xi's moments
Home | Newsmakers

America's "most experienced astronaut" dies: NASA

Xinhua | Updated: 2018-01-07 11:05

STS-1 crew members Commander John Young (L) and Pilot Robert Crippen pose with a model of the Space Shuttle Columbia at Johnson Space Center in Houston, May, 7, 1979. Young and Crippen flew the first orbital mission of NASA's space shuttle program aboard the Columbia. [Photo/Agencies]

WASHINGTON - John Young, America's "most experienced astronaut" who walked on the Moon during the Apollo program and commanded the first space shuttle mission, has passed away, NASA said Saturday.

Young died Friday night following complications from pneumonia, the US space agency said in a statement. He was 87 years old.

"Today, NASA and the world have lost a pioneer," acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot said.

Young is the only US astronaut to go into space as part of the Gemini, Apollo and space shuttle programs, and the first to fly into space six times, said NASA.

Young made his first flight as an astronaut in 1965, joining astronaut Gus Grissom on Gemini 3, the first manned flight of the early NASA human spaceflight program that helped the agency get ready for the Apollo moon landings.

Then, in 1966, he flew as Commander on Gemini 10, the first mission to rendezvous with two separate spacecraft on the course of a single flight.

He also orbited the Moon in Apollo 10 in 1969, and landed there in 1972 as Commander of the Apollo 16 mission.

In 1981, he served as Commander of STS-1, the first space shuttle mission, which some have called "the boldest test flight in history."

Two years later, on STS-9, his final spaceflight, Young landed the space shuttle with a fire in the back end, according to NASA.

He retired from NASA in 2004.

"Astronaut John Young's storied career spanned three generations of spaceflight," Lightfoot said. "He was in every way the 'astronaut's astronaut. We will miss him."

Global Edition
BACK TO THE TOP
Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

Registration Number: 130349