Alan Shepard

Alan Bartlett Shepard, Jr. (November 18, 1923 – July 21, 1998) (Rear Admiral, USN, Ret.) was the first U.S. astronaut in space, though his first flight was only sub-orbital.

Naval career

Shepard began his naval career after graduation from Annapolis on the destroyer Cogswell, deployed in the Pacific Ocean during World War II. He subsequently entered flight training at Corpus Christi, Texas and Pensacola, Florida, and received his wings in 1947. His next assignment was with Fighter Squadron 42 at Norfolk, Virginia and Jacksonville, Florida. He served several tours aboard aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean while with this squadron.

Related Topics:
Naval - ''Cogswell'' - Pacific Ocean - World War II - Corpus Christi, Texas - Pensacola, Florida - Norfolk, Virginia - Jacksonville, Florida - Aircraft carrier - Mediterranean

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In 1950, he attended the United States Navy Test Pilot School at Patuxent River, Maryland. After graduation, he participated in flight test work which included high-altitude tests to obtain data on light at different altitudes and on a variety of air masses over the American continent; and test and development experiments of the Navy's in-flight refueling system, carrier suitability trails of the F2H-3 Banshee, and Navy trials of the first angled carrier deck. He was subsequently assigned to Fighter Squadron 193 at Moffett Field, California, a night fighter unit flying Banshee jets. As operations officer of this squadron, he made two tours to the Western pacific on board the carrier USS Oriskany.

Related Topics:
United States Navy Test Pilot School - Patuxent River, Maryland - F2H-3 Banshee - USS ''Oriskany''

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He returned to Patuxent for a second tour of duty and engaged in flight testing the F3H Demon, F8U Crusader, F4D Skyray, and F11F Tigercat. He was also project test pilot on the F5D Skylancer, and his last five months at Patuxent were spent as an instructor in the Test Pilot School. He later attended the Naval War College at Newport, Rhode Island, and upon graduating in 1957 was subsequently assigned to the staff of the Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet, as aircraft readiness officer.

Related Topics:
F3H Demon - F8U Crusader - F4D Skyray - F11F Tigercat - F5D Skylancer

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He logged more than 8,000 hours flying time—3,700 hours in jet aircraft.

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