Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

50 Years Ago: Freedom 7 Flies

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for May 5, 2011 is “50 Years Ago: Freedom 7 Flies,” an image. It is credited to Credit: NASA. The original explanation runs about 156 words.

50 Years Ago: Freedom 7 Flies
Credit: NASA Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“Fifty years ago, near the dawn of the space age , NASA controllers “lit the candle” and sent Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard arcing into space atop a Redstone rocket . His cramped space capsule was dubbed Freedom 7 .”

— APOD editors, May 5, 2011

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
May 5, 2011
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: NASA
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 156 words

All of May 2011 → · 2011 by month → · Full archive since 1995 →

On this day: May 5 in other years

On Amazon

Popular picks for space fans

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Electronics Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition 32GB Read astronomy and space-history books anywhere. View on Amazon → Electronics Bose QuietComfort Wireless Headphones Noise-cancelling headphones for documentaries and launch livestreams. View on Amazon →

Source

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.