How was the golf club made on the Moon?
He used a retractable telescopic aluminum and teflon shaft, which usually attaches to an instrument which collects rock and dust samples on the lunar surface, as the shaft of the golf club with the idea of crafting an attachable clubhead he would fasten to the end when he finished collecting the sample for his experiment.
Who was the first person to play golf on the Moon?
50 years ago, an Apollo 14 astronaut played golf on the moon. Here's the inside story. | Space 50 years ago, an Apollo 14 astronaut played golf on the moon. Here's the inside story. A still from video footage shows NASA astronaut Alan Shepard preparing to hit a golf ball on the moon.
What kind of golf club did Alan Shepard carry on the Moon?
Alan B. Shepard with the “moon club,” and the unfolded club on the right (courtesy USGA Museum) Shepard had to smuggle the makeshift 6-iron club head and two balls on the Saturn V rocket inside his sock, as extra weight and fun and games on the moon wasn’t exactly encouraged by NASA.
Did an Apollo 14 astronaut play golf on the Moon?
50 years ago, an Apollo 14 astronaut played golf on the moon. Here's the inside story. A still from video footage shows NASA astronaut Alan Shepard preparing to hit a golf ball on the moon. By this point in the moonwalk, the astronauts had already put away the still-photograph cameras. (Image credit: NASA)
Who is the only person who played golf on the moon?
Alan Shepard'sIn the annals of golf history, Alan Shepard's shots from the lunar sand may be the most famous swings ever taken. And after 50 years, image analysts have finally determined how far his golf balls went.
What organization now possesses a golf club used on the moon?
Head, Golf Club, Apollo 14, Replica | National Air and Space Museum.
What happened to the golf ball Alan Shepard hit on the moon?
Though it took Shepard a minute to get the hang of it, he eventually sent his second ball flying for what he believed was “miles and miles and miles.” Now, a NASA digital image restorer thinks he's relocated one of those balls, and as it turns out, it didn't go for miles.
Who took the golf photo on the moon?
astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr.Fifty years ago this week, NASA astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr. made space history when he took a few golf swings on the Moon during the Apollo 14 mission, successfully hitting two golf balls across the lunar surface. Space enthusiasts have debated for decades just how far that second ball traveled.
Did Buzz Aldrin play golf on the moon?
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin attempted to play golf on the Moon. False. It was, in fact, Alan Shepard who took a golf ball to the moon on Apollo 14 – he hit it with a sample collector and it went out of sight!
Who is a golf ball on the moon?
Alan ShepardLunar Golfing Alan Shepard, part of the Apollo 14 mission, stands as the only person to hit golf balls on the moon. During the mission, Shepard took a few swings and ended up leaving two golf balls to live on the moon forever.
Did Alan Shepard sneak a golf club on the moon?
The Moon Club, a specially crafted 6-iron clubhead, weighing 16.5 ounces, that was carried by Alan Shepard onboard the Apollo 14 mission to the moon, as seen at the USGA Golf Museum. The club featured a clubhead attached to a retractable teflon shaft ordinarily used on a device to collect soil samples.
Is the golf ball still on the moon?
There are two golf balls on the moon. They were taken there by Alan Shepard in 1971, during the Apollo 14 mission. Shepard was the first American into space, and the fifth person to ever walk on the moon… but most impressively, he was the first (and only) person to ever play golf outside of the earth's atmosphere!
Did Neil Armstrong leave a bracelet on the moon?
Roger Launius, the former NASA chief historian and a former senior curator at the National Air and Space Museum, agreed, saying, “there is no evidence to support the assertion that he left a bracelet of his daughter on the moon.” Though apparently fiction, the moment is a critical one.
Who played golf on the moon for the first time?
Alan ShepardIt was Alan Shepard, commander of Apollo 14, who was the first golfer on the moon. He was a keen amateur, and the 6-Iron he used is now in the US Golf association hall of fame.
Why was Alan Shepard removed from Apollo 13?
