Echoes Among the Stars: The Original Website
The First Era in Space, 1957-1975
Mercury: Freedom 7
May 5, 1961
American Heroes
Even before they flew in space for the first time, the original American astronauts - collectively known as the Mercury Seven - were embraced by the American public as heroes for a new age, who represented the very best of the nation's hopes and dreams for its future. In this photo, first American in space Alan Shepard poses with a group of Boy Scouts. NASA photo.
America in Space: Freedom 7
The Freedom 7 Mercury capsule is launched on May 5, 1961. The suborbital mission lasts just fifteen minutes and twenty eight seconds, but it marks the first flight into space by an American, catapulting Alan Shepard into history and inspiring U.S. President John F. Kennedy to increase America's commitment to its space program. NASA photo.
Alan Shepard: Mission Accomplished
Alan Shepard became the first American in space on May 5, 1961. He is seen here after his historic flight, no doubt relieved that the immense pressures of the mission and the intense attention accorded it by the mass media were finally over, and that virtually every detail of the brief flight went according to plan. NASA photo.
