did Glenn get along with Shepard?

Not only did their personalities clash, but Glenn was outspoken about how he disagreed with some of the astronauts' alleged infidelity, which would have included Shepard. Things between them were likely only made worse when they were selected as lead astronaut and alternate for the first Mercury flight.

Are any of the Mercury 7 still living?

Of the seven, only John Glenn, who was the oldest, is still living; he went on to become a U.S. senator, and flew on the Shuttle 36 years later to become the oldest person to fly in space. Gus Grissom died in 1967, in the Apollo 1 fire.

How many times did Alan Shepard go to the moon?

Two trips, a decade apart, spanned the most exciting era in space history. Shepard shields his eyes from the bright sun at Apollo 14's Fra Mauro landing site, February 1971. Of the original seven astronauts chosen by NASA in 1959, only one, Alan Shepard, made it to the moon.

How long was the first American in space?

15-minuteU.S. Navy test pilot Alan Shepard joined the astronaut program in 1959. He became the first American and the second man in space on May 5, 1961, when he piloted the Mercury spacecraft Freedom 7 on a 490-kilometer (300-mile), 15-minute suborbital flight.

Why was Shepard chosen over Glenn?

Shepard gets selected “Not because of the fame or the recognition,” Shepard once said, “but because America's best test pilots went through this selection process, down to seven guys, and of those seven, I was the one to go.” NASA's first astronaut crew, the "Mercury Seven," pose for a portrait.

How long were the fruit flies in space?

The flight was launched from White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, and lasted a total of three minutes. All the flies returned to Earth untouched by radiation.

Who flew to the Moon twice?

Three astronauts made the journey from Earth to the Moon twice: James Lovell (Apollo 8 and Apollo 13), John Young (Apollo 10 and Apollo 16), and Gene Cernan (Apollo 10 and Apollo 17).

How many times did Alan Shepard go to the Moon?

Two trips, a decade apart, spanned the most exciting era in space history. Shepard shields his eyes from the bright sun at Apollo 14's Fra Mauro landing site, February 1971. Of the original seven astronauts chosen by NASA in 1959, only one, Alan Shepard, made it to the moon.

How many times did Alan Shepard orbit?

Over his two space flights, Shepard logged a total of 216 hours and 57 minutes in space.

Was Alan Shepard supposed to be on Apollo 13?

Shepard, Mitchell and Roosa were originally scheduled to fly Apollo 13 and were bumped to give Shepard more training time in the simulators before his return to space flight following treatment for Ménière's disease. And Mitchell provided valuable information to the Apollo 13 crew as they worked to return home.

How much do astronauts get paid?

The pay grades for civilian astronaut candidates are set by federal government pay scales and vary based on academic achievements and experience. According to NASA , civilian astronaut salaries range from $104,898 to $161,141 per year. Here are a few of the benefits offered to civilian astronauts: Health care.

Who was the first American to go to space?

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’s brief flight, President John F. Kennedy committed the United States to achieving a lunar landing before the end of the decade.

Who were the first astronauts to fly in space?

In parallel with Mercury spacecraft development, NASA selected its first group of astronauts on April 9, 1959. The group consisting of M. Scott Carpenter, L. Gordon Cooper, John H. Glenn, Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom, Walter M. Schirra, Alan B. Shepard, and Donald K. “Deke” Slayton 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 Robert R. Gilruth 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.

What aircraft carrier was the Freedom 7?

Freedom 7 splashed down just four miles from the prime recovery ship – 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.

How long did it take for the Redstone rocket to shut off?

The Redstone rocket’s 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.

What ship is Chimpanzee Ham on?

of the Redstone rocket. Right: Chimpanzee Ham on the prime recovery ship U.S.S.

What ocean did Jacqueline Kennedy look at?

Lady Jacqueline Kennedy look on. Right: View of the Atlantic Ocean taken during

How high was Freedom 7?

At an altitude of 230,000 feet, Freedom 7 encountered the top layers of the Earth’s atmosphere, ending Shepard’s time in weightlessness after five minutes. During the deceleration, he experienced g -loads of up to 11 times the force of Earth’s gravity, but only for a few seconds.

How long was the orbital flight of the Shepard?

