May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard Before Mercury Launch

May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard in Spacesuit Before Mercury Launch: Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., in his silver pressure suit with the helmet visor closed, prepares for his Mercury Redstone 3 launch on May 5, 1961. Shepard's Freedom 7 Mercury capsule lifted off at 9:34 a.m. and flew a suborbital trajectory lasting 15 minutes and 22 seconds. He became the first American to fly into space.