Alan Shepard

ALAN SHEPARD d1998. American astronaut. In 1961, he became the second person and the first American to travel into space. In 1971, he became the fifth and oldest person to walk on the Moon aged 47. He was Chief of the Astronaut Office from November 1963 to August 1969 (the approximate period of his grounding) and from June 1971 until April 30th 1974. On August 25th 1971, he was promoted to rear admiral, the first astronaut to reach that rank. He retired from the United States Navy and NASA on July 31st 1974. He died in California aged 74 on July 21st 1998