Table of Biography
Alan Shepard is a late American astronaut. Alan Shepard became the first American and second person to travel into space. As well as he became the fifth and oldest person to walk on the Moon at 47 years in the year 1971.
Early Life
Born as Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr., better known by the name Alan Shepard was born in Derry, New Hampshire, the United States, on November 18, 1923.
According to astrology, he has a birth sign of Scorpio, and at the age of 74, he passed away. He holds American nationality and his ancestors were Scottish emigrants from Berneray in the Outer Hebrides.
He was born to Renza Emerson Shepard and Alan Bartlett Shepard Sr. In addition, he had a younger sister named Pauline, and up in rural New Hampshire.
Alan Shepard – Education
After completing his matriculation from a local high school, he enrolled at the U.S. Naval Academy. In addition, he served on the destroyer Cogswell in the Pacific during World War II. When the war ended, he trained to become a pilot. Additionally, he went to the U.S. Navy Test Pilot School in Patuxent River, Maryland, in 1950.
Being a test pilot, he flew some experimental planes, including the F3H Demon and F5D Skylancer. For a brief time, he worked as an instructor at the Test Pilot School for a time. Later, he enrolled at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, and completed his graduation in 1957.
Death
On July 21, 1998, he passed away at the age of 74, in Pebble Beach, California, the United States. Meanwhile, he died due to complications from leukaemia.
Professional Career
Alan Shepard was one of the initial seven astronauts picked by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for the United States Mercury program in 1959. He made a 15-minute suborbital flight in the Freedom 7 spacecraft, on the 5th of May, 1961, which reached an altitude of 115 miles (185 km).
He became the second person and the first American in space, a month after the Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin had earned the distinction of the first person in space. Moreover, he landed in the Atlantic Ocean near the Bahamas, where he was picked up by the aircraft carrier Lake Champlain.
Later, he was honoured with the NASA Distinguished Service Medal from President John F. Kennedy. He was grounded for over a decade following his legendary first mission due to an ear condition. Moreover, he got surgery to correct his problem with the hopes of returning to space. He got his desire in 1971.
Moon Mission
He and Ed Mitchell were chosen for the Apollo 14 moon mission. They launched on January 31, 1971, and stayed over 33 hours on the moon. Shepard became the fifth person to walk on the moon and the first to play golf on its surface on this mission. He had brought a specially crafted golf club, particularly for this purpose.
Caption: Alan Shepard walking on the moon (Source: Britannica)
Meanwhile, he was Chief of the Astronaut Office from November 1963 to August 1969 (the approximate period of his grounding), and from June 1971 until April 30, 1974. Additionally, he was promoted to rear admiral on August 25, 1971, the first astronaut to reach that rank.
Post Career and Achievements
He became the chairman of Marathon Construction Corporation and founded his company, Seven Fourteen Enterprises after retiring from the United States Navy and NASA on July 31, 1974.
The organization, which was later renamed the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, is still in operation today and raises funds for college students studying science and engineering. Moreover, he is co-author with fellow Mercury astronaut Deke Slayton, “Moon Shot: The Inside Story of America’s Race to the Moon” (1994).
During his career, he has earned several achievements and awards. Among them are the “Navy Distinguished Service Medal,” “Distinguished Flying Cross,” “Congressional Space Medal of Honor,” “NASA Distinguished Service Medal” (2), and “NASA Exceptional Service Medal.”
Net Worth 2024
At the time of his death, his net worth was estimated around $50 million. The man has earned through his successful career as an astronaut, naval aviator, test pilot, and businessman.
Relation Status
Caption: Alan Shepard family photo (Source: X.com)
In 1945, Alan Shepard married Louise Brewer. With the marriage, the couple has two kids named Laura and Julie. The couple was together until the time of Shepard’s death. Till the time of his death, he was never a part of any kind of controversy or scandal.
Body Measurements
Caption: Alan Shepard in the astronaut suit (Source: CNN)
The late astronaut has brown hair with a green pair of eyes colour. However, his other body measurements such as height, weight, and other body stats are under review.
Alan Shepard – Social Media
Shepard passed away on July 21, 1998, and since he passed away before the widespread use of social media platforms, he did not have personal social media accounts.