When Alan was in space, he realized that our planet is not infinite; it is fragile.Do you know that our planet Earth appears to be a speck in the dark in outer space? So when Alan realized this, it reminded him of the ongoing strife on Earth where people are fighting with each other for mere things while, actually, they should be living together in harmony.Space travel has opened new frontiers and avenues, as today space is for everybody. Not just for a few people from math or science or a select group of astronauts. Today, it is everybody’s business to know about space and what is trending there! Space travel with easy access for everyone is the next level in human experience.If you liked reading 101 Alan B Shepard facts then you must read these interesting Alex Haley facts and Alex Rodriguez facts here on Kidadl.Fun Facts About Alan ShepardAlan said that ‘harmony makes small things grow, and a lack of it makes big things decay.’ Did you know that Alan Shepard was a businessman, test pilot, and naval aviator in addition to being an American astronaut?Shepard was born in New Hampshire on November 18, 1923, to a colonel in the army. Shepard was good at math and attended a one-room schoolhouse. Did you know that Alan Shepard was a squadron operations officer during World War II? He imparted knowledge as the operations officer to the aviators for flying jets on the destroyer Cogswell in World War II in the Pacific. On the personal front, Alan Shepard married Louise Brewer in 1954 and had three daughters, namely Juliana, Alice, and Laura. Alan did not adopt his niece formally. Alan B. Shepard Jr. had two daughters, Laura and Julie, but he also raised Louise’s niece after her sister’s death in 1956. They named her Julie and brought her up as their own.Rear Admiral Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. was the first American in space in 1961. Just one month before Alan’s space journey, Yuri Gagarin of the Soviet Union became the first person to travel in space. Ten years later, he also went to the moon. Alan was felicitated by President John F. Kennedy, where he received the NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Distinguished Service Medal. Alan B. Shepard Jr. had an inner ear equilibrium problem. In 1964, Alan Shepard was detected with Meniere’s syndrome, concerned with the inner ear equilibrium. In this syndrome, the fluid pressure within the semicircular canals in the inner ears increases, causing extreme sensitivity of motion detectors. It can lead to loss of balance, nausea, and dizziness. Later, eye glaucoma was also detected in his eyeballs.In 1974, Alan B. Shepard Jr. retired from the post of head of the Astronaut Office at NASA. On July 21, 1998, the first American test pilot in the history of space travel died after a long-standing battle with leukemia. He was 74 years old when he died, but his name remains evergreen as the first American test pilot who traveled to the moon.Facts About Alan Shepard’s EducationAlan Bartlett Shepard Jr. was of American descent. Alan Shepard was the first American citizen to travel in space, and he was one of NASA’s first seven Mercury astronauts. He also walked on the moon on another space exploration mission in 1971.In 1951, Alan Shepard graduated from the Naval Test Pilot School with flying colors. After the test pilot school, he went to the Naval War College located in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1957.Earlier, after completing school in East Derry and Derry, New Hampshire, Alan attained his Bachelor of Science Degree in 1944 from the United States Naval Academy. After his science degree, he received an honorary Master of Arts degree in 1962 from Dartmouth College. In 1971 and 1972, Alan B. Shepard received an Honorary Doctorate of Science from the esteemed Miami University and also an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Franklin Pierce College before joining the Naval Test Pilot School-United States Naval Academy.Alan Shepard’s Iconic FlightAlan said that ’the people on Earth looked pretty vulnerable in the darkness of space.’ His endeavor in space was a 15-minute extended mission during which he covered 300 mi (482.8 km) at an incredible speed.On May 5, 1961, Alan B. Shepard Jr. became an American icon in the history of space travel. He executed a suborbital flight on the historical Freedom 7, the Mercury capsule. Alan’s preparation for the iconic flight included hundreds of hours of flight training with simulation and extensive mission planning with flight training in the capsule itself. On the big day, the weather also favored Alan B. Shepard Jr., the spacecraft commander who boarded Freedom 7. The great day at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida can never be forgotten in the history of America, as around half a million Americans gathered on the nearby beaches to witness the launch of the iconic spacecraft. As Alap B. Shepard flew the iconic flight, around 45 million Americans gathered around their television screens to watch the takeoff on live TV. After a few technical glitches and delays, the rocket engines of Freedom 7 ignited at 9:34 a.m. to make their mark on American history.Onboard the flight, Alan constantly communicated with Christopher C. Kraft, the flight director at the Mercury Control Center. Slayton, a fellow astronaut, handled capsule communication. Shepard stated that he experienced weightlessness when the spacecraft separated from the booster. Alan B. Shepard Jr. took over the manual control of the spacecraft. During the iconic flight, he took some breathtaking images of the Earth. At 5 minutes and 11 seconds, Freedom 7 descended back to Earth, and the spacecraft splashed into the Atlantic Ocean, completing Alan B. Shepard’s short but historic rendezvous in space travel aboard Freedom 7.Facts About Alan Shepard’s AchievementsAlan B. Shepard, Jr. (Rear Admiral, USN, Ret.) believed that one has to do what they do for the right reason and not for fame and glory. This perspective has made Alan B. Shepard Jr. immortal in the history of America as he is considered the pioneer of the Space Age.After completing his formal education at the Naval War College in 1958, Alan was the jet aircraft carrier readiness officer for the Atlantic fleet staff of aircraft carriers. He was a member of the staff. The Commander in Chief was invited by NASA to volunteer for a manned space flight venture as a project test pilot. Shepard was chosen along with seven other test pilots for Project Mercury. On May 5, Shepard’s flight was bound to make history in space travel as he maneuvered the Freedom Space 7 capsule on his own. Upon his return, Shepard was showered with accolades and honored with parades in Los Angeles, New York, and Washington. Alan B Shepard Jr was bound to head the first Gemini Mission, but a health problem kept him grounded. When he became the chief of the astronaut office at NASA, Shepard dreamt of traveling back to space again. He underwent surgery which restored his inner ear equilibrium problem, making him fit for space travel. He became the oldest astronaut aboard Apollo XIV’s mission to the moon. Shepard became a hero again, and he was promoted to the position of Admiral before his retirement from NASA and the Navy.Special honors include the American Astronautical Society’s Flight Achievement Award conferred on Alan B. Shepard in 1971 and the City of New York Gold Medal awarded in the same year. He received two NASA Distinguished Service Medals and the Congressional Medal of Honor (Space). The NASA Exceptional Service Medal and the Navy Astronaut Wings are part of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal. He also received the Navy Distinguished Flying Cross. He was the esteemed recipient of the Langley Medal in 1964. He has also been conferred with the Collier Trophy, the Lambert Trophy, the Cabot Award, and the Kinchloe Trophy.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 101 Alan B Shepard facts: the test pilot who went to space, then why not take a look at Amelia Bloomer facts or Air Force facts.
When Alan was in space, he realized that our planet is not infinite; it is fragile.
