Alan Shepard first american in space may 5th 1961

[pedowife4kids]

Sheppards flight was in reality only a parabel jump scratching the space. The 1st american who really flew around the earth in space was John Glenn. Nearly one year later after Gagarins flight.

[asgerms]

What movie is this taken from?

[raperitoenamorado1]

@asgerms is not a movie is a Tv Miniserie used to be in HBO and it was called "From the earth to the moon"

Very Aweesome Mini Serie :D

[asgerms]

@raperitoenamorado1 Thank you very much for the fast reply. I'm a space-buff, but have missed this one. Must check it out. Cheers :)

[DaHitch666]

@asgerms From the Earth to the Moon HBO 12-part miniseries

[8enbloc]

To fly into space by the seat of your pants on the tip of a ballistic missile... using a mechanical clock, a film camera and a radio with hand-soldered transistors...

This was an era of unbridled optimism and amazing vision made real by seven courageous men and thousands of brilliant engineers armed with slide rules.

Now, despite all we have accomplished, we don't even have a vehicle that can take us to orbit.

[MrResidentEvilplayer]

thi is beautiful!

[eggnogfrog]

The nerds win. Everytime.

[theeasybeats]

grew up in Florida, watched this launch, didn't know it has been 50 years, was a custodian at my school that first spotted the vapor trail..... quite a memory

[angmhalp]

Bless you Alan Shepard. 50 years ago today!

[88dragons88]

USSR was first.

[cupis997]

@88dragons88 and he was first american ;)

[UndeadPizzaGuy]

@88dragons88 Ah, but important to note, cosmonauts did not pilot the Vostok, they were merely passengers, the only part of the mission they were required to execute was to bail out of the spacecraft after reentry. Gagarin did not even return to Earth with his vehicle because of this. Shepard not only piloted his spacecraft, but landed with it.

[mjfan653]

@UndeadPizzaGuy but shepard leapen into space for 15 minutes, gagarin in the second hand orbited the earth for 108 minutes and had a stable orbit and the vostok 2 was in space for more than a day and titov came out of his seat for some time, anyways it doesnt matter both space-programs were good ones were good at something and others were good at something else and the american space-program went to the moon soo yeah the russians and americans are kinda equal

[UndeadPizzaGuy]

@mjfan653 Not equal. Even by FAI regulations Gagarin's flight was not a spaceflight, as he did not land with his spacecraft. Initially the USSR lied and said he did - and forced Gagarin to say he did during a press conference. The Mercury capsule was superior in all respects, and safer.

[MrNayl0r]

@UndeadPizzaGuy Er. Vostok orbited the earth.

[TheFunkadelicFan]

@mjfan653 I hope to god you're no older than about 12.

[spacepatrolman]

@UndeadPizzaGuy they all crash/splash landed in the ocean we couldnt figure out how the russians could make a soft landing on hard land[ you need a lot more retrorockets for that ] apparantly if what your saying is true they didnt

[UndeadPizzaGuy]

@spacepatrolman No idea what you are trying to say - they didn't land in their capsules until later Vostok missions, they ejected. A few capsules were modified with retrorockets to allow cosmonauts to land with their capsule.

[spacepatrolman]

@UndeadPizzaGuy the US always landed in the ocean we thought the USSR was making soft landings on land initially the US couldnt figure it out then

[jayc1776]

@88dragons88 not to the moon. America wins again

[zimwn]

@88dragons88 USSR was first with Yuri Gagarin, but this is about the first american in space which was Alan Shepard

[Anarchemitis]

Holy SHIT, 11G?!

[SakuraHaruta]

@FatFreddy88 Shitting on the grave of a dead national icon so people will buy your book? Go die in a fire, twice.

[FatFreddy88]

@SakuraHaruta

"Shitting on the grave of a dead national icon so people will buy your book?"

I don't have a book. Why don't you go register at the site I linked to and we can discuss the actual evidence there.

[SakuraHaruta]

@FatFreddy88 No, because you do not have any. You can whine, complain, argue, but no amount of that will change history, its set in stone. On July 20th, 1969 man walked on the moon, and you need to get over that. I could bicker with you, but someone so willing to insult a dead national treasure likely cannot be reasoned with. You're so fixated on being correct that you ignore evidence and common sense, I just can't help you.

[8enbloc]

@SakuraHaruta

The only reply they understand is the one Aldrin gave to Bart Sibrel.

