The First American In Space

[knocker]

Fifty years ago on the 5^th of May Alan Shepard became the first American in space. But the launch of the Freedom 7 spacecraft wasn’t without its problems. These were caused by the weather and I would imagine certainly gave the forecasters a few headaches.

The launch was originally scheduled for May 2^nd but in the final hours after midnight a squall line moved over the cape and flight area. At 4 a.m. (E.D.T.) the forecasters said was a tossup between satisfactory and bad. The clincher to postpone was the fact that the weather at the landing spot off Grand Bahama Island was also dodgy with high winds and rough seas. Nasa’s requirements for launch stipulated that the sky at the take-off and landing sites should be no more than four-tenths covered by clouds, and that winds not exceed 18kts with waves no more than three feet high.

There was then an anxious three days. The cold front behind the squall line stalled over the Florida Peninsula and the U.S. Weather Bureau predicted scattered squalls over the launch area but were more likely over the recovery zone. Finally the forecasters gave the go ahead before the weather was due to worsen. ( nearly as bad as being down the Falklands, John). The spacecraft lifted off at 09.53 A.M. as towering cumulus clouds moved northeastwards east of the launch pad. The rest is history.

Charts credit the NOAA Central Library Data Imaging Project

Alan Shepard in spacecraft just before launch.

Edited June 9, 2011 by weather ship