APPENDIX 6
Prime And Backup Crews, Support Crews, and Capsule Communicators for Apollo Lunar Missions*
Prime Crews and Backup Crews for:
*Source: Astronauts and Cosmonauts, Biographical and Statistical Data
[Revised May 31, 1978], report prepared for the House Committee on
Science and Technology by the Congressional Research Service, Library of
Congress, July 1978; Apollo mission reports.
Prime Crew
- Commander:
- Frank Borman, Colonel,* U.S. Air Force. Born March 14, 1928, Gary,
Indiana. B.5. 1950, U.S. Military Academy; M.S. (aeronautical
engineering), 1957, California Institute of Technology. Chosen with the
second group of astronauts in 1962; backup command pilot for Gemini IV,
command pilot for Gemini VII, the longest manned mission (14 days) up to
that time.
- Command Module Pilot:
- James Arthur Lovell, Jr., Captain, U.S. Navy. Born March 25, 1929,
Cleveland, Ohio. B.5. 1952, U.S. Naval Academy. Chosen with the second
group of astronauts in 1962; backup pilot for Gemini IV, pilot for
Gemini VII, backup command pilot for Gemini IX, command pilot for Gemini
XII; later served as backup commander for Apollo 11 and commander for
Apollo 13.
- Lunar Module Pilot:
- William Anderson Anders, Major, U.S. Air Force. Born October 17,
1933, in Hong Kong. B.S. 1955, U.S. Naval Academy; M.5. (nuclear
engineering), 1963, Air Force Institute of Technology. Chosen with the
third group of astronauts in 1963; backup pilot for Gemini XI; later
served as backup command module pilot for Apollo 11.
*Military ranks given are those held at the time of the mission.
Backup Crew
- Commander:
- Neil A. Armstrong (see prime crew, Apollo 11).
- Command Module Pilot:
- Edwin A. Aldrin (see prime crew, Apollo 11).
- Lunar Module Pilot:
- Fred W. Haise (see prime crew, Apollo 13).
Prime Crew
- Commander:
- Thomas Patton Stafford, Colonel, U.S. Air Force. Born September 17,
1930, Weatherford, Oklahoma. B.S., 1952, U.S. Naval Academy. Chosen with
the second group of astronauts in 1962; backup pilot for Gemini III,
pilot for Gemini VI, backup commander for Apollo 7; later commander,
Apollo-Soyuz Test Project.
- Command Module Pilot:
- John Watts Young, Commander, U.S. Navy. Born September 24, 1930, San
Francisco, California. B.S. (aeronautical engineering), 1952, Georgia
Institute of Technology. Chosen with the second group of astronauts in
1962; pilot of Gemini III, backup pilot for Gemini VI, command pilot for
Gemini X; later backup commander for Apollo 13, commander for Apollo 16
(ninth man to walk on the moon), and backup commander for Apollo 17.
Later commanded several flights of the Space Shuttle Orbiter.
- Lunar Module Pilot:
- Eugene Andrew Cernan, Commander, U.S. Navy. Born March 14, 1934,
Chicago, Illinois. B.S. (electrical engineering), 1956, Purdue
University; M.S. (aeronautical engineering), 1961, Purdue and the U.S.
Naval Postgraduate School. Chosen with the third group of astronauts in
1963. Pilot for Gemini IX, backup pilot for Gemini XII, backup lunar
module pilot for Apollo 7; later backup commander for Apollo 14 and
commander of Apollo 17 (eleventh man to walk on the moon).
Backup Crew
- Commander:
- Leroy Gordon Cooper, Colonel, U.S. Air Force. Born March 6, 1927,
Shawnee, Oklahoma. B.S. (aeronautical engineering), 1956, U.S. Air Force
Institute of Technology. Chosen with the first group of astronauts in
1959. Backup pilot for Mercury-Atlas 8, pilot for Mercury-Atlas 9 (last
flight in the Mercury project), command pilot for Gemini V, backup
command pilot for Gemini XII.
