The Barber, The Astronaut and The Golf Ball
with Barbara Radnofsky and Ed Supkis
Join us for a fascinating Texas Talks presentation that lifts the veil on one of the most human—and unexpected—stories of the U.S. space program.
In The Barber, The Astronaut, and The Golf Ball, authors Barbara Radnofsky and Ed Supkis explore the remarkable friendship between famed Apollo 14 astronaut Alan Shepard and his longtime barber, Carlos Villagomez. After his historic 1971 moonwalk, where he famously hit a golf ball in lunar gravity, Shepard gifted an autographed ball to Carlos shortly after returning to Earth.
Was the ball the same one that flew across the moon's surface? Was it a symbol of gratitude between two friends—or a hidden piece of space and sports history?
Rooted in personal recollections, family histories, and insider accounts from fellow astronauts and NASA experts, this story captures a little-known chapter of American space exploration—and the ordinary people who made it extraordinary.
Barbara and Ed, both children of NASA scientists who grew up in the shadow of Houston’s Manned Spacecraft Center, bring unique insight into the community that shaped the golden age of spaceflight. Their deeply personal storytelling, complemented by a new documentary by Jonathan Richards, offers a heartfelt and humorous look behind the scenes of a monumental era.
