Freedom 7 [Illustration: 82. Marine helicopter hovers over _Freedom 7_ after the spacecraft carried the first American into space. Astronaut Shepard dangles in body harness as he is hoisted to helicopter.] On May 5, 1961, Alan B. Shepard, Jr., became the first American in space. He flew this Mercury spacecraft, _Freedom 7_, through a 15-minute, 22-second sub-orbital, or ballistic, space flight. A Redstone booster, burning liquid oxygen and hydrazine-base fuel, lifted _Freedom 7_ from the launch pad at Cape Canaveral. The vehicle’s single engine developed 35,380 kilograms (78,000 pounds) of thrust. The structure of the Mercury is titanium, covered with steel and beryllium shingles. The heat shield at the base of the spacecraft is of beryllium. The heat shield served as a “heat sink” by storing the heat created by the spacecraft’s reentry into the earth’s atmosphere. The spacecraft reached the ocean before the heat could penetrate the interior of the craft. (Later flights used ablative heat shields, which protected the spacecraft by vaporizing and burning away during reentry.) _Freedom 7_ traveled at a maximum speed of 8335 kilometers (5180 miles) per hour, going 485 kilometers (302 miles) downrange. The maximum altitude was 187 kilometers (116 miles). Prime contractor for Mercury was the McDonnell Aircraft Company. The _Freedom 7_ is from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Diameter 2 m. (6 ft., 6 in.) max. Length 2.8 m. (9 ft., 2 in.) at launch Weight 1660 kg. (3650 lb.) at launch; 1100 kg. (2422 lb.) as exhibited Gemini 7 [Illustration: 83. This photo of _Gemini 7_ was taken through the hatch window of the _Gemini 6_ spacecraft during rendezvous maneuvers 260 kilometers (160 miles) above Earth.] _Gemini 7_ was launched on December 4, 1965, carrying astronauts Frank Borman and James Lovell, Jr., into a two-week flight. _Gemini 6_ and _7_ accomplished the first manned rendezvous in space. It was an historic flight for the United States’ manned space program and an important step in the preparation for the Apollo lunar flights. The story of the _Gemini 7/6_ mission had begun two months earlier. The October launch of _Gemini 6_ had to be delayed when _Gemini 6_’s Agena target vehicle failed to reach orbit. It was then decided that _Gemini 6_ would attempt to rendezvous with _Gemini 7_. Eight days after the launch of _Gemini 7_, _Gemini 6_ was ready. But once again, the launch had to be delayed—this time an electrical plug became detached from the Titan booster prematurely, shutting down the engines. Finally, on December 15, _Gemini 6_’s Titan II launch vehicle lifted off. _Gemini 6_ began a 6-hour chase to catch _Gemini 7_, which was in a near-circular orbit 300 kilometers (186 miles) high.