- Command Module Pilot:
- Donn Fulton Eisele, Major, U.S. Air Force. Born June 23, 1930,
Columbus, Ohio. B.S., 1952, U.S. Naval Academy; M.S. (astronautics),
1960, Air Force Institute of Technology. Chosen with the third group of
astronauts in 1963; command module pilot for Apollo 7.
Prime Crew
- Commander:
- Neil Alden Armstrong (civilian). Born August 5, 1930, Wapakoneta,
Ohio. B.S. (aeronautical engineering), 1955, Purdue University. Naval
aviator and NASA test pilot, working in the X-15 program at the time of
his selection with the second group of astronauts in 1962. Backup
command pilot for Gemini V, command pilot for Gemini VIII, backup
commander for Apollo 8; first man to walk on the moon.
- Command Module Pilot:
- Michael Collins, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Air Force. Born October
31, 1930, Rome, Italy. B.S., 1952, U.S. Military Academy. Chosen with
the third group of astronauts in 1963. Served as backup pilot for Gemini
VII, pilot for Gemini X; assigned to Apollo 8 but replaced when a bone
spur required surgery.
- Lunar Module Pilot:
- Edwin Eugene ("Buzz") Aldrin, Jr., Colonel, U.S. Air
Force. Born January 20, 1930, Montclair, N.J. B.S., 1951, U.S. Military
Academy; Sc.D. (astronautics), 1963, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology. Chosen with the third group of astronauts in 1963. Backup
pilot for Gemini IX, pilot for Gemini XII; second man to walk on the
moon.
Backup Crew
- Commander:
- James A. Lovell (see prime crew, Apollo 8).
- Command Module Pilot:
- William A. Anders (see prime crew, Apollo 8).
- Lunar Module Pilot:
- Fred W. Haise (see prime crew, Apollo 13).
Prime Crew
- Commander:
- Charles ("Pete") Conrad, Jr., Commander, U.S. Navy. Born
June 2, 1930, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. B.S. (aeronautical
engineering), 1953, Princeton University. Chosen with the second group
of astronauts in 1962. Served as pilot for Gemini V, backup command
pilot of Gemini VIII, command pilot for Gemini XI, backup commander for
Apollo 9; third man to walk on the moon. Later served as commander of
Skylab 2.
- Command Module Pilot:
- Richard Francis Gordon, Jr., Commander, U.S. Navy. Born October 5,
1929, Seattle, Washington. B.S. (chemistry), 1951, University of
Washington. Chosen with the third group of astronauts in 1963. Served as
backup pilot for Gemini VIII, pilot for Gemini XI, backup command module
pilot for Apollo 9; later served as backup commander for Apollo 15.
- Lunar Module Pilot:
- Alan LaVerne Bean, Commander, U.S. Navy. Born March 15, 1932,
Wheeler, Texas. B.S. (aeronautical engineering), 1955, The University of
Texas. Chosen with the third group of astronauts in 1963. Served as
backup command pilot for Gemini X, backup lunar module pilot for Apollo
9; fourth man to walk on the moon. Later served as commander for Skylab
3 and backup commander for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project.
Backup Crew
- Commander:
- David R. Scott (see prime crew, Apollo 15).
- Command Module Pilot:
- Alfred M. Worden (see prime crew, Apollo 15).
- Lunar Module Pilot:
- James B. Irwin (see prime crew, Apollo 15).
Prime Crew
- Commander:
- James A. Lovell (see Apollo 8 prime crew).
- Command Module Pilot:
- John Leonard Swigert, Jr. (civilian). Born August 30, 1931, Denver,
Colorado. B.S. (mechanical engineering), 1953, University of Colorado;
M.S. (aerospace science), 1965, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, M.S.
(business administration), 1967, University of Hartford. Chosen with the
fifth group of astronauts in 1966. Originally assigned as backup command
module pilot on Apollo 13; took over the prime crew position 72 hours
before launch when Thomas Mattingly (see Apollo 16 prime crew, below)
was found to have been exposed to rubella.
