By John Holliman

July 23, 1998
Web posted at 11:21 AM ET

This week's "View from Space" is devoted to America's first astronaut, Alan B. Shepard Jr. He died this week after a two-year fight with leukemia.

Those of you watching CNN last Wednesday probably saw our interviews with Walter Cronkite, Gordon Cooper, Jim Lovell, Daniel Goldin, Norm Thagard and dozens of others who were inspired by Shepard's life and his death. CNN conducted the last TV interview with the astronaut on June 25 at his home in California. We knew he was sick but had no idea he'd be gone as soon as he was.

Here are some excerpts from that conversation:

Q. Talk about the highlights of your career.

A. I would have to say it has been basic interest in airplanes all these years, and it goes back to the time when I was three years old, when Lindberg flew across the Atlantic and he became my hero. Of course, from that I eventually got into naval aviation, became a test pilot and from that selected for the astronaut business.

RELATED VIDEO and AUDIO
Glenn describes fellow astronaut Alan Shepard
Real	28K	56K
Windows Media	28K	56K
			Shepard's life mirrored the early space program. CNN's John Zarrella reports
Real	28K	56K
Windows Media	28K	56K
CNN's Frank Sesno toured the National Air and Space Museum with Shepard in 1994
Real	28K	56K
Windows Media	28K	56K
Shepard's last interview, given to CNN June 25, 1998
Real	28K	56K
Windows Media	28K	56K
Shepard on being selected to go on his first mission AIFF or WAV (162 K / 14 sec. audio)

Q. You were the first American in space, the first human to control a spacecraft, and you stepped on the moon. Which was the greater accomplishment?

A. Oh, I don't think there's any question about it. The answer is one that has nothing to do with what you might think. For example, getting to the moon wasn't that exciting, but standing on the surface of the moon looking up in the black sky at a planet which is four times the size of the moon as we see it, and thinking about the millions and millions of people that are down there that are trying to get along -- desperately, desperately trying to get along together -- and think what a shame it is that they can't be put on the moon and let them look back at planet Earth for a while, so they can say, "hey, we've got to take care of this place after all."

A. I think I'm through. Given a good solid physical condition, I'd say yes I want to go again, but I think I've ... I'm finished.

Q. Is space flight safer today than on your Mercury flight? A. Well, I think so -- primarily going all the way back to the Apollo fire, which was created basically in the sense of complacency, overconfidence, sloppiness -- things that all of us were doing, but saying, let's get it done, stay on schedule. I really think the Apollo fire straightened everybody up, and that's the thing that has to be done continually, because you'll have people and units that will get lackadaisical and so on, but "Remember the Apollo fire" always gets everybody's attention.

Q. Will we ever go back to the moon? or Mars?

A. Oh, I think so. I think we'll go to the moon one day -- no question about that. It's still the old exploration business. The next phase will be unmanned landings on the back side before we go up and establish a permanent camp there, but we'll go back there.

The whole Mars program really again is the function of the amount of money available. Right now, like everybody else, we're behind schedule because of that. But I'm sure just like the moon that someday we'll go to Mars because its there.

Q. If you were healthy, would you ride in space again?

A. Yeah. If I had a chance to fly in space again, I'd do it in a minute.

Q. What's the best part of being an astronaut now or in the early days?

A. I think being an astronaut, to me and I think to most of the chaps, was a continual challenge. It was originally a challenge of selection process then as the chaps had been training for a couple of years. There would be another selection process. It was always something -- always a bunch of bright people after the first group. There was always that challenge, and most of them felt the same -- even the ones who are not pilots but involved in science experiments.

"If I had a chance to fly in space again, I'd do it in a minute"

In our interview, Shepard told us he's glad John Glenn is getting back into space.

Shepard got two flights. In addition to being the first American in space, he got to play golf on the moon as an Apollo astronaut. He also got the chance to pilot a Boeing 777 jet recently

On Glenn, Shepard told us, "I think its going to be all right. John is in relatively good shape for his age. Obviously, he's going to be physically training for the flight, and as you know, a tremendous amount of data has been gathered on the rate at which the human body slows down, collapses -- whatever -- with weightless conditions, and John will just be another data point. They'll be able to get a lot of info from him. Of course, I told him, the first time you pressurize the space suit, he'll crack his bones, but he didn't appreciate that.

"I think it's good. John is a very well known figure. Anything positive to help the space program these days is good because money's always hard to come by."

Alan Shepard was 74 years old, and more respected than most of his colleagues. I had a wonderful dinner with him and his Apollo colleagues several years ago and was very impressed that one of my heroes would take time to tell stories about being on the moon. I will miss him.

John Holliman's column appears on Wednesdays.