Early U.S. space missions began with the Mercury program, launched in 1958. Its goal was to send humans into space and safely return them. The first American in space was Alan Shepard, who flew aboard Freedom 7 in 1961. This mission lasted about 15 minutes and marked a significant step in the U.S. space race against the Soviet Union. Following Mercury, the Gemini program ran from 1962 to 1966, focusing on developing space travel techniques. It included missions that tested spacewalks and orbital maneuvers. Notable astronauts like Ed White performed the first American spacewalk during Gemini 4, paving the way for future lunar missions.