- Lunar Module Pilot:
- Fred Wallace Haise (civilian). Born November 14, 1933, Biloxi,
Mississippi. B.S. (aeronautical engineering), 1951, University of
Oklahoma. Served as an aviator in the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Air
Force. Chosen with the fifth group of astronauts in 1966. Served as
backup lunar module pilot for Apollo 11 and later as backup commander
for Apollo 16.
Backup Crew
- Commander:
- John W. Young (see Apollo 10 prime crew).
- Command Module Pilot:
- John L. Swigert (see Apollo 13 prime crew).
- Lunar Module Pilot:
- Charles M. Duke (see Apollo 16 prime crew).
Prime Crew
- Commander:
- Alan Bartlett Shepard, Jr., Captain, U.S. Navy. Born November 18,
1923, East Derry, New Hampshire. B.S., 1944, U.S. Naval Academy. Chosen
with the first group of astronauts in 1959, he was the United States'
first man in space (Mercury-Redstone 3, Freedom 7, suborbital flight
March 1961) and backup pilot for Mercury-Atlas 9 (Faith 7). He was
grounded because of an inner-ear ailment until May 1969; On returning to
flight status he was assigned as commander of Apollo 14 and became the
fifth man (the only one of the first group of astronauts) to walk on the
moon.
- Command Module Pilot:
- Stuart Allen Roosa, Major, U.S. Air Force. Born August 15, 1933,
Durango, Colorado. B.S. (aeronautical engineering), 1960, University of
Colorado. Chosen with the fifth group of astronauts in 1966. Apollo 14
was his first assignment; he later served as backup command module pilot
for Apollo 16 and Apollo 17.
- Lunar Module Pilot:
- Edgar Dean Mitchell, Commander, U.S. Navy. Born September 17, 1930,
Hereford, Texas. B.S. (industrial management), 1952, Carnegie Institute
of Technology; B.S. (aeronautical engineering), 1961, U.S. Naval
Postgraduate School, Sc.D. (aeronautics and astronautics), 1964,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Chosen with the fifth group of
astronauts in 1966; sixth man to walk on the moon. Later served as
backup lunar module pilot for Apollo 16.
Backup Crew
- Commander:
- Eugene A. Cernan (see prime crew, Apollo 10).
- Command Module Pilot:
- Ronald E. Evans (see prime crew, Apollo 17).
- Lunar Module Pilot:
- Joe Henry Engle, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Air Force. Born August 26,
1932, Abilene, Kansas. B.S. (aeronautical engineering), 1955, University
of Kansas. Qualified as an astronaut in the NASA-Air Force X-15 project,
he was chosen with the fifth group of astronauts in 1966. Apollo 14 was
his first and only Apollo assignment; he later participated in the
approach and landing tests and the orbital flight tests of the Space
Shuttle Orbiter.
Prime Crew
- Commander:
- David Randolph Scott, Colonel, U.S. Air Force. Born June 6, 1932, in
San Antonio, Texas. B.S., 1954, U.S. Military Academy; M.S. (aeronautics
and astronautics) and Engineer of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1963,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Chosen with the third group of
astronauts in 1963. Served as pilot for Gemini VIII, command module
pilot for Apollo, 9; seventh man to walk on the moon.
- Command Module Pilot:
- Alfred Merrill Worden, Major, U.S. Air Force. Born February 7, 1932,
in Jackson, Michigan. B.S., 1955, U.S. Military Academy; M.S.
(astronautical/aeronautical engineering and instrumentation
engineering), 1963, University of Michigan. Chosen with the fifth group
of astronauts in 1966. Served as backup command module pilot on Apollo
12.
- Lunar Module Pilot:
- James Benson Irwin, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Air Force. Born March
17, 1930, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. B.S., 1951, U.S. Naval Academy; M.S.
(aeronautical and instrumentation engineering), 1957, University of
Michigan. Served as backup lunar module pilot on Apollo 12; eighth man
to walk on the moon. Resigned from NASA and the Air Force in 1972.
