AP: Legendary astronaut John Young, who walked on the moon and later commanded the first space shuttle flight, has died, NASA said Saturday. Young was 87.
The space agency said Young died Friday night at home in Houston following complications from pneumonia.
NASA called Young one of its pioneers – the only agency astronaut to go into space as part of the Gemini, Apollo and space shuttle programs, and the first to fly into space six times. He was the ninth man to walk on the moon.
“Astronaut John Young’s storied career spanned three generations of spaceflight,” acting NASA administrator Robert Lightfoot said in an emailed statement. “John was one of that group of early space pioneers whose bravery and commitment sparked our nation’s first great achievements in space.”
Young was the only spaceman to span NASA’s Gemini, Apollo and shuttle programs, and became the first person to rocket away from Earth six times. Counting his takeoff from the moon in 1972 as commander of Apollo 16, his blastoff tally stood at seven, for decades a world record. read more
Does our nation still produce the same level of courage, skill & will to do what JY and his generation accomplished ?
Rest in Peace Mr. Young. You truly had the right stuff.
God Speed.
My grandfather was right, it was dangerous cuz you dont know whats up there. Took a while but it finally got him.
God bless shipmate, you have flown with heroes.
Now, Rest In Peace.
What I said.
RIP Hero
He was fearless and tough as nails. I’ll ask my dad if he has any stories about him. My dad was on the Apollo/Saturn launch team and met or knew all the astronauts back then.
Those were days of Heroes.
RIP Mr. Young
Making his final journey into the great beyond.
Young and Crippen’s 1981 Columbia shuttle launch is further immortalized in Rush’s “Countdown.”
“Venting vapors like the breath of a sleeping white dragon…”
And he was responsible for the first sandwich in space.
To quote Bill Whittle, “Steely-Eyed Missile Men!”
Rest in Peace, Sir!
The picture is ILLUMINATED.
…because we were on the DARK SIDE of the moon. That’s why we can’t see the U.S. flag or the moon rover left behind through a telescope, because it was on the dark side of the moon. That’s why there is illumination, on the dark side.
And you can’t see stars in the sky when it’s really dark either. We don’t see stars in pitch dark. –not possible, and not on the dark side.