Apollo 13 was the third Apollo mission that was supposed to land on the moon. Tom Hanks played commander James Lovell. He and his crew replaced Alan Shepard, the first American in space, and his crew due to an inner ear problem that Shepard had experienced.
Who hit the first golf ball on the moon?
That distinction belongs to a NASA astronaut. Apollo 14 commander Alan B. Shepard hit two golf balls on the surface of the Moon on Feb. 6, 1971. Shepard talked to the United States Golf Association (USGA) about those infamous shots. “I shanked the first one; it rolled into a crater about 40 yards way,” said Shepard.
Who tricked NASA?
Moon golf: How Astronaut Alan Shepard tricked NASA. The ingenious journey that Astronaut Alan Shepard had to take to sneak a golf club and golf balls into space and onto the moon. When you think of golf, legendary players like Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Tiger Woods and Bobby Jones may come to mind. None of those legends, however, hit arguably ...
Did the astronauts take golf clubs on Apollo 13?
Maggie Lagle, a historian for the USGA, told Fox News that NASA did not have a sense of humor after Apollo 13 and would not have let Shepard take a golf club on the mission, so Shepard snuck a club and balls into space with him.
Who was Jack Harden?
According to Lagle, the only two men who knew about the club were Shepard and Jack Harden, a golf pro at River Oaks Country Club in Houston. Harden helped Shepard modify a standard 6-iron head of a Wilson golf club.
Did Bing Crosby donate his club to the USGA?
Singer Bing Crosby helped convince Shepard to donate his club to the USGA’s museum in New Jersey. “Alan was a very avid golfer and he would actually participate in the Bing Crosby golf tournament,” said Lagle.
Who was the only person to hit a golf ball on the moon?
Decades after the historic golf excursion, Shepard still had pride in the accomplishment. "So far I'm the only person to have hit a golf ball on the moon. Probably will be for some time," he told NASA in the February 1998 oral history, a few months before his death at age 74.
Why did Hope golf on the moon?
Hope took his golf club everywhere, according to the USGA, and Shepard was inspired to do a quick golf session on the moon to demonstrate the moon's gravitational pull, which is one-sixth that of Earth, according to NASA. Shepard, the commander of Apollo 14 and a long-time NASA astronaut, used his connections to discreetly ask for help keeping ...
How far can a male golfer drive?
By comparison, a 2019 report using golf tournaments' gender categories shows that an average amateur male golfer on Earth can drive the ball 216 yards (198 m), and an average female golfer 148 yards (135 m), although those distances have increased significantly since Shepard's flight.
Who said there was no way to go to the moon?
Shepard, however, explained the golf club's construction to Gilruth and then made the director a promise. Apollo 14 astronauts Edgar Mitchell and Alan Shepard practice deploying equipment before their trip to the moon.
When did Bob Hope get the idea for the moonshot?
Click here for more Space.com videos... Sorry, the video player failed to load. (Error Code: 100013) Shepard got the idea for his golf moonshot in 1970, when famed golfer Bob Hope visited NASA's Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC, now Johnson Space Center) in Houston, the training hub for astronauts, for a television special.
Who was the commander of Apollo 14?
Shepard, the commander of Apollo 14 and a long-time NASA astronaut, used his connections to discreetly ask for help keeping the plan a surprise. Jack Harden, the pro at River Oaks Country Club in Houston, made the clubhead.
Did Apollo 14 play golf on the moon?
50 years ago, an Apollo 14 astronaut played golf on the moon. Here's the inside story. A still from video footage shows NASA astronaut Alan Shepard preparing to hit a golf ball on the moon. By this point in the moonwalk, the astronauts had already put away the still-photograph cameras. (Image credit: NASA)
Who was the pilot of Apollo 13?
CAPCOM (Capsule Communicator) Fred Haise, who was the lunar module pilot for Apollo 13, applied some astute commentary from his position in Mission Control: “Looked like a slice to me, Al.”. The location of the first “shanked” ball can be seen in the crater to the right.
What is the moon bunker?
