The first American went into space 54 years ago today

Fifty-four years ago today, the U.S. launched its first person into space. On May 5, 1961 at 9:34 a.m., Alan Shepard embarked on a 15-minute, 28-second flight that took him into sub orbit before splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean. The antique image above, which NASA posted today, shows his trajectory. Shepard’s flight came 23 […]