Shepard, Alan, Jr.

Shepard, Alan (Bartlett), Jr. (1923–  ) astronaut, NASA administrator; born in East Derry, N.H. An Annapolis graduate, after World War II service on a destroyer he became a U.S. Navy pilot. One of the seven original astronauts (1959), he became the first American in space when on May 5, 1961, he rode the capsule "Freedom 7" to an altitude of 117 miles. Grounded because of an ear disorder (1963–69), he directed NASA's astronaut training program (1965–74); when recovered, he commanded the Apollo 15 lunar mission in 1971 and became the fifth astronaut to land on the moon. Promoted to rear admiral, he retired from NASA and the U.S. Navy in 1974 and entered private business in Houston.