Facts about Alan Shepard

1. 06

   After his Mercury mission, Alan Shepard served as Chief of the Astronaut Office from 1963 to 1971, overseeing the training and assignments of all NASA space program personnel during the critical Apollo era.

   Alan ShepardMay 14shareleadershipspace1960s
2. 05

   Shepard's 1961 suborbital flight lasted 15 minutes and 22 seconds, reaching a maximum speed of 7,180 miles per hour before splashing down safely in the Atlantic Ocean.

   Alan ShepardMay 14sharespaceflightmeasurement1960s
3. 04

   Alan Shepard commanded Apollo 14 in February 1971, the third crewed Moon landing mission, which collected 42.28 kilograms of lunar samples during two moonwalk expeditions.

   Alan ShepardMay 14sharespaceexplorationmeasurement
4. 03

   Rear Admiral Alan Shepard suffered from Ménière's disease in 1963, which grounded him from spaceflight for nearly a decade until the condition spontaneously resolved.

   Alan ShepardMay 14sharemedicalspacehealth
5. 02

   In 1971, Alan Shepard hit two golf balls on the lunar surface during the Apollo 14 mission, with one traveling approximately 200 yards due to the Moon's lower gravity.

   Alan ShepardMay 14sharespacesportsmeasurement
6. 01

   On May 5, 1961, the Freedom 7 spacecraft carried Alan Shepard to an altitude of 116.5 kilometers, making him the first American in space.

   Alan ShepardMay 14sharespacehistorymeasurement