ORLANDO, Fla. – Astronaut Thomas K. Mattingly, a rear admiral who flew on Apollo 16 and two space shuttle missions, died Tuesday, according to a NASA news release.
“NASA astronaut TK Mattingly was key to the success of our Apollo Program, and his shining personality will ensure he is remembered throughout history,” NASA administrator Bill Nelson said.
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Mattingly, better known as Ken or TK, is probably best known to the public for the mission he didn’t fly on. Mattingly was scrubbed from the Apollo 13 mission. He was played by Gary Sinise in the 1995 movie about the mission.
Mattingly was a Naval aviator and a test pilot who joined NASA’s astronaut group in 1966. He was on the support crew for Apollo 8 and trained as a backup pilot for Apollo 11 before he was assigned to be the command module pilot for Apollo 13.
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A few days before the launch of the Apollo 13 mission, Mattingly was removed from the crew because of exposure to Rubella, also known as German measles. He was replaced by Jack Swigert. Because he didn’t fly in the mission, he became heavily involved in the efforts to get the crew home after the spacecraft was damaged.
Mattingly went on to serve as command module pilot on Apollo 16 in 1972, flying with Commander John Young. Mattingly spent 126 hours in lunar orbit, taking photos and conducting scientific experiments while Young and Lunar Module pilot Charles Duke were on the lunar surface.
In 1982 Mattingly commanded STS-4, the fourth orbital test flight for Space Shuttle Columbia. He also commanded STS-51-C, the first space shuttle mission for the Department of Defense, on Space Shuttle Discovery in 1985.
Mattingly also retired from the Navy as a two-star rear admiral.
“He viewed the universe’s vastness as an unending forum of possibilities. As a leader in exploratory missions, TK will be remembered for braving the unknown for the sake of our country’s future,” Nelson said.
Mattingly was 87.
Only 32 astronauts took part in the Apollo moon missions of the 1960s and 70s. With Mattingly’s death, only 10 are still alive. Many are over the age of 90. To learn more about the Apollo missions, go to the NASA website.
NASA also hopes to return astronauts to the moon for a sustained mission with the Artemis program in the next few years. Head to the Artemis section of the NASA website to learn more.
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