From November 1963 to July 1969 Alan Shepard was Chief of the Astronaut Office.
 On January 19, 1961, Gilruth informed the seven astronauts that Shepard had been chosen for the first American crewed mission into space
On May 5, 1961, Shepard piloted the Mercury-Redstone 3 mission and became the second person, and the first American, to travel into space

