196165y ago
Crewed flight
Alan Shepard — first American in space
Freedom 7's suborbital flight lasted just 15 minutes, but it was enough to put the United States into the crewed-spaceflight business and spur Kennedy's Moon pledge.
On This Day in Space
Freedom 7's suborbital flight lasted just 15 minutes, but it was enough to put the United States into the crewed-spaceflight business and spur Kennedy's Moon pledge.