NASA Apollo astronaut Thomas Kenneth Mattingly II passed away at age of 87. Check achievements, key details

NASA has confirmed the passing of Apollo astronaut Thomas Kenneth Mattingly II at the age of 87. Mattingly was a pivotal figure in the Apollo Program and played a crucial role in ensuring the safe return of the Apollo 13 crew to Earth after an onboard explosion jeopardized their lunar mission.

In a statement, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson expressed his condolences and described Mattingly as "one of our country's heroes" who made significant contributions to the success of the Apollo Program.

Thomas Kenneth Mattingly II passed away on Tuesday in in Arlington, Virginia, with the cause of death not specified in the statement.


Thomas Kenneth Mattingly II, a former Navy jet pilot with an aeronautical engineering degree, joined NASA in 1966 and embarked on his first spaceflight in April 1972 as part of the Apollo 16 mission. Serving as the pilot of the spacecraft's command module, Mattingly captured extensive images of the moon's surface and conducted experiments while two other astronauts collected lunar samples.

During the return journey to Earth, Mattingly performed an extravehicular activity to retrieve film canisters containing photos of the moon. He had previously named the spacecraft "Casper" due to the resemblance he saw between an astronaut in a spacesuit and the cartoon character Casper the Friendly Ghost.

Following the conclusion of the Apollo program, Mattingly assumed a role in the astronaut support office for the space shuttle program, which aimed to transport astronauts to and from the future International Space Station in Earth's orbit.

FAQs

Q1. What was the age of Thomas Kenneth Mattingly II?
A1. Thomas Kenneth Mattingly II was 87-year-old.

Q2. Who was Thomas Kenneth Mattingly II?
A2. Thomas Kenneth Mattingly II was NASA's Apollo astronaut.