Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., peers into his Freedom 7 Mercury capsule before launch on the morning of May 5, 1961. In early 1961, NASA announced that Shepard, Gus Grissom and John Glenn would make the first three flights. It wasn't made public then, but Shepard knew he had the first flight.
Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., peers into his Freedom 7 Mercury capsule before launch on the morning of May 5, 1961.
In early 1961, NASA announced that Shepard, Gus Grissom and John Glenn would make the first three flights. It wasn’t made public then, but Shepard knew he had the first flight. Shepard said he was ”totally elated that I had won the competition.” But almost immediately afterwards he felt sorry for his buddies, ”because there they were … trying just as hard as I was.”Image Credit: NASA