Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. (1923–1998) was the first American in space, riding Freedom 7 on a 15-minute suborbital flight on May 5, 1961. A Navy pilot and test pilot selected as one of the Mercury Seven in 1959 and chosen for the programme's inaugural flight, he was grounded from 1964 to 1969 due to an inner-ear disorder. He regained flight status after successful surgery and commanded Apollo 14 (1971), becoming the fifth person to walk on the Moon.