The moon is effectively one giant, un-raked, rock-strewn bunker. There were no “preferred lies” as a fully-suited astronaut would struggle to tee the ball up on the surface. The pressurized suits severely restricted movement, and due to their helmet’s visors, they struggled to even see their feet.
Why did the ball travel farther than it would have on Earth?
And due to the one-sixth gravity and lack of atmosphere, the ball traveled significantly farther than it would have on Earth. The absence of aerodynamic forces on the ball, and lack of the spin-induced “magnus effect” caused by the ball’s dimples, meant that it followed a perfectly parabolic flight.
What is the USGA?
The USGA promotes and conserves the true spirit of the game of golf as embodied in its ancient and honorable traditions. It acts in the best interests of the game for the continued enjoyment of those who love and play it. The USGA: Celebrating 125 Years. GIVING.
Golf Club used on the Moon
USGA Museum. I-78 exit 33 (Bernardsville). Drive north on Martinsville Rd about one mile, to fifth traffic light. Turn left onto Valley Rd. Drive a half mile to fork near Exxon station. Turn left onto Liberty Corner Rd. Drive two miles to USGA Museum, on left.
USGA Museum
USGA Museum. I-78 exit 33 (Bernardsville). Drive north on Martinsville Rd about one mile, to fifth traffic light. Turn left onto Valley Rd. Drive a half mile to fork near Exxon station. Turn left onto Liberty Corner Rd. Drive two miles to USGA Museum, on left.
Who was the golfer that used golf to ride the moon?
The idea to use golf as the visual hit Shepard when famed comedian Bob Hope visited NASA prior to the mission. During the tour led by Shepard, Hope carried around an old driver and eventually used it for balance when he entered the moonwalker, simulating conditions on the moon.
Who carried the moon club?
The Moon Club, a specially crafted 6-iron clubhead carried by Alan Shepard onboard the Apollo 14 mission to the moon as seen on August 30, 2007 at the USGA Headquarters in Far Hills, NJ. (USGA/John Mummert) “Miles and miles and miles,” Shepard said as he watched it sail. “Very good, Al,” Haise said. It wasn’t really miles.
How much does the moon club weigh?
The Moon Club, a specially crafted 6-iron clubhead, weighing 16.5 ounces, that was carried by Alan Shepard onboard the Apollo 14 mission to the moon as seen at the USGA Headquarters in Far Hills, NJ. (USGA/John Mummert)
What was the first golf shot on the moon?
The first golf shot on the moon came to life, rolling into a crater about 40 yards away. He had the hang of it now. Shepard dropped a second ball and swung again. Keeping his head down as much as he could, he made contact a second time.
Where is the moon club?
While Shepard died in 1998 at the age of 74, his legacy lives on in the USGA Golf Museum and Library in Liberty Corner, New Jersey, where the moon club and the sock that contained the two golf balls brought to the moon are two of the museum’s most popular items alongside Bobby Jones’ famous Calamity Jane putter.
When was the second Apollo 14 mission?
kept his plan quiet. The mission came first. Apollo 14, Shepard’s second space flight as commander, was planned for Jan. 31 to Feb. 9, 1971. Two years after humans first landed on the moon, Shepard wouldn’t be the first astronaut in space or the first person to walk on the moon on this trip, ...
Who was the first person to hit a golf ball on the moon?
A lover of golf who spent the later years of his life near Pebble Beach, California, Shepard brought two golf balls folded in a sock and a unique 6-iron of his own engineering to space 50 years ago, hoping to become the first person to hit a golf ball on the moon. USGA senior historian Victoria Nenno recounts the idea came to Shepard as he was ...
Where is the golf ball in the NASA image?
NASA The golf ball is located beneath the javelin-type object in the center of this image. Shepard revealed in 1998 that NASA was not on board with his stunt at first.
When did Apollo 14 land on the moon?
When Apollo 14 landed on the moon on Feb. 6, 1971, humankind had already been there several times, but Commander Alan Shepard nonetheless managed to accomplish the unprecedented — by teeing off just outside the lunar lander. Though it took Shepard a minute to get the hang of it, he eventually sent his second ball flying for what he believed was ...
