Alan Bartlett "Al" Shepard, Jr. (November 18, 1923 – July 21, 1998), (RADM, USN), was an American naval officer and aviator, test pilot, flag officer, one of the original NASA Mercury Seven astronauts, and businessman, who in 1961 became the second person and the first American to travel into space. This Mercury flight was designed to enter space, but not to achieve orbit. Ten years later, at age 47 and the oldest astronaut in the program, Shepard commanded the Apollo 14 mission, piloting the lander to the most accurate landing of the Apollo missions. He became the fifth and oldest person to walk on the Moon, and the only astronaut of the Mercury Seven to walk on the Moon. During the mission, he hit two golf balls on the lunar surface.These were his only two space flights, as his flight status was interrupted for five years (1964–69) during the Mercury and Gemini programs by Ménière's disease, an inner-ear disease that was surgically corrected before his Moon flight. Shepard served as Chief of the Astronaut Office from November 1963 – July 1969 (the approximate period of his grounding), and from June 1971 – August 1, 1974 (from his last flight to his retirement). He was promoted from Captain to Rear Admiral on August 25, 1971. He retired from the United States Navy and NASA in 1974.After leaving NASA, he became a successful businessman. He died of leukemia on July 21, 1998, five weeks before the death of his wife of 53 years. They were survived by their three daughters.
Franklin Pierce University, Miami University, Dartmouth College, Naval War College, United States Naval Test Pilot School, United States Naval Academy, Pinkerton Academy, Admiral Farragut Academy
Nationality
American
Spouse
Louise Brewer
Children
Juliana Shepard, Alice Shepard, Laura Shepard
Parents
Alan B. Shepard, Sr, Renza Shepard
Awards
Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, Congressional Space Medal of Honor, NASA Exceptional Service Medal, NASA Distinguished Service Medal
Star Sign
Scorpio
#
Quote
1
[First words on the moon during Apollo 14 mission] And it's been a long way, but we're here.
2
[1961, upon returning from his space mission] The only complaint I have was that the flight wasn't long enough.
3
[5/5/61, to Houston control at blastoff as the first American in space] A-OK, full go.
Appears on a nondenominated USA commemorative postage stamp issued 4 May 2011 to honor the Mercury Project of the US space program. Above his likeness are the words "Alan Shepard: First American in Space". Original issue price of the stamp was 44¢.
3
Flew on Mercury-Redstone 3 also known as Freedom 7 which is on display at the US Naval Academy at Annapolis MD. Afterwards he was taken off flight status due to an inner ear problem that disappeared during the Apollo program. He was commander of the Apollo 14 mission and went to the moon with Stuart Roosa and Edward Mitchell. The command module was named Kitty Hawk and the lunar module was named Antares. They completed two EVAs or moonwalks totaling 33 hours on the moon and walked over 500 meters pulling a shopping cart full of tools and lunar samples.
4
Named his Mercury spacecraft "Freedom 7".
5
Retired from the Navy with the rank of Rear Admiral.
$300,000