FTETTM cost millions and required rare and expensive equipment to simulate moon walks, yet they still couldn't keep "moon dust" from making clouds on the set (something you *don't* see in the actual lunar EVA footage, filmed in a low-gravity vacuum.)

We're asked to believe they could manage all that back in 1969, keeping it a complete secret and fooling everyone including the Russians. Idiots.

[bwd81977]

Wow 50 years ago and it is still so damn exciting!  Way to go Alan! Hell of a ride!

[Hairysteed]

Floating washer? Shouldn't that be a cause for slight concern? Did it come loose? Did someone forget it there? Should there be loose objects in the cabin?

[8enbloc]

@Hairysteed

Gus Grissom carried rolls of Mercury dimes, intending to give them away as souvenirs (before NASA forbade this.) The dimes were recovered from Liberty Bell 7 when it was raised from the Atlantic in 1999. Foreign objects were a constant problem. In Gemini, broken graphite from mechanical pencils was even a concern.

[tpsossff]

All done before computers. I love that mechanical device at mission control indicating the progress of the trajectory.

[TheMK3424]

scene from : FROM THE EARTH THO THE MOON television series directed by Tom Hanks and Ron Howard

[Kazak844]

John Glenn the first American cosmonaut - 3 in the world the cosmonaut.

1. Yury Gagarin.

2. Herman Titov

2. John Glenn

Gagarin, John Glenn, Armstrong, Leonov, Tereshkova. Savitsky итд.

[TheJomogogo]

I remember the Mercury flights, in school they left the television on all day, it was all people talked about, bars had their TV's tuned to it. We were entering The Space Age and the future was around the corner where we'd all have flying cars and robots.

[JONNOG88]

To reach the un-reachable star.

[Hiraghm]

Correction to title... first FREE MAN in space.

[freiherrudet]

My name, Jose Jimenez.

[applesweeter]

Dear All,

I have some questions about psychology:

(1) Why do we love space travelling?

(2) Why do we like space exploration?

(3) Why do we enjoy the feeling of zero gravity and floating in space?

(4) Why do we think that space travel and exploration is a representation of "American Dream"?

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE for your creative ideas and brainstorm!!! :)

[unfortunatebeam]

@applesweeter 1) I don't know, have never tried it. Still far too expensive for me.

2) Because it's like world exploration, or scaling high mountains only it's a far less known therefore exciting idea, some kind of compulsive urge to extend and go as far as we can imagine. 3) I wouldn't know that feeling to enjoy it. 4) I don't, I'm Canadian.

[trollolololololo]

@applesweeter

1) It is programmed in all sentient beings to be curious. Otherwise, we can't survive. The more one does not know about something interesting, the more they yearn for it. Also, a rocket flight is hella fun!

2) ^see above

3) Your brain thinks you're falling because there is no gravity. It's like a really freaking long rollercoaster ride. Also, everyone wants to fly (again, refer to #1)

4) The spirit of american is Free Enterprise. So, by going into space, we are Enterprising

[Hiraghm]

@trollolololololo

I can hear Jerry Pournelle grinding his teeth.

1/2) Sentient merely means "aware", at best self aware. The curiosity of a shark, an evolutionary dead end, is nothing compared with the curiosity of the naked apes of Earth.

3) Your brain thinks you're falling because.. you ARE. You're falling around the Earth in orbit. At no point in the universe is there a condition of "no gravity".

Where ever there is matter, there is gravity.

4) Dang straight. That's the "stimulus" we need

[Astronaut14]

This video clip is the right stuff, this is spine tingling space history as it unfolded....What dreams might come! 5 *****

[toddsmitts]

@Astronaut14 This is actually from "From the Earth to the Moon", and far better (and more accurate) depiction of the space program.

[Astronaut14]

Thanks, I will try and get that DVD of "From the Earth to the Moon"

[VendettasD]

The right stuff as a movie was actually meant to be a satire of the space program. Keeping the astronauts essentially intact and including western elements (Being chuck yeager and his fight with "The demon") while portraying the German scientists as bumbling men and then having the media portray the astronauts as godlike. It was all meant to poke fun at the tensions of the time mind you.

[themainproblem]

I met him in 1991. It was the highlight of my career with that company.

[Spencer7631]

Alan B. Shepard is in my family. his middle name is Bartlett. My middle name is Bartlett. Bartlett is my mom's maiden name. i think alan's father's last name was bartlett.

[vigo894]

Okay, Jose, you're on your way.

