Millions of radio listeners heard a voice from the Cape Canaveral control room say: "This is it,Alan Shepard,there's no turning back.

VOA: special.2011.05.15

A month later, on the morning of May fifth, American Navy pilot Alan Shepard crawled into his little Mercury spacecraft.

VOA: special.2009.06.17

They were Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper,John Glenn,Virgil Grissom, Walter Schirra,Alan Shepard and Donald Slayton.

VOA: special.2009.06.10

Alan Shepard's trip on Freedom 7 into space only three weeks before was no real space voyage.

FORBES: The New Space Race: Follow The Talent

America's first man in space, Alan Shepard, who later walked on the moon in 1971's Apollo 14 mission, became a millionaire businessman.

CNN: After walking on moon, astronauts trod various paths

The first American in space, Alan Shepard, actually had no choice but to go in his suit while waiting on the launch pad.

NPR: Space Toilet Awaits Repair Mission