On This Day (45 Years Ago): Alan Shepard Becomes First US Astronaut

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[Pyro7480]

1961: Shepard becomes first US astronaut

Commander Alan Shepard has been recovered from his space capsule in the Atlantic after becoming the first American in space.

Three weeks ago, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man to fly into space.

This morning, 37-year-old Cdr Shepard of the US Navy was launched into sub-orbital flight from Cape Canaveral in Florida in a Mercury 3 capsule attached to a Redstone rocket.

He travelled 115 miles into space and landed in the Atlantic just 15 minutes later. His first words after he was picked up by a helicopter were: "Boy, what a ride!"

President Kennedy telephoned to congratulate the astronaut a few minutes after he was flown to aircraft carrier Lake Champlain.

In a veiled reference to last month's achievement by the USSR's space programme, the president said: "This is an historic milestone in our own exploration into space. But America still needs to work with the utmost speed and vigour in the further development of our space programme."

During the flight, Cdr Shepard maintained constant communication with ground control. He opened his periscope, reported on cloud cover over Florida and North Carolina and commented, "Oh, what a beautiful view."

As he re-entered the Earth's atmosphere, the experienced test pilot was subjected to 11 times the force of gravity and travelled at 5,100mph but managed to report that he was "OK".

The space capsule, which appears undamaged except for some heat scars, is being returned to Cape Canaveral for examination.

[Pyro7480]

Mercury Redstone - launching Alan Shepard on first U.S. sub-orbital space flight.

[Semper Paratus]

He was waiting for hours in the capsule to take off that he had to whizz in his suit.

[Pyro7480]

He was waiting for hours in the capsule to take off that he had to whizz in his suit.

As humorously portrayed in the movie "The Right Stuff."

[Semper Paratus]

"Let's light this candle!"

[Kirkwood]

And on that day I figured I would be commuting in my flying car to the nearest spaceport to take a shuttle to work on board a space station by the year 2000.

[Question_Assumptions]

Read science fiction author Larry Niven's take on why we don't have flying cars as predicted in an interview here (about half-way down the page).

[Fiji Hill]

That morning, we were watching Captain Kangaroo on TV, when the program was interrupted and the words "Stand By For a Special Telecast" flashed across the screen. This was followed by a live broadcast of the event from Cape Canaveral.

[null and void]

There must be sheep in space.

Why else would they send a Shepard...

[null and void]

The wealth (as in flying cars) predicted by Heinlein and his followers (including myself) was another matter. It all went to welfare programs.

Vast numbers of people are microscopically better off for that, except that we all have less to aspire to.

-- Larry Niven

Damm. That's gonna leave a mark.

[reagan_fanatic]

That morning, we were watching Captain Kangaroo on TV...

*sigh*

I miss the Captain. I used to love that show when I was a wee little one.

[The_Repugnant_Conservative]

At least the BBC remembers. This probably won't be mentioned in the domestic press who lost interest decades ago.

[EyeGuy]

"The wealth (as in flying cars) predicted by Heinlein and his followers (including myself) was another matter. It all went to welfare programs.

Vast numbers of people are microscopically better off for that, except that we all have less to aspire to.

-- Larry Niven

Damm. That's gonna leave a mark."


HA!

You beat me to it. I was going to pull that very quote out of the Niven interview.

Those are the exact words I use in the SHORT version of the explanation for the near absence of the inspirational and thrilling space program of my youth . The LONG version, while highly factual, gets extremely politically incorrect. I feel sorry for the current generation.

[null and void]

I feel sorry for the current generation.

They'll get over it.

Either theirs or the next will reset the clock.

Did you know that after every major revolution about 30% of the population starves? I think I just figured out why - those were the multigenerational parasites who quite literally can't do anything productive to feed themselves.

[EyeGuy]

"I think I just figured out why - those were the multigenerational parasites who quite literally can't do anything productive to feed themselves."

I'm afraid, for a large perception of society's leechers, it's "won't", rather than "can't"..........

Back to the space program. For fun, I like to pull out my Dad's slide rule to show my kid's the "computer" the NASA engineers used back in those heady days.

[null and void]

I'm afraid, for a large perception of society's leechers, it's "won't", rather than "can't"

I think that it starts off as "won't", but a kid who's parent(s) and grand parents(s) won't, never gets the concept of the skills needed and becomes a "can't"

[Coyoteman]

I still remember the Shepard's prayer, too.

[Fiji Hill]

On Our Way to Mars

Just supposing that you and I
hd a rocket ship to fly through the sky.
We'd head our dreamboat straight for the stars
On our way to Mars.
Put your space suit on, and let's elope.
We'll make history in Cinemascope.
Look out! Beware of those flying cars
On our way to mars.

at some space drive-in, we'll get our kicks
And have a grilled cheese sandwich on the moon.
I won't dare look at those Venus chicks,
'Cause you make my palpitating heart go boom.

All the universie will glow so bright
as we fly along and kiss in the night.
Won't it be crazy, jus dodging stars
On our way to Mars.

We'll jump by Jupiter, ride Saturn's rings,
Chase the comets around the stars.
We're off! On our way to Mars.

Eddie Robertson, Class Records, 1957