SHEPARD’S MERCURY FLIGHT WAS FIR
NASA is preparing for a journey to Mars, a planet that is 49 million miles from Earth. 5, 1961. In the years that followed, NASA astronauts have taken many giant leaps. Wo conduct research that is helping develop the technologies to continue the journey to
Astronaut Alan Shepard during the 15-minute Mercury Redstone-3 flight on May 5, 1961, in which he became the first American in space. Lifting off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, his Freedom 7 spacecraft splashed down 302 miles downrange. Photo credit: NASA
Astronaut John Glenn climbs aboard his Friendship 7 spacecraft on Feb. 20, 1962. He became the first American to orbit the Earth. Photo credit: NASA
President John F. Kennedy congratulates astronaut Alan Shepard, the first American in space, after his ride in the Freedom 7 spacecraft. Three weeks after the historic flight, Kennedy put NASA on the road to the moon. Photo credit: NASA
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SPACEPORT Magazine
Apollo 15 lunar module pilot Jim Irwin salutes the U.S. flag on Aug. 1, 1971. The lunar module, Falcon, is visible on the right. Irwin and mission commander David Scott were among 12 Americans to walk on the moon between July 1969 and December 1972. Photo credit: NASA/David Scott
Gemini IV Astronaut Ed White floats in the microgravity of space outside the spacecraft. His spacewalk was another step in advancing space technology. Photo credit: NASA/Jim McDivitt
Apollo Soyuz Test American astronau Stafford, left, and S cosmonaut Alexei the hatchway lead Apollo docking mo Soyuz orbital modu the Apollo Soyuz T This July 1975 mis the way for key joi of the future. Photo credit: NASA
An overhead view of the Skylab space station in Earth orbit as photographed from the Skylab 4 command module during the final fly-around before returning home Feb. 8. 1974. From June 1973 to February 1974, three crews spent a total of 171 days aboard during three Skylab missions. Photo credit: NASA