Mercury Seven
Alan Shepard
First American in space, and the only Mercury astronaut to walk on the Moon.
Alan Shepard was one of the original Mercury Seven and became the first American in space aboard Freedom 7 on May 5, 1961. A Navy test pilot known for his icy composure, he famously told the launch team to ‘fix your little problem and light this candle’ after hours of delays on the pad.
Grounded for years by an inner-ear disorder, Shepard fought his way back to flight status and commanded Apollo 14 in 1971, becoming the fifth — and oldest — person to walk on the Moon, where he hit two golf balls off the lunar surface.