Wednesday, May 5, 2021

A tribute to Alan B. Shepard 60 YEARS AGO TODAY

 



"It was Mercury-Redstone 3, but Alan Shepard named it Freedom 7. And while the duration of its flight lasted only 15 minutes and 28 seconds, reaching an altitude of 116.5 miles above the earth, it was historic—launching naval officer Alan Shepard into a suborbital spaceflight and into history. He would be the first American to journey into space. Only 58 years before, the measurements were 12 seconds and 120 feet above the sands of Kill Devil Hill. The pilot then was Orville Wright.

 

The 'seven' stood for the original seven Mercury astronauts and 'Freedom' stood for you and me. America's space program took off on May 5, 1961 and we are all the beneficiaries of a program that made us proud to be Americans—one that immeasurably improved our scientific knowledge and quality of life around the globe.

 

How exciting it was to be gathered together at school to watch the early space flights on a large industrial TV wheeled in on a dolly just for the occasion. The Cape Canaveral countdown gave us time to anticipate, and time to dream about what lay ahead. 

 

Beyond all the tangible benefits of America's space program in new and improved technologies, it will forever be the courageous challenge of launching into space and the inspiration of exploring new frontiers that has given us the greatest boost of all! Thank you Alan Shepard for your courage and patriotism on this day 60 years ago."  

 

A tribute to Alan B. Shepard by Cameron S. Brown


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