posted 04-20-2011 09:05 AM               

Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of U.S. Spaceflight from the Site of Alan Shepard's Historic Launch

On May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard was the first American to travel to space. Fifty years later, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex invites you to join in a commemorative ceremony honoring this significant day in history at Launch Pad 5, the birthplace of NASA's manned space program.

Take a look back at the early years of human spaceflight through the eyes of Alan Shepard's daughters, veteran space journalist Jay Barbree and Freedom 7 Chief Test Conductor Bob Moser, Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter will share his unique perspective on preparing to launch aboard a single-seat spacecraft.

Also scheduled to attend are Kennedy Space Center Director Robert Cabana and NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, speaking about the Freedom 7 journey and Shepard's impact on the history of spaceflight.

The ceremony will also honor the workers who made the program possible and the influence that the success of the Mercury program has had on the country.

Following the ceremony guests will embark on a special guided tour, the Cape Canaveral: Then & Now Tour. Relive the early years of space exploration at the Air Force Space & Missile Museum and visit Launch Complex 34, site of the 1967 Apollo 1 tragedy in which astronauts Gus Grissom, Edward White and Roger Chaffee perished in a fire during a launch test. The tour culminates at the Apollo/Saturn V Center, the home of an actual 363-foot long Saturn V moon rocket.

Tickets for this historical program are limited! Available on a first-come first-serve basis. Make your reservation for the 50th Anniversary of U.S. Spaceflight Package today!