NH OUTLOOK Special Celebrates 50th Anniversary of First American in Space

(DURHAM – May 3, 2011) – On May 5, 1961, New Hampshire native Alan Shepard became the first American in space. Family, friends and fellow space explorers recall the life and accomplishments of Shepard on a special NH Outlook program, Light This Candle – The Life of Alan Shepard, Thursday, May 5th at 8 p.m.A half century ago, Shepard climbed through a narrow hatch into a small capsule atop a Redstone rocket. During tests, this missile had been known to explode. He endured endless delays and finally said to the engineers at Mission Control, “Why don’t you fix your little problem and light this candle?” And so they did, and the rest is history. In addition to being broadcast on May 5th at 8 p.m., Light This Candle – The Life of Alan Shepard, will be shown May 5th at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center at 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.Watch this and other NH Outlook programs online: http://video.nhptv.org/program/1341055369/ NHPTV’s award-winning weekly public affairs program focuses on state, regional and national issues. With engaging guests and experts, the discussion format offers lively and relevant perspectives. NH OUTLOOK airs Fridays at 6 p.m., Sundays at 9:30 a.m. and again Mondays at 6 p.m. NH OUTLOOK programs are also available for viewing online at nhptv.org/outlook, along with its series and specials like “LiveFIT NH,” “Making $ense New England,” and “NH Votes.”

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Carla Gordon Russell
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