Fresh Air Archive: Alan Shepard and Rose Troche

Retired astronaut Alan Shepard and independent film director, producer, and writer Rose Troche on this archival edition of Fresh Air. Shepard was America's first man in space in 1961; the voyage covered 302 miles and lasted fifteen minutes. Ten years later with Apollo 14, he made it to the moon, playing golf on the moon's surface. In 1969, the Apollo 11 landed on the moon, and Neil Armstrong was the first man to set foot on the moon. Early in his space career, Shepard was diagnosed with an inner ear syndrome, which could have ended his career, so he grounded himself in 1963 and became chief of the Astronaut Office. Later, after a risky operation took care of his ear problem, Shepard returned to flight status, becoming commander of the Apollo 14. He co-wrote the book Moon Shot. Troche and co-producer and co-writer Guinevere Turner made the lesbian comedy, Go Fish. The movie was hailed as the newest "crossover hit." The two say they wanted to make a film about the community they lived in: "young, urban, multicultural, out, and burning up the phone lines gossiping about whom went home with who last night." The film played at the New York Lesbian and Gay Film festival, and opened at the San Francisco International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. (Original Airdate: 6/6/1994)

Want more Fresh Air?