Timeline event · 5 May 1961 · The Space Race
Shepard Becomes the First American in Space
Alan Shepard flies a 15-minute suborbital hop aboard Freedom 7, becoming the first American in space three weeks after Gagarin.
Highlights
- ›First American in space
Missions, people & worlds
Knowledge connections
- Part ofThe Space Race
- Associated withFreedom 7 (Mercury-Redstone 3)
- Associated withAlan Shepard
- Associated withProject Mercury
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.