Unlike Gagarin's 108-minute orbital flight in a Vostok spacecraft three times the size of Freedom 7, Shepard stayed on a suborbital trajectory for the 15-minute flight, which reached an altitude of 101.2 nautical miles (116.5 statute miles; 187.4 kilometers), and then fell to a splashdown 263.1 nautical miles (302.8 statute miles; 487.3 kilometers) down the Atlantic Missile Range. Unlike Gagarin, whose flight was strictly automatic, Shepard had some control of Freedom 7, spacecraft attitude in particular. Shepard's launch was seen live on television by millions. It was launched atop a Redstone rocket. According to Gene Kranz in his 2000 book Failure Is Not an Option, "When reporters asked Shepard what he thought about as he sat atop the Redstone rocket, waiting for liftoff, he had replied, 'The fact that every part of this ship was built by the lowest bidder.'"

Who was the first American to go to space?

Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. (November 18, 1923 – July 21, 1998) was an American astronaut, naval aviator, test pilot, and businessman. In 1961, he became the second man and the first American to travel into space, and in 1971, he walked on the Moon . A graduate of the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Shepard saw action with ...

What ship did Shepard join?

After a month of classroom instruction in aviation, Shepard was posted to a destroyer, USS Cogswell, in August 1944; it was US Navy policy that aviation candidates should first have some service at sea. At the time the destroyer was deployed on active service in the Pacific Ocean. Shepard joined it when it returned to the naval base at Ulithi on October 30. After just two days at sea Cogswell helped rescue 172 sailors from the cruiser USS Reno, which had been torpedoed by a Japanese submarine, then escorted the crippled ship back to Ulithi. The ship was buffeted by Typhoon Cobra in December 1944, a storm in which three other destroyers went down, and battled kamikazes in the invasion of Lingayen Gulf in January 1945.

What was the first space traveler to manually control the orientation of his craft?

In the final stages of Project Mercury, Shepard was scheduled to pilot the Mercury-Atlas 10 (MA-10), which was planned as a three-day mission.

Why did Slayton ask Jim Lovell to fly Apollo 14?

So Slayton asked Jim Lovell, who had been the backup commander for Apollo 11, and was slated to command Apollo 14, if his crew would be willing to fly Apollo 13 instead . He agreed to do so, and Shepard's crew was assigned to Apollo 14.

What was the role of the gunnery officer on the Shepard?

On Shepard's second cruise with Cogswell, he was appointed a gunnery officer, responsible for the 20 mm and 40 mm antiaircraft guns on the ship's bow. They engaged kamikazes in the Battle of Okinawa, where the ship served in the dangerous role of a radar picket. The job of the radar pickets was to warn the fleet of incoming kamikazes, but because they were often the first ships sighted by incoming Japanese aircraft, they were also the most likely ships to be attacked. Cogswell performed this duty from May 27, 1945, until June 26, when it rejoined Task Force 38. The ship also participated in the Allied naval bombardments of Japan, and was present in Tokyo Bay for the Surrender of Japan in September 1945. Shepard returned to the United States later that month.

What happened to Apollo 13?

Neither Shepard nor Lovell expected there would be much difference between Apollo 13 and Apollo 14, but Apollo 13 went disastrously wrong. An oxygen tank explosion caused the Moon landing to be aborted and nearly resulted in the loss of the crew. It became a joke between Shepard and Lovell, who would offer to give Shepard back the mission each time they bumped into each other. The failure of Apollo 13 delayed Apollo 14 until 1971 so that modifications could be made to the spacecraft. The target of the Apollo 14 mission was switched to the Fra Mauro formation, the intended destination of Apollo 13.

What was the speed of the first American to fly in space?

Freedom 7 parachuted into the Atlantic just 15 minutes and 22 seconds later, after attaining a maximum velocity of 5,180 mph (8,336 km/h ). Shepard, a Navy test pilot and NASA astronaut, became the first American to fly in space.

Who was the first American to go to space?

Alan Shepard became the first American in space in this Mercury capsule. He named it "Freedom 7," the number signifying the seven Mercury astronauts. Now on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. (NASM)

Why did NASA decide to support Marshall?

NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC, ultimately decided in favor of Marshall because losing an astronaut was worse than losing the race. MR-BD (for Booster Development) flew successfully on March 24, 1961. That same month, the Soviets flew two successful orbital tests of their spacecraft.

How long did the Freedom 7 rocket burn?

The rocket burned for a little over two minutes with the acceleration ramming him into his couch with a force of over six “Gs” (six times Earth’s gravity). After separating, the capsule turned around and pointed the heatshield forward for reentry. During the five minutes of weightlessness, Shepard tested Freedom 7’s attitude control systems and extended the periscope to see back to Florida. (His capsule did not have the overhead window built into later vehicles.) Once over the top, it was time to fire the retrorockets—not needed for his flight, but a test of how to get out of orbit. The brief reentry was brutal, with peak “G” loads of over 11. Parachute deployment was normal, and his spacecraft hit the ocean with a jarring impact he compared to landing on an aircraft carrier. A Marine helicopter picked him up and took him to the USS Lake Champlain.

