Free Republic

On April 9, 1959, the newly-formed National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA, introduced the world to a new breed of heroes: the Mercury Seven, America’s first astronauts. Se-lected from a pool of over 500 military test pilots, these men represented the best the nation had to offer, and its best hope in the intensifying Space Race against the Soviets. Almost immediately, the Mercury Seven became national heroes: on May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard would became the first American in space, while on February 20, 1962, John Glenn would become the first American to orbit the earth, a feat which...

The fourth person to walk on the Moon, astronaut Alan Bean, died over the weekend. This is the wild true story of Apollo 12, and how a little creativity and ingenuity saved the day. Astronaut and artist Alan Bean died over the weekend at age 86. He was the fourth human to walk on the moon as part of the crew of Apollo 12, and spent 31 hours on the lunar surface. Before he got there, the astronaut had to survive his first, hectic launch into space and help the crew find the right way to the moon in a...

The Apollo astronaut and the fourth man to walk on the moon, Alan Bean has died at age 86. Bean died on Saturday at Houston Methodist Hospital. "Alan was the strongest and kindest man I ever knew. He was the love of my life and I miss him dearly," said Leslie Bean, Alan Bean's wife of 40 years. "A native Texan, Alan died peacefully in Houston surrounded by those who loved him."

HE was an astronaut on the second manned mission to the moon and the fourth man to walk on its surface. Alan Bean, 85, is one of only 12 people to have taken “one small step for man and one giant leap for mankind” on the moon.

Legendary astronaut and former Navy pilot received a pair of honorary Naval Astronaut Wings in a ceremony aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (Ike) March 10 in recognition for his dedicated service to the Navy and in the field of space exploration. Neil Armstrong, the first man to set foot on the moon July 20, 1969, was aboard Ike as part of the "Legends of Aerospace" tour sponsored by Morale Entertainment. "Today is a special occasion for all of naval aviation. As you can imagine, it is a tremendous honor for me to present Neil Armstrong with astronaut wings,"...

The X PRIZE Foundation's Competition in Honor of Famed Astronaut Rewards High-School-Aged Teams That Develop an Original Concept to Benefit Personal Spaceflight The X PRIZE Foundation announced the availability of online registration for a new education competition designed to interest students in space, science and technology. The Pete Conrad Spirit of Innovation Award, named in honor of the celebrated Apollo astronaut, will be presented for the first time at this year's Wirefly X PRIZE Cup in October. The award will be presented to the high school team that develops the most creative, new space concept to benefit the emerging personal...