Backup Crew
- Commander:
- Richard F. Gordon (see prime crew, Apollo 12).
- Command Module Pilot:
- Vance DeVoe Brand (civilian). Born May 9, 1931, Longmont, Colorado.
B.S. (business), 1953, B.S. (aeronautical engineering), 1960, University
of Colorado; M.S. (business administration), 1964, University of
California at Los Angeles. Served as aviator in the U.S. Marine Corps
and as flight test engineer and test pilot with the Lockheed Aircraft
Corporation. Chosen with the fifth group of astronauts in 1966. Assigned
to support crew for Apollo 13; later served as command module pilot for
the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project and commanded two flights of the Shuttle
Orbiter.
- Lunar Module Pilot:
- Harrison Hagan ("Jack") Schmitt (see
prime crew, Apollo 17).
Prime Crew
- Commander:
- John W. Young (see prime crew, Apollo 10).
- Command Module Pilot:
- Thomas K. Mattingly II, Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Navy. Born March
17, 1936, Chicago, Illinois. B.S. (aeronautical engineering), 1958,
Auburn University. Chosen with the fifth group of astronauts in 1966.
Served as command module pilot for Apollo 13 until three days before
launch, when it was discovered that he had been exposed to rubella
(German measles) and had no immunity. Later commanded the fourth orbital
test flight of the first Space Shuttle Orbiter, Columbia.
- Lunar Module Pilot:
- Charles Moss Duke, Jr., Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Air Force. Born
October 3, 1935, Charlotte, North Carolina. B.S., 1957, U.S. Naval
Academy. Chosen with the fifth group of astronauts in 1966. Served as
backup lunar module pilot on Apollo 13. Tenth man to walk on the moon.
Backup Crew
- Commander:
- Fred W. Haise (see prime crew, Apollo 13).
- Command Module Pilot:
- Stuart A. Roosa (see prime crew, Apollo 14).
- Lunar Module Pilot:
- Edgar D. Mitchell (see prime crew, Apollo 14).
Prime Crew
- Commander:
- Eugene A. Cernan (see prime crew, Apollo 10).
- Command Module Pilot:
- Ronald Ellwin Evans, Commander, U.S. Navy. Born November 10, 1933,
St. Francis, Kansas. B.S. (electrical engineering), 1956, University of
Kansas; M.S. (aeronautical engineering), 1964, U.S. Naval Postgraduate
School. Chosen with the fifth group of astronauts in 1966. Apollo 14 was
his first crew assignment; later served as command module pilot for
Apollo 17 and backup command module pilot for the Apollo-Soyuz Test
Project.
- Lunar Module Pilot:
- Harrison Hagan ("Jack") Schmitt (civilian). Born July 3,
1935, Santa Rita, New Mexico. B.S. (science), 1957, California Institute
of Technology; Ph.D. (geology), 1964, Harvard University. At the time of
selection as an astronaut Dr. Schmitt was working with the Astrogeology
Branch, U.S. Geological Survey, Flagstaff, Arizona, as project chief for
lunar field geological methods and was involved in photographic and
telescopic mapping of the moon. Chosen with the first group of
scientist- astronauts in 1965. Served as backup lunar module pilot on
Apollo 15; twelfth and last man, and the only geologist, to walk on the
moon.
Backup Crew
- Commander:
- Fred Haise (see prime crew, Apollo 13)
- Command module pilot:
- Alfred Worden (see prime crew, Apollo 15)
- Lunar module pilot:
- James Irwin (see prime crew, Apollo 15)
APOLLO EARTH ORBIT MISSIONS
Two other missions, Apollo 7 and Apollo 9, were earth-orbiting missions
conducted to test the redesigned Apollo (Block II) spacecraft and the
lunar module before committing them to a lunar mission.
