Although the Shepards were well off, the children were not coddled. Their father valued work and made sure each child performed their share of domestic chores. Alan’s father was a stern and serious disciplinarian, Alan inherited a stoicism and toughness … Continue reading →

The post Space Rocket History #301 – Apollo 14 – Commander Alan B. Shepard Jr. – Part 1 first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast.

In the Astronaut Office, it was his intellectual bent that set him apart from some of the other pilots, along with a certain hard edge.

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A Saturn V liftoff is spectacular, and the launch of Apollo 11 was no exception. But it didn’t give the audience any surprises. To the three Gemini-experienced pilots, who likened the sensation to the boost of a Titan II, it was a … Continue reading →

The post 50th Anniversary Special – An Encore Presentation of Space Rocket History #214 – Apollo 11 – The Climb to Orbit first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast.

As a Smoke Jumper, Roosa parachuted into at least four active fires in Oregon and California during the 1953 fire season.

The post Space Rocket History #299 – Apollo 14 – Command Module Pilot Stuart Roosa first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast.

There were some people who wondered why America’s first man in space Alan Shepard, at age forty-seven, having acquired fame, wealth, and status as an American hero, would risk his life to go to the moon.

The post Space Rocket History #298 – Apollo 14 – Crew Selection first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast.

The Apollo 14 crew were constantly aware that if their mission failed—if they had to turn back—it was probably the end of the Apollo program.

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With the successful launch of Dongfanghong I, China became the fifth country after the Soviet Union, United States, France, and Japan to independently launch a satellite.

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On July 16th 1969, nearly a million people crowded the Florida highways, byways, and beaches to watch man’s departure from the earth to walk on the moon. Twenty thousand guests looked on from special vantage points.

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Osumi was the name of the first Japanese satellite placed into orbit. It was named after the Osumi Province in the southern islands of Japan.

The post Space Rocket History #295 – Space 1970 – Osumi (Japan) & Uhuru (US) first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast.

At midnight June 1, 1970 Soyuz 9 lifted off from Area 31 at Baikonur and successfully entered low earth orbit with an apogee of 227 km and a perigee of 176 km.

The post Space Rocket History #294 – Space 1970 – Soyuz 9 – Part 2 first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast.