After Apollo 14, astronaut Alan Shepard gave his barber Carlos Villagomez an autographed golf ball. But did it fly to the moon? This extensively researched account explores their extraordinary friendship and the mystery surrounding one of history’s most intriguing pieces of space memorabilia, offering rare insights into NASA’s golden age.
In 1971, famed astronaut Alan Shepard returned from the moon and went to get a haircut. Before settling into the barber’s chair in Webster, Texas, near NASA’s Mission Control, Shepard gave his longtime barber and friend, Carlos Villagomez, an autographed golf ball.
During his Apollo 14 moonwalk just days earlier, Shepard had conducted a world-famous demonstration of gravity by hitting a golf ball in an out-of-this-world sand trap. It took him two tries.
Carlos, a Navy combat veteran and barber for numerous astronauts, says Shepard gave him the ball immediately after he returned to earth and was released from quarantine.
Had Shepard taken a third ball to the moon? And did he give it to his barber as a token of their long friendship?
The debate provides a backdrop for The Barber, The Astronaut, and the Golf Ball, a story of two extraordinary men and their lasting friendship. The book is based on recollections of Carlos himself, the authors—both children of NASA scientists—as well as other astronauts, memorabilia experts, and family and friends of Shepard, who died in 1998.
Is the ball one of the most significant pieces of sports memorabilia in history, or simply a gift of enduring friendship? Did the barber’s golf ball fly to the moon?
In seeking the answers, this extensively researched account of NASA history provides readers with insight into some of America’s greatest space explorers, including Michael Collins, Deke Slayton, and Charles Duke.
The Barber, The Astronaut, and the Golf Ball offers a rare glimpse behind the scenes of America’s space program at its pinnacle and shows the ordinary people who supported one of the nation’s most monumental scientific endeavors.
Category: Biography, Nonfiction
Publication Date: October 22, 2024
ISBN (paper): 979-8-9891203-4-5
ISBN (ebook): 979-8-9891203-5-2
Pages: 202
Trim size: 6 x 9
Laura Shepard-Churchley, Chair, Astronaut Scholarship Foundation Board of Trustees and daughter of Alan Shepard“Barbara and Ed capture Daddy and his long friendship with Carlos perfectly!”
Charles Duke, Apollo 16 lunar module pilot“Brings back the glory days of the U.S. Space Program and the importance of the ‘little people’ who made it happen. We see stern Shepard in a new and admirable light – in his high regard for the vast team of dedicated supporters who enabled astronauts to succeed.”
Rob Parrish MD, PhD, neurosurgeon, board member, Lone Star Flight Museum“A fascinating book, where the question becomes more important than the answer and providing an intriguing look at Alan Shepard.”
Laura Shepard-Churchley, Chair, Astronaut Scholarship Foundation Board of Trustees and daughter of Alan Shepard“Barbara and Ed capture Daddy and his long friendship with Carlos perfectly!”
Charles Duke, Apollo 16 lunar module pilot“Brings back the glory days of the U.S. Space Program and the importance of the ‘little people’ who made it happen. We see stern Shepard in a new and admirable light – in his high regard for the vast team of dedicated supporters who enabled astronauts to succeed.”
Rob Parrish MD, PhD, neurosurgeon, board member, Lone Star Flight Museum“A fascinating book, where the question becomes more important than the answer and providing an intriguing look at Alan Shepard.”
Jon Powell, scientist, city councilman, former mayor, Taylor Lake Village, TX.“The personal side of Alan Shepard—the first US astronaut and fifth guy to walk on the moon—and his genuine friendship with Carlos theBarber. Newer and younger residents of Space City will connect with the great stories as we go forward on the next exploration of the moon.”
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