Today in the 60's

Alan Shephard is the first American in space

The Mercury spacecraft, named Freedom 7, performed a suborbital flight. It was piloted by astronaut Alan Shepard, who became the first American in space as a result of this mission. The flight lasted less than 16 minutes and attained an altitude of just over 187 km.

Shepard did not orbit the earth, but simply went up and down, which requires a less powerful rocket and simpler guidance. He did, however, become the first astronaut to safely return to Earth inside his vehicle.