Commander Alan Shepard, USN was the 1st U.S. Astronaut to go into space. On May 5, 1961, Shepard piloted the Freedom 7 mission and became the second person, and the first American, to travel into space. Later in his NASA career he landed on the Moon as part of the Apollo 14 mission.
He eventually achieved the Rank of Rear Admiral in the U.S. Navy.
Portrayed by Scott Glenn in the movie, The Right Stuff.