This Franklin Fact is provided by Chief Astronomer Derrick Pitts.

This Saturday, May 5th, is the 40th anniversary of Alan Shepard's first flight into space. His trip took only 15 minutes, but it proved to the Soviet Union and the rest of the world that America could put a person into space. Just three weeks earlier, the Soviet Union had launched cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin on a one-orbit trip around the world.

These flights were the beginning of the human exploration of space and we've come a long way since then. We've sent probes to almost every planet, sent people to the moon, put telescopes into space and used some of the technology to help improve life here on earth.

In recognition of Alan Shepard's historic flight, I'll be joining WHYY for two Friday events. First, on television for the Delaware Tonight Friday Forum at 5:30 - devoted to the historic anniversary. Then later, join me as I host a live web-chat at whyy.org, from 6:30 to 7:30pm. Share your thoughts about the possibilities of life elsewhere in our solar system, the exploration of Mars, and the first space tourist, Dennis Tito. If you had $20 million would you spent it on a trip to Space Station?