So he came back. Now, you have to realize that al shepard was the ultimate politician. Very well respected, first flight he did, so he talked nasa into giving him talked them into giving him the very next flight, which was apollo 13. After he started working 13 and i was getting my crew together for 14, i think that the nasa hierarchy had second thoughts. They said, look, al has been grounded for eight or nine years, and youre going to give him the very next flight . He only made a 15 minute suborbital flight . Lets get serious about this thing. So deke said, okay, ill slip him one. So one day when i was training for 14, deke came in and said, jim, how would you like to take 13 and well give shepard 14 . I was delighted. I said, yes. I mean, you know, i was backup on 11. And im all set to go. I mean, you know, i need the training, i need to know the experiments and things like that. But im ready. So thats how it came to pass. Can you put to bed or add to the story that one hears that y
When you were a little kid. You saw a rocket go off and said i want to do that. Is it that simple or that complex . I was interested in rockets in astronomy long before people get spell rocket. I was interested in it way back in high school. I went to try to build some rockets. I wanted to become a rocket engineer, as a matter of fact. Worked at the rocket society. I wanted to become a rocket engineer but essentially they said you have to go to mit or to caltech. I cannot afford either. So i took a secondary goal. I got an rotc appointment to wisconsin. From there i went to the Naval Academy. I got to the flight training. I became a naval air aviator. In 1958, nasa was formed and they were looking for astronauts. I was one of the original 110 people who were selected. Let me go back to the Naval Academy . That is right. This was right after world war ii. I got down to preflight. My mother, when i was at the university of wisconsin, told me to apply to the Naval Academy. 7z3 vi did it,
There i got into flight training. I became a naval aviator, and low and behold in 1958 nasa was formed and they were looking for astronauts. So i was one of the original 110 people selected to go for interviews. Lets go back to your Naval Academy days, you almost didnt go, is that right . That is right. I had two years at wisconsin. I informs a Naval Aviation program after world war ii. Have been the most important project in this century. I became the first alternate that usually doesnt make it, are and i got orders for the physical to be inducted into the academy if you so desired. And then i said should i go to the academy, they said dont do that, you two years of college, you have Naval Aviation, if you go back you have to start all over again, you might not get back in aviation, but there was an old captain there and he said if you want to make the navy your career, get yourself to the academy, that is what hatppened. I term paper, my first term paper, i wrote on the development o
Explosion on board. The interview is from the Oral History Program at the Johnson Space center. This is the Johnson Space Center Original history project, may 25th, 1999, at the Johnson Space center. When you were a little kid, you saw a rocket go off and you said i want to do that . Is it that simple or that complex . You know, i was interested in rockets and astronomy long before the glenns and the shepherds of the world could spell rocket. I was interested in it way back in high school. I went to try and build some rockets. I wanted to be a rocket engineer, as a matter of fact. I wrote to the American Rocket Society at that time which is now the aaia or Something Like that, and i said i want to be a rocket engineer, and they wrote back and said you need to go to i. T. Or cal tech, and i couldnt afford either so i got an rotc appointment to wisconsin and then from there i went to the Navel Academy and then i got the flight training. I became a naval aviator, and low and behold in 195
Some held a religious service in and area near the crash site. Egyptian Officials Say yemen is in the planning stages. Egypt and saudi arabia want to send in troops. It is expected to get the ok of the arab league tomorrow. Fighting is turning into a proxy war between iran and saudi arabia. Yemens president is taking refuge in saudi arabia. The senate pulls on all minor and pushes at budget plan through. Passing the plan around 3 30 a. M. The republican deficit cutting plan was passed on a partyline vote. The plan would cut benefit programs and repeal obamacare. What is sure to be a long battle between congress and president obama. Questions about an explosion that destroyed a manhattan Apartment Building an injured 19 people. The blast brought down the building and nearly wrecked another. Faulty work may be to blame. Utility inspectors decided the plumbing and gas was deficient. New yorks mayor says no one is missing but one mans family says they havent seen him since he was dining ne