Distinguished Service Medal, NASA, 1961, Alan Shepard
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This is a reproduction of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Distinguished Service Medal given to astronaut Alan B. Shepard, Jr. on May 8, 1961. The Distinguished Service Medal is NASA's highest award and is given to those who by their distinguished service or courage have made a substantial contribution to the progress of aeronautical or space exploration in the United States. Alan Shepard was the first American in space when on May 5, 1961, a Mercury-Redstone rocket launched him in his Freedom 7 Mercury capsule on a 15-minute suborbital flight. He reached a maximum altitude of 115 miles and landed 302 miles downrange from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Although this flight was three weeks after the launch of the first Soviet cosmonaut in space, Yuri Gagarin, it was a major step forward and helped establish widespread support for the human spaceflight program in the United States. The medal became a part of the National Collection in 1964.
Country of Origin
United States of America
Type
AWARDS-Medals & Ribbons
Dimensions
Overall: 9/16 in. deep x 1 1/2 in. diameter (1.5 x 3.81cm) Materials
Bronze medal w/cloth ribbon. Inventory Number
A19640048000
Credit Line
Gift of NASA Headquarters
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.