What was the first human to orbit the Earth?

It was a notable contrast to the secretive ways of the Communist-led Soviet Union. But 25 days earlier on April 12, 1961, Soviet Air Force pilot Yuri Gagarin had made a single orbit of the Earth, becoming the first human to travel beyond the atmosphere. It was just the latest Soviet space first, going back to Sputnik, the first artificial Earth satellite, in October 1957. Gagarin’s flight was yet another stunning propaganda success in the Cold War Space Race.

When was NASA created?

The Eisenhower Administration and Congress had created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 1958, a year after Sputnik, in part to overtake the Soviet Union in space. The new agency’s Project Mercury hoped to launch an astronaut by 1960, which seemed possible because Mercury would have two launch vehicles.

When did John Glenn circle the Earth?

When John Glenn circled the Earth three times in Friendship 7 on February 20, 1962, it eclipsed Shepard and Grissom in the public mind. Glenn was not only more charismatic; his mission finally equaled what the Soviets had done twice (Gherman Titov spent a day in space in August 1961).

How did Shepard help the spacecraft?

For example, Shepard manually positioned the capsule to fire its retrorockets, which helped the craft decelerate. He also corrected a slight pitch problem in one instance, and he steered the craft by hand for a spell during re-entry, according to NASA officials.

Who was the first American to go to space?

NASA astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American in space on May 5, 1961 aboard his Mercury spacecraft Freedom 7. (Image credit: NASA.) Alan Shepard became the first American to reach space when he launched on a suborbital flight on May 5, 1961. Shepard narrowly missed out on being the first human in space -- Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin beat ...

When was the first chimp launched?

On Dec. 19, 1960, NASA launched an unmanned Mercury capsule atop a Redstone booster into suborbital space for the first time. That test flight was a success, so the agency soon ramped up to a "semi-manned" test, launching a chimp named Ham into suborbital space on Jan. 31, 1961.

How fast was the Mercury spacecraft?

Shepard's Mercury spacecraft -- which bore the name Freedom 7 -- made it to suborbital space, reaching a peak altitude of 116 miles (187 kilometers) and a top speed of 5,180 mph (8,336 km). The flight lasted just 15 minutes before splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean 302 miles (486 km) from the Florida launch site.

What space capsule did the first American astronauts fly on?

See how the first American astronauts flew in space on NASA's Mercury space capsules in this SPACE.com infographic. (Image credit: Karl Tate/SPACE.com)

What was the Apollo program?

Without those twin shocks, historians say, the Apollo program – an all-out rush to the moon designed to firmly establish American space supremacy – would likely never have been possible.

When did the Redstone test flight take place?

This flight took place on March 24, and everything worked well, clearing the way for Shepard's manned mission. [ Most Extreme Human Spaceflight Records] The extra test flight was intended to make sure NASA had worked out all the Redstone's kinks before risking Shepard's life.

Who was the first American to go to space?

Alan Shepard. U.S. Navy test pilot Alan Shepard joined the astronaut program in 1959. He became the first American and the second man in space on May 5, 1961, when he piloted the Mercury spacecraft Freedom 7 on a 490-kilometer (300-mile), 15-minute suborbital flight.

What was the first American-Soviet space flight?

The famous “Handshake in Space,” the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project was the first American-Soviet space flight, docking the last American Apollo spacecraft with the then-Soviet Soyuz spacecraft. Mercury Seven astronaut Deke Slayton finally made it to space during this mission. More About. Human Spaceflight.

How many astronauts were in space during the Mercury program?

Six of the Mercury Seven astronauts would travel to space during the Mercury program. (Deke Slayton who was originally grounded due to health concerns would eventually travel to space as part of the Apollo-Soyuz mission.)

How did the Shepard suit work?

The suit was snug-fitting and would pressurize the lower body to avoid blood pooling in the pilot’s legs. The suit was adapted from its original cockpit design to one that would integrate into a spacecraft, the Mercury capsule. Engineers added additional buckles and pulleys to keep the suit in place for that one minute of microgravity that Shepard would experience during his flight. They added restraints to the shoulders so that the astronaut’s arms would not float uncontrolled while weightless. The gloves of the suit also feature fingertip flashlights so that the astronaut could focus a beam of light on any given point in the cockpit.

Why did astronauts add buckles to their suits?

They added restraints to the shoulders so that the astronaut’s arms would not float uncontrolled while weightless.

