Who was the first American astronaut to travel into space?

The first American astronaut to travel into space was Alan Shepard. He achieved this historic milestone on May 5, 1961, aboard the Mercury-Redstone 3 mission, which was named Freedom 7. Shepard's flight lasted approximately 15 minutes and reached an altitude of about 116 miles (187 kilometers), marking a significant achievement in the early stages of the U.S. space program.

Shepard's mission was a suborbital flight, and while it did not complete an orbit around the Earth, it demonstrated the capabilities of human spaceflight and paved the way for future missions. His successful flight was a major moment in the space race and proved that the United States could send astronauts into space and return them safely.