![Remembering the Moon landings: Alan Shepard, the first American astronaut, whose short spaceflight inaugurated his country's decade-long journey to the Moon Remembering the Moon landings: Alan Shepard, the first American astronaut, whose short spaceflight inaugurated his country's decade-long journey to the Moon](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/obituaries/2019/07/12/TELEMMGLPICT000201865603_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqqVzuuqpFlyLIwiB6NTmJwfSVWeZ_vEN7c6bHu2jJnT8.jpeg?imwidth=480)
Remembering the Moon landings: Alan Shepard, the first American astronaut, whose short spaceflight inaugurated his country's decade-long journey to the Moon
![Remco Timmermans on X: "The @blueorigin #NewShepard very much follows the flight profile of the @nasa #OldShepard mission, that took the first American astronaut Alan Shepard into space on 5 May 1961. Remco Timmermans on X: "The @blueorigin #NewShepard very much follows the flight profile of the @nasa #OldShepard mission, that took the first American astronaut Alan Shepard into space on 5 May 1961.](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ey8yJhCXAAMjQcB.jpg)
Remco Timmermans on X: "The @blueorigin #NewShepard very much follows the flight profile of the @nasa #OldShepard mission, that took the first American astronaut Alan Shepard into space on 5 May 1961.
![5th May 1961: Astronaut Alan Shepard becomes the first American to travel in space on Freedom 7 - YouTube 5th May 1961: Astronaut Alan Shepard becomes the first American to travel in space on Freedom 7 - YouTube](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/H70gRmsZPNQ/maxresdefault.jpg)