0
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station today honoured the memory and accomplishments of America’s first man in space, Alan Shepard, as Nasa celebrated the 50th anniversary of his ground-breaking Freedom 7 flight.
Ron Garan and Cady Coleman’s tribute from 220 miles above Earth added to a day of commemorations five decades to the day since Commander Shepard became the first American to leave the planet.
The 15-minute sub-orbital mission made him a national hero and formed a pivotal moment in the US-Soviet space race, three weeks after Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space.Mr Garan, 49, said during a space-to-ground link up today: 'We honour those great pioneers and the thousands and thousands of people who they represented, who took those first steps, the first steps to get us to where we are today. We have accomplished a tremendous amount in the last 50 years.'
While the Americans and Soviets were space rivals back in 1961, they now work alongside one another aboard the ISS, whose current crew comprises three Russians, two Americans and an Italian.
Mr Garan said: 'We have accomplished an incredible amount in the last 50 years and that was all made possible by those first steps we took 50 years ago.'
Source
