images

Launch of Freedom 7, the first American in space

by

Nasa/Novapix

Reference

e-mer03-20003

Date

2007-11-18

Astronaut Alan B. Shepard, Jr. lifts off in the Freedom 7 Mercury spacecraft on May 5, 1961. This third flight of the Mercury-Redstone (MR-3) vehicle was the first manned space mission for the United States. During the 15-minute suborbital flight, Shepard reached an altitude of 115 miles and traveled 302 miles downrange.