When did the first humans walk on the moon?

On July 20, 1969 , humans walked on the Moon for the first time — and returned to walk on the lunar surface five more times. Shepard returned to space during the Apollo program as part of the Apollo 14 mission. He is the only one of the Mercury 7 astronauts to walk on the moon. Apollo-Soyuz. Learn More.

Who were the seven astronauts in Mercury 7?

The other members of the seven were: Walter M. "Wally" Schirra Jr., Donald K. "Deke" Slayton, John H. Glenn Jr., M. Scott Carpenter, Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, and L.

Who was the first American to go to space?

60 years ago, Alan Shepard became the first American in space. On May 5, 1961, astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American — and the second man — to travel in space when he launched a 15-minute, sub-orbital flight aboard NASA’s Mercury spacecraft Freedom 7. (Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin had completed one orbit of the Earth on April 12, ...

When did space exploration begin?

According to NASA, the peaceful, international exploration of space “began with a single step in 1961” and continues today.

Who was the fifth astronaut to walk on the moon?

Ten years later, as the commander of NASA’s Apollo 14 mission, he would become the fifth astronaut to walk on the moon.

Who was the first person to manually control the orientation of his craft?

Shepard , whose mission ushered in the age of American human spaceflight, also became the first space traveler to manually control the orientation of his craft, as Gagarin’s milestone flight was largely automated.

How long did it take for the Shepard to fly?

On May 5, Freedom 7 lifted off, carrying Shepard to an altitude of 116 miles (187 kilometers) for a 15-minute suborbital flight. Because of the placement of the porthole windows, the first American in space was unable to catch a glimpse of the stars, and he was strapped in too tight to experience weightlessness. Also, a filter left on the periscope window made the Earth appear black and white. [ Mercury Redstone 3: Photos from Alan Shepard's Freedom 7 Spaceflight]

Who was the first American to go to space?

Alan Shepard became the first American in space when the Freedom 7 spacecraft blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on May 5, 1961, aboard a Mercury-Redstone rocket. Ten years later, Shepard would leave Earth's atmosphere again to become the fifth man to walk on the moon — and the first one to play a bit of lunar golf.

What was the role of the Chief Astronaut after Apollo 14?

After Apollo 14, Shepard continued his crucial behind-the-scenes role as the Chief Astronaut at NASA, making him the person responsible for astronaut training and giving him a voice in deciding which astronauts would be flying in the Gemini program.

What disease did Shepard have?

However, he woke one morning dizzy and nauseated, and found himself falling constantly. He was subsequently diagnosed with Ménière's disease.

How long did the astronauts spend on the moon?

Shepard and Mitchell spent more than 33 hours on the moon, the longest time any crew had stayed up to that mission. Shepard and Mitchell also spent more time outside of their craft than previous astronauts had, logging 9 hours and 17 minutes.

How long did the second ball land on the moon?

(In reality, the second ball likely landed about 655 feet away, or 200 meters, according to Space.com partner site collectSPACE .) Shepard and Mitchell spent more than 33 hours on the moon, the longest time any crew had stayed up to that mission.

How many pilots were in the space program in 1959?

In 1959, 110 test pilots were invited to volunteer for the spaceflight program headed by the new National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Although Shepard was on the list, his invitation was misplaced and he initially did not receive an offer, according to NASA. Regardless, he was eventually selected as one ...

Who was the first American to go to space?

Alan Shepard holds the pole of a US flag on the surface of the moon during the Apollo 14 mission in 1971, ten years after he became the first American in space. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Who was the first country to put a man in space?

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 ...

How long did the suborbital flight last?

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— ...

When did the first American astronaut walk on the moon?

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.

How much did Spider-Man make in 2002?

Directed by Sam Raimi and starring Tobey Maguire in the title role, the eagerly awaited comic book adaptation Spider-Man was released on Friday, May 3, 2002, and quickly became the fastest movie ever to earn more than $100 million at the box office, raking in a staggering $114.8 ...read more

When was John Keats first poem published?

The Examiner publishes John Keats’ first poem. The first published poem by 20-year-old John Keats appears in The Examiner on May 5, in 1816. Unlike many writers of his day, Keats came from a lower-middle-class background. His father worked at a stable in London and eventually married the owner’s daughter.

When was the first book of Solitude published?

On May 5, 1967, Gabriel Garcia Márquez's Cien años de soledad, or One Hundred Years of Solitude, is first published. The book, often referred to as a defining work of Latin American literature, made Márquez a prime candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature, which he was awarded ...read more

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