Shepard, Alan Bartlett, Jr. (1923-1998), became the first American in space. On May 5, 1961, astronaut Shepard rocketed 117 miles (188 kilometers) into space from Cape Canaveral, Florida. He landed 15 minutes later, 302 miles (486 kilometers) out in the Atlantic Ocean. In 1971, Shepard commanded Apollo 14, the third landing on the moon. He became the fifth astronaut on the moon. While on the moon's surface, Shepard conducted geological experiments.