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Alan Shepard Facts & Worksheets

Rear Admiral Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. was an American astronaut, naval aviator, test pilot, and businessman.

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Rear Admiral Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. was an American astronaut, naval aviator, test pilot, and businessman. He became the first American to fly into space in 1961 and he went to the Moon in 1971.

See the fact file below for more information on the Alan Shepard or alternatively, you can download our 19-page Alan Shepard worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

BIOGRAPHY

  • On November 18, 1923, Alan Shepard was born in New Hampshire. He was the son of a colonel in the army. As a small child, Shepard attended school in a one-room schoolhouse where he was a good student, particularly in math.
  • Shepard became one of the initial seven astronauts for the Mercury program in 1959.
  • Shepard made a 15-minute suborbital flight in May 1961, 23 days after Yury A. Gagarin became the first human to orbit Earth, achieving an altitude of 115 miles.
  • He commanded the flight of Apollo 14 (1971) and was the first to land in the lunar highlands.
  • Shepard died at the age of 74 from leukemia complications on July 21, 1998.

EDUCATION AND ACHIEVEMENTS

  • Alan Shepard earned a Bachelor of Science at the United States Naval Academy in 1944. He became a licensed pilot in 1950 and received his Masters degree in 1957 at the School of Naval War.
  • Alan Shepard has received numerous accolades and awards including the Congressional Honor Medal (Space), the NASA Distinguished Service Medal (twice), the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, the Navy Distinguished Flying Cross, the Smithsonian Institution’s Langley Medal, and the New York City Gold Medal.
  • He was a American Astronautical Society Fellow as well as a member of the Experimental Test Pilots Club, the Mayflower Society, and the American Fighter Aces.

FREEDOM 7 MISSION

  • On May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard ascended his spacecraft named Freedom 7. It was Project Mercury’s first crewed flight. His goal was to fly out into space and safely return in a sub-orbital flight that would last for around 15 minutes.
  • In the countdown, there were several delays, and for hours, Shepard was on the ground. Eventually, Alan Shepard was launched out into outer space at 9:43 AM.
  • Shepard reached 116 miles (187 km) altitude and landed 303 miles (488 km) downstream from Cape Canaveral, where he was recovered by the Lake Champlain aircraft carrier.
  • Shepard reached a peak speed of 5,134 miles per hour (8,260 kph) and felt a force as high as 11 Gs (11 times the gravity acceleration) upon re-entering.
  • The flight lasted for 15 minutes and 28 seconds. Unlike Gagarin, during the flight, Shepard was able to maneuver the craft. Finally, his pioneering flight began the U.S. space program to the Moon.
  • Alan Shepard eventually was grounded because of an inner-ear illness. He worked for many years in the Astronaut Office before undergoing surgery to correct his ear infection.
  • He went on to direct the launch of Apollo-14, and walk on the Moon.
  • He was the only Mercury astronaut to go to the Moon, as well as the only man to go golfing on the Moon.

PROJECT GEMINI

  • Project Gemini followed with Project Mercury, with two people inside, instead of one.
  • Shepard was appointed commander of the first crewed Gemini flight after the Mercury-Atlas 10 mission was cancelled. Thomas P. Stafford was chosen as his pilot.
  • Shepard began experiencing symptoms of severe dizziness and nausea in late 1963, followed by a sudden, clanging noise in his left ear.
  • He tried to keep it hidden, afraid he would lose his flight status, but was conscious that it could be fatal if an incident occurred in the air or in space.
  • The physicians diagnosed Shepard with Ménière’s disease, a condition in which fluid pressure in the inner ear builds up. This syndrome causes extreme sensitivity to the auditory canal and motion detectors leading to disorientation, dizziness, and nausea.
  • Shepard was exempted from flight status because of the disease. Then Grissom and John Young flew with Gemini 3.
  • In November 1963, he was named as Chief of Astronaut Office. Hence, he was responsible for training NASA astronauts. This included the implementation of appropriate training plans for all astronauts, and the preparation of training for specific missions and tasks for individual astronauts.
  • Shepard received and organized astronaut insight into mission planning and spacecraft design and other tools for astronauts to use on space missions. He was also on the NASA Astronaut Group 5 selection panel in 1966.

MORE TO KNOW

  • Alan Shepard took off from Cape Canaveral on May 5, 1961, and into history. He energized the U.S. in its space struggle with the Soviet Union as the first American to travel in space, and demonstrated what was possible. Here are four things about this modern American hero you may not know.
  • Alan Shepard served in the Pacific during World War II on destroyer Cogswell.
  • He is the only person to play golf on the Moon
  • He may not have coined the famous slogan, or prayer but he was the First Millionaire Astronaut.
  • He lost the leukemia battle, and passed away at the age of 74 on July 21, 1998.

Alan Shepard Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Alan Shepard across 19 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Alan Shepard worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Rear Admiral Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. who was an American astronaut, naval aviator, test pilot, and businessman. He became the first American to fly into space in 1961 and he went to the Moon in 1971.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Alan Shepard Facts
  • Alan the Legend
  • Freedom 7
  • Cities in my Life
  • High-Five
  • Astronaut’s Period
  • Alan the Aviator
  • Mercury and Gemini
  • Spacesuit
  • Astro-Quotes
  • Discovery

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Link will appear as Alan Shepard Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, March 20, 2020

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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