[CapitanoGUC]

that was so null, Alan Shepard only scratched the space in an ballistic curve alla project "Ádam" after Herr von Braun

[jerryaltman]

An error. In 03:33 we see a window in the capsule, but the Sheppard capsule had no window.

[w580ifan]

he had a little small window

[kelgorIII]

Freedom 7 did not have a window but it did have 2 small portholes.

[jmr1068204]

Anyone know what the background music is?

[heorap]

its original music from the "Earth to the Moon" soundtrack

[bombarderoazul]

He didn't even go into orbit, what the hell?

[captainh321]

The first two manned Mercury flights were suborbital flights (i.e. Shepard's and Grissom's flights). The first orbital flight of the Mercury Program was John Glenn's flight in February, 1962. Thus, Shepard was the first American into space, and Glenn was the first to orbit.

[mcclir]

The Atlas rocket hadn't been man rated yet. He walked on the moon 10 years later with Apollo 14. Only one of the original Mercury 7 to do so. Not bad for an old man...

[AtlantisSaturn]

watch?v=KcmVF7akBds

The scene with Shepard from "The Right Stuff". I posted some critical comments there, but they all were removed by THX1968. That's called free speeech.

[AtlantisSaturn]

Actually my comments were deleted by rseferino, here:

watch?v=0MYTu1K33RM

[OrangeSFO]

"It puts the lotion on it's skin. It does this whenever it's told."

[toddsmitts]

This was WAAAAAAY better than "The Right Stuff".

[Andybucker]

You are 100% right. What movie is this?

[toddsmitts]

It's not a movie. It's the first episode of the HBO mini-series "From the Earth to the Moon". Ask around.  Some libraries and video stores should carry it. It's definately worth getting.

[Andybucker]

Ow, that's awesome! I'll ask. Thanks so much!

[toddsmitts]

This was one of the best moments from the mini-series. Much better than the disappointing "Right Stuff" movie, which none of the Mercury astronauts were too impressed with either.

[AtlantisSaturn]

I don't think you really fought against commies. In this case, you wouldn't protect them and wouldn't believe their propaganda. It's probably another hallucination of you. Some pople want to think they are cool, so they invent various heroic deads they have allegedly made. I guess you should go to a doctor, maybe he'll be able to cure you of your hallucinations.

[AtlantisSaturn]

DrHMFIC, you are simply a crazy and arrogant commie, a "sovok". When you, "sovki", don't have any arguments, you start to insult your opponent. I was polite and I didn't say a bad word about you or even about Gagarin (I just said he wasn't in space).

// don't bother me with any stupid fucken

// questions about where I was, what I did,

// or other stupid shit. O&O.

I never asked you about that. Do you have hallucinations, you what?

Go kill yourself and save the planet!

[DrHMFIC]

[not to mention how the guy skirts my comment about why doesn't he divert some of his mental masturbation energy into HIM doing something positive--didn't say jack about communists being cool. I have less respect for people like AtlantisSaturnMasturbator than I do for any individual who at least is willing to DO something rather than blah-blah-blah about it--what a pompous pussy.]

[AtlantisSaturn]

I recommend also to everybody to read "The Russian Space Bluff" by Leonid Vladimirov. A really amazing book. A must-read. The title speaks for itself.

[AtlantisSaturn]

Why Did the Soviets Embark on a Space Program?

From an economic viewpoint, a Soviet space program makes no sense at all: such a program only makes sense from a geopolitical viewpoint.

A "technical extravaganza" was necessary to demonstrate Soviet "technical superiority" to the world and maintain the myth of self-generated Soviet military might.

THE BEST ENEMY MONEY CAN BUY by Antony C. Sutton (this book is online; search for it in Google)

[AtlantisSaturn]

As I said, there's absolutely no evidence that Gagarin was in space. Even the famous video with Gagarin climbing up stairs on the launching pad and entering the capsule was shot AFTER the flight, as recognized by the astronauts themselves and by the Gagarin's daughter, Elena.

Gagarin has not even made a photo of the Earth when he allegedly was in space (was he too busy, or what?).

The first photo of the Earth was made by Alan Shepard - a little known fact.

USSR = Communism - Big Lie.

[DrHMFIC]

To be clear, my sense of humor is dry. I have nothing but respect for Alan Shepard and those who followed. This goes for astronauts of all nations. Whether Yuri Gagarin's flight was faked, it's difficult to prove something DIDN'T happen. But if he volunteered and trained for a real mission of these sorts, I hold respect for him, as well, until I see proof that he chose to compromise his integrity.

