File:Released to Public Alan Shepard (NASA) (2866267269).jpg

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On May 5, 1961, astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American in space. He launched aboard his Mercury-Redstone 3, named Freedom 7, to make an historic 15-minute suborbital flight.

This image shows Shepard in capsule before launch. After several delays and more than four hours in the capsule, Shepard was ready to go, and he famously urged mission controllers to 'fix your little problem and light this candle.'