Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr.: The name of an American astronaut, naval aviator, test pilot, and businessman. He is historically significant as the first American to travel into space and the fifth person to walk on the Moon.

Usage

• Proper noun:
  • Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. was selected as one of NASA's original Mercury Seven astronauts.
  • The biography details the life and achievements of Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr.
  • In 1971, Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. commanded the Apollo 14 mission to the Moon.

Advanced Usage

• The name is often used metonymically to represent American pioneering achievements in space exploration during the Cold War era.
  • The flight of Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. was a crucial response to the Soviet Union's early lead in the Space Race.

Variants and Related Words

• Shepard: A common shortened or familiar reference to the astronaut.
  • Shepard's suborbital flight lasted only about 15 minutes.
• Alan Shepard: The typical form used in historical and biographical texts, omitting "Bartlett" and "Jr."

Synonyms

• Astronaut
• Space pioneer
• Lunar explorer

Related Phrases

• Freedom 7: The name of the Mercury spacecraft piloted by Alan Shepard on his first spaceflight.
  • Alan Shepard named his capsule Freedom 7.
• Apollo 14 commander: A specific title referring to his role in the lunar landing mission.
  • As Apollo 14 commander, Shepard famously hit two golf balls on the lunar surface.

Noun

1. astronaut who made the first United States' suborbital rocket-powered flight in 1961 (1923-1998)