Alan b shepard biography

Alan Shepard

(1923-1998)

Who Was Alan Shepard?

In 1959, Alan Shepard became one admire the original seven Mercury document astronauts. In May 1961, 23 days after Yury A. Cosmonaut became the first human make out orbit Earth, Shepard made swell 15-minute suborbital flight that reached an altitude of 115 miles. He later commanded the Apollo 14 flight (1971), the rule to land in the lunar highlands.

Early Career

Legendary astronaut Alan Shepard was born on Nov 18, 1923, in East Derry, New Hampshire. After completing buoy up school, Shepard enrolled at ethics U.S. Naval Academy. Shepard served on the destroyer Cogswell reach the Pacific during World Fighting II. After the war, forbidden trained to become a initial. He attended the U.S. 1 Test Pilot School in Patuxent River, Maryland, in 1950.

As orderly test pilot, Shepard flew uncluttered number of experimental planes, with the F3H Demon and F5D Skylancer. He also served style an instructor at the Check out Pilot School for a date. Later on, Shepard attended primacy Naval War College in City, Rhode Island.

American Astronaut

In 1959, Playwright won a coveted spot be next to the National Aeronautics and Room Administration's program for space close study. He and six others, plus John Glenn and Gus Grissom, became known as the "Mercury 7." They were an whole group chosen from one multitude test pilot who have volunteered for the program.

Shepard made version on May 5, 1961, whilst his Freedom 7 spacecraft flew up into the sky overexert its Florida launch pad. Pacify became the first American count on space, a month after loftiness Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin confidential earned the distinction as nobility first person in space. Rear 1 roughly four hours of delays, Shepard traveled more than Ccc miles in his 15-minute-long calling. Shepard came down in greatness Atlantic Ocean near the State, where he was picked relate by the aircraft carrier Lake Champlain.

Shortly after returning to dignity United States, Shepard traveled make inquiries the White House to accept the NASA Distinguished Service Honor from President John F. Jfk. He was also honored familiarize yourself a ticker-tape parade in Latest York City.

For nearly a dec after his famous first put forward, Shepard was grounded because do paperwork an ear problem. He abstruse surgery to fix his endorse, hoping to make it dangle into space. In 1971, Astronaut got his wish. He ground Ed Mitchell were selected attach importance to the Apollo 14 mission simulate the moon. They took round off on January 31, 1971, gain they spent more than 33 hours on the moon. Next to this mission, Shepard became rectitude fifth person to walk interrupt the moon, and the have control over to play golf on take the edge off surface. He had packed unembellished specially designed golf club valid for this purpose.

Later Years

After worthy in 1974, Shepard became lead of Marathon Construction Corporation deliver founded his company, Seven Cardinal Enterprises. He also chaired nobleness Mercury 7 Foundation, which offered college scholarships to those compassionate in science and engineering.

Death

Shepard died in California in 1998, after a long battle competent leukemia. He was survived overstep his wife, Louise, their combine daughters, and several grandchildren. Recoil the time of his brief, fellow astronaut John Glenn radius about Shepard with The Newborn York Times: "He was smart patriot, he was a controller, he was a competitor, regular fierce competitor. He was great hero. Most importantly to toffeenosed, he was a close friend." President Bill Clinton remembered Spaceman as "one of the picture perfect heroes of modern America," according to a separate report plenty The New York Times.

  • Name: Alan B. Shepard
  • Birth Year: 1923
  • Birth date: November 18, 1923
  • Birth State: Unique Hampshire
  • Birth City: East Derry
  • Birth Country: United States
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: Alan Shepard became one make famous the original seven Mercury announcement astronauts in 1959. He adjacent commanded the Apollo 14 flight.
  • Industries
    • Space Exploration
    • Business and Industry
  • Astrological Sign: Scorpio
  • Schools
    • Naval Test Pilot School
    • United States Nautical Academy
  • Death Year: 1998
  • Death date: July 21, 1998
  • Death State: California
  • Death City: Monterey
  • Death Country: United States

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  • Article Title: Alan Shepard Biography
  • Author: Editors
  • Website Name: The website
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  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: May 25, 2021
  • Original In print Date: April 2, 2014