Sending Man Into Space: Then & Now

Alan Shephard

On May 5, 1961 Alan Shephard became the first American in space when he lifted off in the Freedom 7 space capsule.  He later went on the be the first man to walk on the moon in 1971. 

As an elementary school child during those early space missions, I remember all of the students being gathered in the cafeteria to watch on a small black and white television.  During the years of America's early space program was the stuff of dreamers and doers.  Each mission launch became a reason for the nation to pause and observe history in the making.   

On May 26, 1961 President John F. Kennedy gave  his now historic "moon speech" .   I find myself wondering what he would have thought about where the space program has been and what it has done in the last 50 years.   I also wonder if others have such vivid memories of where they were when these space missions took place. 



JFK inspects Mercury Capsule








And today, some fifty years later, the crew of the Space Shuttle Endeavor lifted off for its last mission to the International Space Station.  It was being broadcast live as I was doing a medication pass at work.  I stopped to watch - a habit that was imprinted on me fifty years ago by those elementary school teachers.



Crew of Space Shuttle Endeavor

Final Lift Off for Space Shuttle Endeavor

I think JFK would be pleased with how far we've come.  What about you?