What was the purpose of Apollo 14?
Its objective was to assess the Moon’s internal structure and measure its atmospheric composition. Prior to his status as the only human being to ever play golf on the moon, Shepard broke another record as the first American in space.
Did the golf ball go for miles?
Now, a NASA digital image restorer thinks he’s relocated one of those balls, and as it turns out, it didn’t go for miles. According to The Denver Post, English imaging specialist Andy Saunders spotted the missing golf ball while digitally enhancing the original Apollo 14 video footage for his book Apollo Remastered.
Did Bob Gilruth ask NASA to whack golf balls?
He reportedly asked Director Bob Gilruth of the Manned Spaceflight Center if he could whack some golf balls at the end of the mission, but his immediate reply was, “Absolutely no way.”.
Who hit the golf ball on the moon?
Credit: NASA/JSC/ASU/Andy Saunders. NASA astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr hit a golf ball on the Moon in 1971… but where did it go? The answer has been revealed for Apollo 14’s 50th anniversary, thanks to 21st century tech. One small step for Man and a hole in one for Mankind?
Where is the replica of the golf ball in the crater?
The original club used for the cosmic swings can be seen at USGA’s museum. A replica is displayed at the National Air and Space Museum, Washington DC.
Who is the author of Apollo Remastered?
The result, due to be published in Saunders’ book ‘Apollo Remastered’, brings sporting and indeed spacing enthusiasts a clear picture of Shepard’s elusive golf ball. Even the divots on the lunar surface are picked out. Shepard never told anyone which brand of golf ball he used for his historic moon shots.. Credit: NASA/JSC/ASU/Andy Saunders.
Did the Moon have a breeze?
Down in Mission Control, Fred Haise famously quipped: “Looked like a slice to me Al.”. The second was a breeze – not that the Moon has a breeze. However its destination remained a mystery.
What is the moon club?
The Moon Club, a specially crafted 6-iron clubhead, weighing 16.5 ounces, that was carried by Alan Shepard onboard the Apollo 14 mission to the moon, as seen at the USGA Golf Museum. The club featured a clubhead attached to a retractable teflon shaft ordinarily used on a device to collect soil samples.
Who made the moon shot in 2021?
February 05, 2021. Alan B. Shepard speaks about his Apollo 14 moon shot at a visit to Golf House in 1996. Robert Walker. Long before Bryson DeChambeau began making a moon shot routine, astronaut Alan Shepard made a moon shot for posterity.
Where is the Winged Foot golf club?
Shepard, who died in 1998, donated the club to the USGA at the 1974 U.S. Open at Winged Foot. It is on display in the USGA Golf Museum in Liberty Corner , N.J. “I would say it is one of the most popular artifacts at the museum, if not the most popular,” Nenno said.
When did the white pellets hit the moon?
On Feb. 6, 1971, 50 years ago to the day on Saturday, Shepard, the commander of the Apollo 14 mission to the moon, took out “a little white pellet that’s familiar to millions of Americans,” he said to a television audience watching back on Earth. Two of them, in fact—golf balls he hit from the lunar surface using a makeshift 6-iron he had hidden ...
How long was the ball in the air?
Well, maybe not miles and miles. One mile, perhaps, space historian Robert Pearlman estimated. But the ball reportedly was in the air for more than 30 seconds, exemplifying “the difference between the Earth’s and the moon’s gravity,” Michael Trostel wrote at USGA.org.
Who was the golfer on the moon?
But Admiral Alan B. Shepard Jr. has them all beat … by a mile. During the Apollo 14 mission to the moon, Shepard tucked a specially-crafted club and two golf balls into his space suit. His “shot heard around the galaxy” on Feb. 6, 1971 is arguably the most famous in golf’s history. Here are three things to know about “The Moon Club,” which is on ...
Why did Bob Hope visit NASA?
In 1970, Bob Hope visited NASA headquarters in Houston to prepare for a television special that would involve the Apollo astronauts. As part of the day, he was strapped into a training device that simulated the one-sixth gravity encountered while walking on the moon.