Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., pilot of the Mercury-Redstone 3 (MR-3) suborbital spaceflight, is retrieved by a helicopter from the USS Lake Champlain during recovery operations in the western Atlantic Ocean. Shepard and the Mercury spacecraft designated the "Freedom 7" (floating in water below) were flown to the deck of the recovery ship within 11 minutes of splashdown. MR-3 was the first American human space mission. The spacecraft attained a maximum speed of 5,180 miles per hour, reached an altitude of 116 1/2 statute miles, and landed 302 statute miles downrange from Cape Canaver
Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., pilot of the Mercury-Redstone 3 (MR-3) suborbital spaceflight, is retrieved by a helicopter from the USS Lake Champlain during recovery operations in the western Atlantic Ocean. Shepard and the Mercury spacecraft designated the "Freedom 7" (floating in water below) were flown to the deck of the recovery ship within 11 minutes of splashdown. MR-3 was the first American human space mission. The spacecraft attained a maximum speed of 5,180 miles per hour, reached an altitude of 116 1/2 statute miles, and landed 302 statute miles downrange from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The suborbital mission lasted 15 minutes and 22 seconds. Image #: S61-02723 Date: May 5, 1961
Size: 1616px × 2065px
Photo credit: © ART Collection / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: nasa, space
