Astronaut Bruce McCandless born 1937

Bruce McCandless II, born June 8, 1937 in Boston, Massachusetts, went into space twice. He graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1958, and received flight training from the Naval Air Training Command in Pensacola, Florida and in Kingsville, Texas.

He was selected as an astronaut in the NASA Astronaut Group 5 at age 28, the youngest member of the group. He served as mission control capsule communicator (CAPCOM) during Apollo 11.  He served as CAPCOM for Apollo 14, as well as astronaut support crew.  He was reassigned to the Skylab program, serving as CAPCOM for Skylab 3 and Skylab 4.

His first mission was aboard Space Shuttle Challenger (STS-41-B) as mission specialist in February 1984. During the mission he performed the first untethered spacewalk, using the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU), traveling 322 ft away from the shuttle. He spent eight days in space.

His second mission was aboard Discovery (STS-31) as mission specialist in April 1990. He was planning to conduct an EVA with fellow astronaut Kathryn Sullivan to fix and array that could not be deployed through ground control, but the problem was fixed without the need of an EVA.  He returned to Earth after 5 days in space.

McCandless passed away in December 2017.

Edgar Mitchell, Apollo 14 astronaut, born 1930

Edgar Mitchell, born September 17, 1930 in Hereford, Texas, went into space aboard Apollo 14.  He became the sixth person to walk on the moon, spending 33 hours exploring the lunar surface with fellow astronaut Alan Shepard. 

He passed away in February 2016 in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut Joe Engle!

Joe Engle, born August 26, 1932 in Chapman, Kansas, was chosen by NASA as an astronaut in 1966.  He was the backup pilot for the Lunar Module Pilot for Apollo 14.  He was originally scheduled as Lunar Module Pilot for Apollo 17 but NASA selected Harrison Schmitt instead.

His first mission into space was aboard Columbia (STS-2) as commander with pilot Richard Truly in November 1981.  The mission was intended to reboot the Skylab space station but due to development delays and the Skylab's deteriorating orbit, Skylab was de-orbited in July 1979.

His second and final mission was as commander of Discovery (STS-51-I) in August-September 1985.  He spent just over 7 days in space.

Stuart Roosa, Apollo 14 astronaut, born 1933

Stuart Allen Roosa, born August 16, 1933 in Durango, Colorado, was part of the Apollo 14 mission in early 1971.  He was raised in Claremore, Oklahoma and attended Oklahoma State University, as well as the University of Arizona, and the University of Colorado in Boulder.  He was chosen as one of the 19 in the class of astronauts in 1966 and served as support to Apollo 9.

He took off in Apollo 14, January 31, 1971 and commanded the lunar orbiter, while Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell visited the moon.  While in orbit, he conducted extensive experiments, including carrying seeds from a number of variety of trees.  The seeds were germinated upon his return and planted around the world, becoming known as "Moon Trees".

Roosa died in 1994 in Washington, DC from pancreatitis and is buried in Arlington Cemetery.

Explorer 1 launched 1958, First Primate launched 1961, Apollo 14 launched 1971

Explorer 1, the U.S's first satellite, was launched on January 31, 1958, in response to the Soviets Sputnik 1 and 2, launched the year before.  It detected the Van Allen radiation belts and continued transmitting for four months, althought its high powered transmitter lasted a month.  Explorer 1 remained in orbit for another 12 years before burning up in the atmosphere in 1970.

Ham the Astrochimp blasted off January 31, 1961 in a Mercury Redstone rocket to see if man was ready for space travel.  Ham performed a series of tests during his 16.5 minute flight.  He traveled 157 miles before splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean, suffering only a bruised nose.  Ham died in 1983. After a successful mission, NASA deemed it safe for Alan Shepard to be the first American in space.

Apollo 14 crew: Stuart Roosa, Alan Shepard, and Edgar Mitchell

And speaking of Alan B. Shepard, he commanded Apollo 14, the third (successful) manned mission to the moon.  His crew consisted of Command Module Pilot Stuart Roosa and Lunar Module Pilot Edgar Mitchell.  They launched January 31, 1971 and landed on the Fra Mauro formation (the original landing site of Apollo 13) February 5.  Shepard hit two golf balls on the moon's surface using a makeshift club.  He claimed the balls went 'miles and miles and miles' but the distance was estimated to be 200-400 yards.  How long is a par 5?  After Shepard and Mitchell spend 33 1/2 hours on the moon, they took off and the crew returned to Earth February 9.

Alan B. Shepard, first American in space, born 1923

Alan Bartlett Shepard, born November 18, 1923, was the first American in space, and the fifth and oldest person to walk on the Moon!  He also hit two golf balls on the lunar surface during the Apollo 14 mission.  In 1961, he achieved sub-orbit in Freedom 7 becoming the first American in space, just weeks after Yuri Gagarin became the first person in space.

He passed away in 1998 at the age of 74.





https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Shepard

Edgar Mitchell, Sixth Astronaut to Walk on the Moon, Dies at 85

A day before the anniversary of him walking on the moon, Edgar Mitchell passes away.



Edgar Mitchell, Sixth Astronaut to Walk on the Moon, Dies at 85

Apollo 14 lands on the moon, 1971

The eighth manned mission to the moon, Apollo14, touched down on February 5, 1971.  Commander Alan Shepard, Command Module Pilot Stuart Roosa, and Lunar Module Pilot Edgar Mitchell blasted off January 31 and landed in the Fra Moura.  Shepard and Mitchell spent over nine hours total walking on the surface of the moon.  Alan Shepard hit two golf balls with a golf club he fashioned out of a six iron golf club head and a lunar excavation tool.