Alan Shepard: First American in Space

Author:
Doug West
Mar 29, 2024 10:43 AM EDT

Astronaut Alan Shepard aboard the Freedom 7 spacecraft.

Start of the Space Race

In 1957, with the launch of the Soviet Union’s Sputnik satellite, Americans were suddenly shaken from their misguided belief that the Soviets were technologically backward. On the morning of October 5, 1957, Americans awoke to the news that the Soviets had launched an artificial satellite that had flown over their heads at least four times during the night. Sputnik, a 184-pound satellite about the size of a beachball, contained a simple radio transmitter that just electronically “beeped” every few seconds. Amateur radio operators were able to listen to the radio beeps from Sputnik all around the world. For President Dwight D. Eisenhower, it was a wake-up-call that the Soviets had reached technological parity with the U.S.—and possibly superiority.

The launch of the Sputnik saw the beginning of the space race where the world’s superpowers, Russia and the United States, attempted ever more daring technological feats in the effort to claim new firsts in space exploration. The most sought-after goal was to put a man into space, thus breeding a new hero of the modern age: the astronaut.

The U.S. Response to Sputnik

The United States was caught completely off guard by the launch of the Sputnik, forcing America to counter with a launch of their own satellite or admit the superiority of the Russians. The fledgling U.S. space program began with more of a fizzle than a bang as a series of failed rocket launches gave the Americans a “black eye” in the space race. In the Eisenhower Administration, there was consternation over the intelligence failure of the launch of the Soviet satellite. The question now became: How could America respond to being obviously outdone by the Russians in such a public manner?

In early October, President Eisenhower publicly congratulated the Soviet Union for its launch of what he called a “small ball” into space. The president also reiterated that the U.S. was still planning a test launch of the Vanguard rocket in December. While Eisenhower blustered on the international stage about America’s progress in space exploration, the leader of the Vanguard rocket team, John P. Hagen of the Naval Research Laboratory, knew that such an aggressive schedule would be a stretch to meet.

Failure on the Launch Pad

The press gathered at Cape Canaveral on December 6, 1957, to witness the launch of the Vanguard TV-3 rocket. The U.S. Navy’s Vanguard rocket was a slender craft, 76-feet tall and just under a yard across at its broadest. At 11:44 am, the first stage of the rocket, powered by a mix of oxygen and kerosene, fired and slowly began to lift from the pad. Two seconds later, disaster struck when the first stage exploded, sending the upper two stages and the small satellite tumbling on the launch pad. With such a flagrant failure, the administration knew something had to be done, and quickly.

Failed launch of the Vanguard TV-3 rocket on December 6, 1957.

Project Mercury

One of the first actions of NASA’s administrator Keith Glennan was to establish a Space Task Group, a panel of distinguished scientists and engineers whose task was to make manned space flight a reality. NASA wasted no time and announced to the public, in mid-December 1958, Project Mercury, the first human spaceflight program of the United States. As Project Mercury got underway the public demanded to know who were the astronauts who would ride into space.

Over Christmas 1958, President Eisenhower made the decision that only military test pilots should be considered for the first phase of the project. Early the next year, NASA’s selection committee began sorting through personnel records looking for candidates. After months of interviews and evaluations, the selection panel came down to seven test pilots who would form the group known as the “Mercury Seven.” In April 1959, Glennan introduced his astronauts to the media. They were Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Walter Schirra, Alan Shepard, and Donald “Deke” Slayton.

Formation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

With the American space program in disarray, Congress authorized the formation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), a civilian agency to oversee the aeronautical and space activities sponsored by the government. The organization came to life on October 1, 1958, after absorbing the personnel and facilities of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. The formation of NASA was a key ingredient in ending the squabbles between the different branches of the U.S. military that were working to be the first to have a successful satellite launch.

The “Mercury Seven” astronauts in their space suits, 1961.

The Soviets Put a Man into Space

While the Americans were busy building and testing the rocket and space capsule that would hurl the first American into space, without notice, on April 12, 1961, the cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man to travel into space. Gagarin rode in the Vostok 1 capsule, which was launched into space by the powerful Russian R-7 rocket. Two days after safely returning to earth, Gagarin flew to Moscow to meet the Soviet leadership and was greeted as a national hero by the largest crowds the city had seen since the end of World War II. The fact that the Russians had beaten the Americans into space only deepened their resolve to put an American into space.

Yuri Gagarin in his space suit as he rides to the launch pad of his historic 1961 flight into space.

Alan Shepard Was Chosen

After months of extensive training, testing, and evaluation of the seven astronauts, NASA made public the name of the three men who would become the first Americans in space. Robert Gilruth, chief of the Space Task Force, called the seven astronauts into a conference for an announcement. Gilruth entered the room where the men were assembled and dryly cut right to the chase, stating, “What I have to say to you is confidential. Keep it that way. Each of you has done an outstanding job. We’re grateful for your contribution, but you all know only one man can be first in space.” After telling the men it was the “the most difficult decision I’ve ever had to make,” he blurted out the name they had all been waiting to hear. “Alan Shepard will make the first suborbital flight.” He added without emotion, “Gus Grissom will follow Alan on the second suborbital flight. John Glenn will be backup for both missions.” The decision had been made, Alan B. Shepard, Jr., the Navy test pilot from New Hampshire, would be America’s first man in space.

