Mercury-Redstone 3

Mercury-Redstone 3, also known as Freedom 7, was the first human spaceflight mission of the United States, launched on May 5, 1961. Piloted by astronaut Alan Shepard, it aimed to demonstrate human survival and control of a spacecraft in space. The mission lasted about 15 minutes, during which Shepard reached an altitude of 116 miles and safely returned to Earth, marking a significant milestone in the early days of the U.S. space program and the space race against the Soviet Union. It laid the groundwork for future manned space explorations and ultimately, the Apollo missions to the Moon.