Alan Shepard

Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. was born in Derry, New Hampshire, on November 18, 1923. He grew up to become a naval officer and astronaut who made history twice as a pioneer of human spaceflight. His journey began far from the launchpad with service aboard surface ships during World War II before he transitioned to aviation. After earning his wings as a naval aviator in 1947 and becoming a test pilot in 1950, he joined NASA's original Mercury Seven group in 1959. On May 5, 1961, Shepard piloted Freedom 7 on the Mercury-Redstone 3 mission. This suborbital flight made him the second person and the first American to travel into space. Although the craft could not achieve orbit, the achievement marked a major turning point for the United States. Later plans for a three-day orbital mission called Mercury-Atlas 10 were canceled after Shepard developed Ménière's disease. The inner-ear condition caused severe dizziness and nausea, forcing him to ground himself in October 1963 while serving as chief of the Astronaut Office. Doctors corrected the ailment surgically in 1968, allowing Shepard to return to flight status. In February 1971, he commanded Apollo 14, making him the fifth person to walk on the Moon and the oldest at age 47. During the lunar excursion, he famously hit two golf balls on the surface using a modified club. Shepard remained the only member of the Mercury Seven to set foot on the Moon. He served again as chief of the Astronaut Office from June 1971 until April 1974. On August 25, 1971, he achieved the rank of rear admiral, becoming the first astronaut to reach that grade. He retired from both the Navy and NASA on July 31, 1974, passing away on July 21, 1998, at the age of 74.[edit]