To avoid unnecessary publicity for a single man and his family, NASA simply told the public that Shepard, Grissom, and Glenn had been selected as candidates for the first Redstone flight. Exactly which of the three would make the historic flight into space would be withheld from the public until just before the launch of the first sub-orbital flight. The decision to train just three for the first flight allowed the other four to act in support roles for the flight and to prepare for future missions.

Training of the Astronauts

To prepare for the first flight, the three astronauts went through an extensive training routine. From February until April 1961, Shepard “flew” 120 simulated Mercury-Redstone missions in the simulator. One of the training modules consisted of going through the details of the operational sequence of the launch day, which started with a medical exam of the astronaut. Next was breakfast, putting on the space suit, and the transfer from the astronauts’ quarters in Hanger S to the space capsule atop the Redstone rocket. The training exercise culminated with a simulated flight in conjunction with Mission Control. Training like this continued until two days before the first scheduled flight on May 2, 1961.

Project Mercury astronauts experience a weightlessness simulation in a C-131 aircraft, known as the “vomit comet.”

Lift-Off

On May 2nd, everything was a “go” for launch except for the weather, forcing Shepard to wait in the hangar for three hours in his space suit. Once it was determined the weather was not going to clear, the launch was moved to the coming Thursday. It was not until then that Robert Gilruth informed the public that Alan Shepard would be the first American into space.

After another day of weather delay, conditions were right on Friday May 5, 1961. This would be the day that America would enter the manned race for space. A little after 1:00 am Shepard was awakened to prepare for his flight. As he had practiced many times, his day started with a medical exam and a breakfast with the members of the launch team. Next, he dawned his space suit and began the ride to the launch pad. By 6:00 am he was strapped in the Mercury capsule, named “Friendship 7” by the astronauts. Just 15 minutes before lift-off, the flight director ordered a hold to wait for better photographic conditions. When the sky cleared there were more problems so by the time every system was “go,” Shepard had been waiting patiently strapped in the cramped capsule for over four hours.

Then it happened. The rockets slowly came to life below Shepard. From the control room came the voice of his friend and fellow astronaut, Deke Slayton, shouting, “You’re on your way, Jose!” Shepard came back with, “Roger, liftoff, and the clock has started.” Outside the secured perimeter of Cape Canaveral, down along the causeways, on the beaches, and lining the roads and highways, was a mass of 500,000 common folks hoping to catch a glimpse of history in the making. The spectators were not disappointed as the roaring pencil of flame and smoke cleared the tree line and rapidly ascended into the clear Florida sky.

Two- and one-half minutes into the flight, Shepard reported to Deke that Friendship 7 had separated from the booster. Shortly after that, the attitude control system oriented the capsule with the heat shield in the direction of flight. At the highest point (apogee) of the parabolic suborbital flight at an altitude of 115 miles, Shepard initiated a manual altitude adjustment to prepare the craft for re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere. Once the ship was properly positioned, he switched back to automatic mode and fired the retro rockets.

Launch of the Mercury-Redstone rocket on May 5, 1961.

Splash Down

As the capsule descended into heavier and heavier layers of the atmosphere, the drag on the craft was tremendous, reaching nearly 12 g. At about five miles in altitude, Shepard deployed the drogue chute to slow his free-fall and stabilize the craft as it hurled toward the landing spot in the Atlantic Ocean. The deployment of the main parachute slowed his rate of descent to 30-feet-per-second, allowing time to prepare himself and the spacecraft for the water rescue. Suddenly, abruptly, the craft hit the water and flotation devises deployed. Through the porthole he saw the fluorescent dye had dispersed in the water, marking his location for the approaching rescue helicopters.

The pilot of the main rescue helicopter posited the chopper over the capsule and attached to it. The pilot raised the capsule in the rolling ocean just far enough to allow Shepard to open the hatch and climb out. Next, he attached a horse collar to himself, allowing him to be raised to the hovering helicopter.

Just 11 minutes after he had hit the water, he stepped onto the deck of the awaiting USS Lake Champlain for an immediate medical examination. Doctors feared that the few minutes of weightlessness might cause mental confusion and disorientation. Shepard had come through the short 15-minute flight with flying colors. The flight, from takeoff to landing, had gone with only minor glitches and was just the “win” that the fledgling U.S. space program needed.

Alan Shepard is seen on the deck of the USS Lake Champlain after the recovery of his Mercury capsule in the Atlantic Ocean.

Aftermath of the Historic Flight

Three days after his sub-orbital flight, Shepard was at the White House receiving the Distinguished Service Medal from President Kennedy. The success of the first manned space flight by an American inspired the nation, including the chief executive, who later in the month spoke to the possibilities of the U.S. space program. President Kennedy addressed both houses of Congress with a speech that has become famous in the annals of the space race. In his closing statements, Kennedy issued a bold challenge to the nation, “…we cannot guarantee that any failure to make this effort will make us last. We take an additional risk by making it in full view of the world, but as shown by the feat of Astronaut Shepard, this very risk enhances our stature when we are successful. I believe this nation should commit itself to the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind…” The race to the moon had just begun.

Though Alan Shepard would not be the first man to walk on the moon, on February 5, 1971, Commander Shepard and his fellow astronaut Ed Mitchell set foot on the moon as part of the Apollo 14 mission. Shepard continued working for NASA and the Navy, retiring in 1974. He will forever be remembered as the first American to travel in outer space.