2K views · 22 reactions | Project Mercury: Alan Shepard's Historic Space Launch! | Spark | Facebook

Alan Shepard's Mercury Launch on May 5, 1961 was a dangerous undertaking. Rocket launches often resulted in failure and there was no guarantee this would be a successful mission. | Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

6.5K views · 255 reactions | 60 years ago today, astronaut Alan Shepard climbed into the Freedom 7 capsule for a sub-orbital flight 115 miles above the Earth’s surface, becoming the first American in space. Soon-to-be Evening News anchor Walter Cronkite reported from Cape Canaveral. | CBS Evening News | Facebook

“What a beautiful view.” Alan Shepard became the first American in space 60 years ago today (May 5, 1961) when Freedom 7 lifted off atop a Mercury-Redstone rocket. The 15-minute flight gave us valuable data on how humans respond to microgravity, and set us on a path toward having a continuous human presence in space with the construction of the International Space Station decades later: youtu.be/YMptAi6Z8io | NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

114K views · 3K reactions | On May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard became the first American to travel into space. abc7.la/1rsNsTt | ABC7 | Facebook