The story of how the first American went to space

The story of how the first American went to space

The story of how the first American went to space 4 Minutes Read 739 Words EN A s NASA fought to catch up to the Soviet Union in the space race, they selected a Navy veteran as the first astronaut. But what happened once Alan Shepard stepped into the space capsule? Alan Shepard emerges from the Freedom 7 space capsule after it was lifted out of the Atlantic Ocean and placed aboard the U.S.S. Lake Champlain aircraft carrier.GETTY IMAGESByPatricia DanielsPublished May 4, 2026 Jerrie Cobb and the Mercury 13 Pilot Jerrie Cobb, the first woman to go through astronaut screening in the U.S., poses with the Freedom 7 Mercury capsule.ALAMY/CORDON PRESSThe Mercury 13 were a group of female aviators who underwent the same rigorous screening tests as the Mercury 7 male astronauts. Also called the First Lady Astronaut Trainees (FLATs), they included Jerrie Cobb, a young pilot with three world aviation records. The doctor responsible for devising NASA’s training noticed Cobb’s abilities and extended astron…