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NASA Marks 60th Anniversary Of First American In Space Onboard Freedom 7 capsule
“Inclement weather scrubbed first launch on May 2, 1961, and NASA decided it was time to announce that Shepard would indeed be making first flight, NASA said.
(Image Credit: NASA)
On May 5, 1961, Navy Commander Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. became the first man to reach space onboard the Freedom 7 space capsule. On Thursday, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) commemorated the 60th anniversary of the first American astronaut that travelled approximately 116 miles in space. Taking to its official Twitter handle, NASA wrote: “60 years ago today, astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American to travel in space, climbing 116 miles (188 km) above Earth. Shortly after, President John F. Kennedy committed the United States to a lunar landing before the end of the decade.” Shephard had led the United States as a country in its space efforts during the cold w
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THIS DAY IN HISTORY
May 5, 1961: From Cape Canaveral, Florida, Navy Commander Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. is launched into space aboard the Freedom 7 space capsule, becoming the first American astronaut to travel into space.
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