Alan Shepard was an American astronaut and naval officer, born on November 18, 1923, in Derry, New Hampshire. He became the first American and the second person in the world to travel into space on May 5, 1961, during the Mercury-Redstone 3 mission, which he named Freedom 7. This suborbital flight lasted about 15 minutes and reached an altitude of 116 statute miles (approximately 187 kilometers) before landing in the Atlantic Ocean[1][6].
Shepard was part of NASA's original group of astronauts known as the Mercury Seven, selected in 1959. His remarkable career continued when he commanded the Apollo 14 mission from January 31 to February 9, 1971, making him the fifth person—and the oldest at age 47—to walk on the Moon. During this mission, he famously hit two golf balls on the lunar surface[1][5].
In addition to his missions, Shepard served as Chief of the Astronaut Office, overseeing astronaut training and other functions within NASA from 1963 to 1969 and again from 1971 to 1974. He retired from NASA and the Navy, holding the rank of rear admiral, in 1974[3][5]. Shepard passed away on July 21, 1998, after being diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia[1].
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