In May 1961, Alan Shepard became the first American in space, a short suborbital mission that proved humans could survive launch, weightlessness, and reentry. Behind the calm headlines was Project ...

As NASA fought to catch up to the Soviet Union in the space race, they selected a Navy veteran as the first astronaut. But what happened once Alan Shepard stepped into the space capsule?

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. On May 5, 1961, NASA astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American to go to space. [‘On This Day in Space’ Video Series on ...

Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr. became America’s first space traveler. Shepard made a 15-minute suborbital flight aboard Mercury capsule Freedom 7. Gray Media, parent company of WDBJ7, is celebrating ...