Alan Shepard was an American astronaut and the first person in space from the United States. He was part of the Mercury Seven, a group of seven astronauts chosen by NASA in 1959 to become the first U.S. astronauts in space. Shepard was the commander of the Apollo 14 mission, the third successful lunar landing mission, and the only one of the Mercury Seven to reach the Moon. He was also the first person to hit a golf ball on the Moon. Shepard's career as an astronaut and his role in the Mercury Seven made him an important figure in the history of space exploration.