Impact

“Whether you are an astronomer or a life scientist, geophysicist, or a pilot, you’ve got to be there because you believe you are good in your field, and you can contribute, not because you are going to get a lot of fame or whatever when you get back.” - Alan Shepard

Alan Shepard is most famous for being the first American in Space and being one of the few humans ever to land on the moon , but his impact has lasted and will last far beyond those accomplishments. Alan Shepard’s flight was the spark for the Americans in the Space Race. His initial flight restored hope to NASA and eventually paved the way to its biggest accomplishment with Apollo 11 and the moon landing. His mission to the moon is as impactful as, while not the first, it conducted integral research for the study of the moon and beyond. Arguably more important was his tenure as Chief of the Astronaut Office. The decisions he made in that position decided who went to space and when. Every astronaut that went to moon was carefully selected by him and his team and their impact will be felt for decades to come.