"No way that any astronaut worth his salt volunteered for the..." — Alan Shepard

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No way that any astronaut worth his salt volunteered for the space program to become a hero. You don't select astronauts who want fame and fortune. You select them because they're the best test pilots in the world, they know it, and it's a personal challenge for them. And the astronauts of today are exactly the same.

— Alan Shepard

Blastoff to the Past

Hero pilot best pilot Challenge

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The rocket worked perfectly except for landing on the wrong planet.

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Neil’s voice was calm, confident, most of all clear. ‘Houston, Tranquility Base here. The…

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It didn’t matter who liked whom, or on what side a man might find himself, because they…

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