The Soviet era was fairly rough on its own citizens, as well. I'm in no position to judge them.

[AtlantisSaturn]

DrHMFIC, training for a flight and really flying are quite different things, don't you think? Generally, you're shifting burden of proof: the Russians are the ones who must prove that Gagarin was in space, and it's not me who must prove he wasn't.

Indeed, Soviets were very "rough". Also, they lied a lot to their own citizens, let alone to the the foreigners, the "capitalists".

[DrHMFIC]

Oh. I see this is really about a competitive rant re: political ideology for you. I'm merely remarking about willingness to take a courageous path, with respect for individuals. Not sure what you're specifically trying to say, but it's obviously a very important cause for you, so you win, OK? Now have the last word, as I'm sure that's also a very important issue for you. Then maybe consider putting this sort of energy into something that may actually help do something positive for the world.

[AtlantisSaturn]

Come on, what "positive for the world" could the Communist possibly have done? They wanted to destroy USA and the whole Europe with their rockets.

As to space flights, it was the main propaganda tool of the Communists. Using it, they wanted to deceive the entire world that they were no.1 in technics.

It was after Titov's flight that they built the Berlin wall. The flight itself gave them moral strength to do that.

Sorry, but I don't really see anything positive in Soviet space program.

[DrHMFIC]

You just want to argue, to where you've even distorted what I've said, so let me try to make it clear, even for an idiot like you:

I was referring to individuals, not governments, who take brave steps that require courage.

And rather than being an armchair 'warrior" like yourself, I've fought for my country, in the kill zone, against stinkin communists, alright?

Now shut the fuck up, and don't bother me with any stupid fucken questions about where I was, what I did, or other stupid shit. O&O.

[AtlantisSaturn]

Excellent movie, very touching. Shepard was a true hero. And he, probably, was the first MAN in who ever flew in space and returned SAFELY to the Earth, since Gagarin was an actor. There is no evidence that Gagarin was in space. No video, no audio, no photos. Nothing, except for the official statement of the Soviet news agency Tass.

[pridakfan253]

Wow first it was the moon landings, now there are people who thinks Yuri Gagarin's mission was a hoax.

[AtlantisSaturn]

Of course the Americans landed on the Moon. There is a lot of evidence of it. But there is no evidence that Gagarin really flew into space, except for the official Soviet statement. Why should we believe Communist propaganda?

[PonThePony]

Why should we believe Capitalist propaganda?

[AtlantisSaturn]

// Why should we believe Capitalist propaganda?

It's not propaganda. The American space program is very well documented. On the contrary, the first Soviet flights were done in big secret. The full information about them still expects to be revealed.

[DevSodDribble]

I have both 'The Right Stuff' and 'From The Earth To the Moon' in my Netflix queue-guess I'll know soon enough. ;)

[toddsmitts]

I wasn't too impressed with "The Right Stuff", to be honest. From what I've read, neither were the surviving Mercury astronauts. It's very telling that none were consulted for the book or the movie but Chuck Yeager, who was idolized by the movie, was a consultant and even had a cameo. I didn't like the unflattering depiction of Gus Grissom either.

[DrHMFIC]

Have any of you been to the Smithsonian and actually SEEN the Mercury space capsule?

Let's be perfectly clear: the"right stuff" these guys had to have to go WAY UP in space in these things was that they had to be certifiably ker-RAY-zee. Smart, skilled, courageous...and completely mental.

What worries me most is that I somehow find that fully inspirational.

[Andybucker]

Trust me, I know what You mean by "inspirational". People who are serious about such inspirations, find themselves on ISS at certain point, so...

[thehoaxbuster]

I sometimes cry when i see this.

[Cloudjumper]

@thehoaxbuster me too

[soverato3]

@thehoaxbuster i do when i see gagarins flight :D

[gfinn08]

It is from the Earth to the Moon. It is my favorite part. I know because I have the whole series on DVD.

[echo2082]

This is from the movie "The Right Stuff"

[tuttt99]

No, it is from the HBO miniseries "From the Earth to the Moon"

[shelle1even]

It looks to me likes it from From The Earth To The Moon" a TV Series about the space race! I was going to upload it but I have it Subbed In Japanese, but still In English!

[tiorojo]

where's this footage from?

[Roncace]

From the earth to the Moon DVD set!