Alan Shepard

Alan Shepard was an American astronaut and naval officer, best known as the first American to travel into space in 1961 aboard Mercury-Redstone 3, called Freedom 7. His pioneering flight marked the United States' entry into human space exploration during the early years of the Space Race. Shepard's later career included commanding NASA's Apollo 14 mission to the Moon in 1971, during which he famously hit two golf balls on the lunar surface. His contributions helped shape human spaceflight and expanded our understanding of space and exploration technology.