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Walter Cunningham, a former NASA astronaut and pilot of the first manned flight in the space agency’s famous Apollo program, died early Tuesday at the age of 90, NASA Said.
Cunningham was one of the earliest members of NASA’s manned spaceflight program, joining the space agency in 1963 as a member of the third astronaut class. He was selected to pilot the NASA program’s first manned mission, Apollo 7. on the moon for the first time.
“We express immense pride in the life he lived, patriot, explorer, pilot, astronaut, husband, brother and father. We would like to express our deepest gratitude to him for his support,” a statement shared by NASA. “The world has lost another true hero. We will miss him.”
Launched in 1968, the Apollo 7 mission lasted about 11 days and sent the crew into orbit. This amounts to a test flight that could demonstrate the ability of the Apollo capsule to rendezvous with another spacecraft in orbit, paving the way for future exploration. space. He was also notable for appearing on the first live television broadcast of an American from outer space, according to The New York Times. NASA.
Cunningham was the last survivor of the Apollo 7 crew, including the astronauts. Wally Schiller When Don Eisel.
Born in Creston, Iowa, he received a Bachelor’s degree with honors in Physics and a Master’s degree with honors in Physics from the University of California, Los Angeles. Cunningham He was 36 when the Apollo 7 mission began.inside interview At NASA’s Oral History Office in 1999, he reflected on his career path and motivations.
“I’m one of those people who never really looked back. I just remember when someone asked me after I became an astronaut,” Cunningham said. All I remember is wanting to do the best I can with my nose close to the whetstone, and although I didn’t realize it then, it always prepares me better for the next step. I’ve always looked to the future, I’m not living in the past.”
Cunningham stepped into space only once, but he was the leader of NASA’s Skylab program, the first American space station to orbit the Earth from 1973 to 1979.
According to him, before joining NASA, Cunningham enlisted in the United States Navy and began training as a pilot in 1952. formal A NASA biography, and he served as a US Marine Corps fighter pilot on 54 missions in South Korea.
“The only thing I can remember specifically doing to become an astronaut is because I saw that I became one of the best fighter pilots in the world, if not the best.” said Cunningham in an interview with NASA’s Office of Oral History.
Cunningham also earned a doctorate in physics from UCLA without completing a thesis, then completed an advanced management program at Harvard Business School in 1974, according to NASA.
Prior to joining the astronaut corps, he worked as a physicist at Rand, a non-profit military think tank.
After leaving the space agency, Cunningham wore many hats and held various roles in the private sector. According to his biography at NASA, he held many positions in development companies, worked as a startup consultant, became an entrepreneur and investor, and eventually became a radio talk show host.
In later years, Cunningham also became an outspoken critic of popular beliefs about the human contribution to climate change.
