Author Topic: Captain Cernan passed away today (01/16/2017).  (Read 14407 times)

Offline Satanic Mechanic

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Captain Cernan passed away today (01/16/2017).
« on: January 16, 2017, 03:41:44 PM »
From the NASA website:

Euguene Cernan, the last man to walk on the moon, died Monday, Jan. 16, surrounded by his family.

Cernan, a Captain in the U.S. Navy, left his mark on the history of exploration by flying three times in space, twice to the moon. He also holds the distinction of being the second American to walk in space and the last human to leave his footprints on the lunar surface.

He was one of 14 astronauts selected by NASA in October 1963. He piloted the Gemini 9 mission with Commander Thomas P. Stafford on a three-day flight in June 1966. Cernan logged more than two hours outside the orbiting capsule.

In May 1969, he was the lunar module pilot of Apollo 10, the first comprehensive lunar-orbital qualification and verification test of the lunar lander. The mission confirmed the performance, stability, and reliability of the Apollo command, service and lunar modules. The mission included a descent to within eight nautical miles of the moon's surface.

Offline Ottawan

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Re: Captain Cernan passed away today (01/16/2017).
« Reply #1 on: January 17, 2017, 09:55:40 AM »
Sad news. That is half of the moonwalkers gone already! Guess I'll be re-reading "Last Man on the Moon" this weekend.
Man must explore . . . and this is exploration at its greatest

Dave Scott, Apollo 15

Offline LunarOrbit

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Re: Captain Cernan passed away today (01/16/2017).
« Reply #2 on: January 25, 2017, 10:57:42 PM »
He seemed to have so much energy while he was out promoting the documentary "Last Man on the Moon" last year. I don't have half his energy at half his age.

It's too bad he didn't live to see the title "Last man on the Moon" taken away from him.
" We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard..."
 - John F. Kennedy