Alan Shepard

1923 – 1998

Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. was an American astronaut and naval aviator who in May 1961 became the first American and the second person ever to travel into space, piloting Mercury-Redstone 3's Freedom 7 capsule on a 15-minute suborbital flight. Selected as one of NASA's original Mercury Seven, he commanded the Apollo 14 mission to the Moon in 1971 at age 47, becoming the fifth and oldest person to walk on the lunar surface—and famously hit two golf balls with a makeshift six-iron during his moonwalk.

Last checked: May 10, 2026, 1:06 PM