Alan Shepard

Alan Shepard

Shepard, Alan Jr. 1923-1998

Astronaut, and NASA administrator was born in East Derry NH. After graduating from Annapolis he served aboard a destroyer during WWII, and then went on to be a U.S. Navy Pilot.

Joining the space program in 1959 he was one of the seven original astronauts and became the first American in space aboard Freedom 7 in May of 1961. Later grounded due to an inner ear disorder he remained with NASA as director of training.

After recovering he became the 5th astronaut to land on the Moon as Commander of Apollo 14 in 1971. He retired from NASA and the Navy in 1974 with the rank of Rear Admiral.

The 15-minute Freedom 7 flight in 1961 made astronaut Alan Shepard America's first man in space and its first hero of the space age. Later he made history by playing golf on the moon during the Apollo 14 mission. But journalist Neal Thompson reveals another side of this all-American navy pilot with the right stuff.

More Astronaut Titles:

There was a demon that lived in the air. They said whoever challenged him would die. Their controls would freeze up, their planes would buffet wildly, and they would disintegrate. The demon....

The Right Stuff DVD

Houston, we have a problem. Apollo 13 (Widescreen Collector's Edition)

Apollo 13 -NASA's worst nightmare turned into one of the space agency's most heroic moments in 1970, when the Apollo 13 crew was forced to hobble home in a disabled capsule after an explosion seriously damaged the moon-bound spacecraft. Ron Howard directs Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, and Bill Paxton..

Memorable Quotes:

Chris Kraft: "This could be the worst disaster NASA's ever faced."
Gene Kranz: "With all due respect, sir, I believe this is gonna be our finest hour."
Apollo 13