338. [Apollo 14] THE FIRST AMERICAN IN SPACE ALAN SHEPARD TAKING HIS FIRST STEPS ON THE MOON AT FRA MAURO: captured from the LM pilot window Edgar Mitchell, 31 January - 9 February 1971, EVA 1 Printed 1971. Vintage chromogenic print on fibre-based Kodak paper [NASA image AS14-66-9230]. With "A Kodak Paper" watermark on the reverse, numbered "NASA AS14-66-9230" in red in the top margin (issued by NASA Manned Spacecraft Centre, Houston, Texas). 20.3 x 25.4 cm. (8 x 10 in.) Historical context Alan Shepard's Dream Fulfilled—first steps on the moon at Fra Mauro. Alan Shepard takes his first steps on the Moon, realizing a decade-long dream after becoming the first American in space on May 5, 1961. As he touched the surface, he exclaimed, "Al is on the surface. And it's been a long way, but we're here." (See mission transcript.) This is the only photograph from the Apollo program showing an astronaut on the lunar surface as seen from the spacecraft's window. Edgar Mitchell captured this historic image from his LMP window before descending the Antares ladder himself. Shepard is seen lowering his gold-plated visor against the glare of the lunar Sun, looking up toward Cone Crater—the key exploration site of Apollo 14. From the mission transcript as Alan Shepard took his first steps on the Moon (photograph taken at T+113:52:32 after launch): 113:50:52 McCandless (Mission Control): Beautiful! We can see you coming down the ladder right now. It looks like you're about on the bottom step. 113:51:26 Shepard: Okay, you're right. Al is on the surface. And it's been a long way, but we're here. [...] 113:52:32 Shepard: Okay, we'll move on over. Take a look at Cone Crater, which is right where it should be, and is a very impressive sight. You can see the boulders near the rim... 113:52:53 McCandless (Mission Control): Antares, this is Houston. You are Go for two-man EVA. Over. 113:53:01 Mitchell: Roger, Houston. Thank you. 113:53:06 Shepard: And, continuing, we can see the boulders on the rim. It looks as though we have a good traverse route up to the top of Cone. I can see Cone Ridge going along to the north. That's very apparent. Literature National Geographic, July 1971 Space: A History of Space Exploration in Photographs, Chaikin, p. 114 Voices from the Moon: Apollo Astronauts Describe Their Lunar Experiences, Chaikin, p. 56