Space Print from NASA: Alan Shepard's Redstone Rocket. This mission, designated MR3 Freedom took place on 5th May 1961, and was the first manned launch of the Mercury spacecraft. The rocket carried Shepard, America's first man in space, on a suborbital hop which lasted 15 minutes 22 seconds (NASA Media Archives). Choose to buy this picture as an unframed print or poster, a framed print or a mounted box canvas print.