The story of how the first American went to space

As NASA fought to catch up to the Soviet Union in the space race, they selected a Navy veteran as the first astronaut. But ...
Space Coast Daily

National Astronaut Day Commemorates Historic First Space Flight of Alan Shepard on May 5, 1961

A Milestone Anniversary of Discovery! On May 5, 2026, Americans will celebrate the 10th anniversary of National Astronaut Day ...
Space Coast Daily

THIS DAY IN HISTORY: America’s First Astronaut Launched Aboard Freedom 7 on May 5, 1961

On the morning of May 5, 1961, astronaut Alan Shepard crawled into the cramped Mercury capsule, "Freedom 7," at Launch ...
Los Angeles Daily News

Here’s how many astronauts have gone to space and the moon

The Artemis capsule is expected to splashdown on Friday. Saturday, April 12, 1961 was the date of the first human space flight, carried out by Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet citizen. This historic event ...
Maine Public

New England astronauts phone home from the International Space Station

Connecticut astronaut Jack Hathaway and Maine astronaut Jessica Meir describe life aboard the International Space Station and ...