The fact that every part of this ship was built by the low bidder. Alan Shepard More Quotes by Alan Shepard More Quotes From Alan Shepard But when I was selected, after my very first tour of squadron duty, to become one of the youngest candidates for the test pilot school, I began to realize, maybe you are a little bit better. Alan Shepard littles school firsts I think about the personal accomplishment, but there's more of a sense of the grand achievement by all the people who could put this man on the moon. Alan Shepard moon men thinking I woke up an hour before I was supposed to, and started going over the mental checklist: where do I go from here, what do I do? I don't remember eating anything at all, just going through the physical, getting into the suit. We practiced that so much, it was all rote. Alan Shepard suits eating remember Miles and miles and miles. Alan Shepard railroad-tracks miles golf We worked with the engineers in the design and construction and testing phases in those various areas, then we would get back together at the end of the week and brief each other as to what had gone on. Alan Shepard design gone together There's no question that all the generations got excited about the first flights, with Kennedy's inspiration to go to the moon, leaving the planet for the first time, and fortunately coming back. Alan Shepard leaving moon inspiration You know, being a test pilot isn't always the healthiest business in the world. Alan Shepard pilots tests world I know you're all saying I can go to the moon but I can't find Pasadena. Alan Shepard pasadena moon knows On the periscope . . . . What a beautiful view. Cloud cover over Florida - three to four tenths near the eastern coast. Obscured up to Hatteras . . . I can see [lake] Okeechobee. Identify Andros Island. Identify the reefs. Alan Shepard moon lakes beautiful We also knew it would be difficult, because of the financial condition of the family, for me to go to college. Alan Shepard financial college would-be I think first of all you have to be there for the right reason. Alan Shepard reason firsts thinking I think all of us certainly believed the statistics which said that probably 88% chance of mission success and maybe 96% chance of survival. And we were willing to take those odds. Alan Shepard survival odds thinking Obviously I was challenged by becoming a Naval aviator, by landing aboard aircraft carriers and so on. Alan Shepard navy aircraft-carriers becoming We had some adverse conditions in the '60s, in the '70s and the '80s. The agency has risen above that in the past and will rise above that again. Alan Shepard agency rise-above past Then I thought, with the same clubhead speed, the ball's going to go at least six times as far. There's absolutely no drag, so if you do happen to spin it, it won't slice or hook 'cause there's no atmosphere to make it turn. Alan Shepard atmosphere balls golf I can hit it farther on the moon. But actually, my swing is better here on Earth. Alan Shepard swings moon earth The suit was so clumsy, being pressurized, it was impossible to get two hands comfortably on the handle and it's impossible to make any kind of a turn. It was kind of a one-handed chili-dip. Alan Shepard golf two hands We need a continuing presence in space. Alan Shepard continuing space needs Later, in the early teens, I used to ride my bike every Saturday morning to the nearest airport, ten miles away, push airplanes in and out of the hangars, and clean up the hangars. Alan Shepard airports airplane morning Because of the suit I was wearing, I couldn't make a good pivot on the swing. And I had to hit the ball with one hand. Alan Shepard swings golf hands