Prime Crew
- Commander:
- Walter Marty Schirra, Jr., Captain, U.S. Navy. Born March 12, 1923,
Hackensack, New Jersey. B.S., 1945, U.S. Naval Academy. Chosen with the
first group of astronauts in 1959; the only member of this group to fly
in Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo. Served as backup pilot for Mercury-Atlas
7 (Aurora 7) and pilot for Mercury-Atlas 8 (Sigma 7), backup command
pilot for Gemini III, command pilot of Gemini VI (first mission to
conduct a rendezvous).
- Command Module Pilot:
- Donn F. Eisele (see backup crew, Apollo 10).
- Lunar Module Pilot (no lunar module assigned to this flight):
- Ronnie Walter Cunningham (civilian). Born March 16, 1932, Creston,
Iowa. B.A., 1960, and M.A., 1961 (physics), University of California at
Los Angeles. Chosen with the third group of astronauts in 1963.
Backup Crew
- Commander:
- Thomas P. Stafford (see prime crew, Apollo 10).
- Command Module Pilot:
- John W. Young (see prime crew, Apollo 10).
- Lunar Module Pilot:
- Eugene A. Cernan (see prime crew, Apollo 10).
Prime Crew
- Commander:
- James Alton McDivitt, Colonel, U.S. Air Force. Born June 10, 1929,
Chicago, Illinois. B.S. (aeronautical engineering), 1959, University of
Michigan. Chosen with the second group of astronauts in 1962. Command
pilot for Gemini IV. Served as manager of the Apollo Spacecraft Project
Office at MSC from 1969 to 1972.
- Command Module Pilot:
- David R. Scott (see prime crew, Apollo 15).
- Lunar Module Pilot:
- Russell Louis Schweickart (civilian). Born October 25, 1935,
Neptune, New Jersey. B.S. (aeronautical engineering), 1956; M.S.
(aeronautics and astronautics), 1963, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology. Chosen with the third group of astronauts in 1963. Later
served as backup commander for Skylab 2.
Backup Crew
- Commander,
- Charles Conrad (see prime crew, Apollo 12).
- Command Module Pilot,
- Richard F. Gordon (see prime crew, Apollo 12).
- Lunar Module Pilot
- Alan L. Bean (see prime crew, Apollo 12).
Apollo 7
Jack L. Swigert (prime crew, Apollo 13)
Ronald E. Evans (prime crew, Apollo 17)
Edward Galen Givens, Jr., Major, U.S. Air Force, born January 5,
1930, Quanah, Texas. B.S., 1952, U.S. Naval Academy. Chosen with the
fifth group of astronauts in 1966; killed in an automobile accident June
6, 1967.
Apollo 8
Thomas K. Mattingly II (prime crew, Apollo 16).
Gerald Paul Carr, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps. Born
August 22, 1932, Denver, Colorado. B.S. (mechanical engineering), 1954,
University of Southern California; B.S. (aeronautical engineering),
1961, U.S. Naval Postgraduate School; M.S. (aeronautical engineering),
1962, Princeton University. Chosen with the fifth group of astronauts in
1966. No other Apollo crew assignments; later served as commander for
Skylab 4.
John Sumter Bull, Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Navy. Born September
25, 1935, Memphis, Tennessee. B.S. (mechanical engineering), 1957,
William Marsh Rice University. Chosen with the fifth group of astronauts
in 1966. Withdrew from the program in 1968 for medical reasons.
Apollo 9
Edgar D. Mitchell (prime crew, Apollo 14)
Fred W. Haise (prime crew, Apollo 13)
Alfred M. Worden (prime crew, Apollo 15)
Apollo 10
Joe H. Engle (backup crew, Apollo 14)
James B. Irwin (prime crew, Apollo 15)
Charles M. Duke, Jr. (prime crew, Apollo 16)
Apollo 11
Thomas K. Mattingly II (prime crew, Apollo 16)
Ronald E. Evans (prime crew, Apollo 17)
John L. Swigert (prime crew, Apollo 13)
William Reid Pogue, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Air Force. Born
January 23, 1930, Okemah, Oklahoma. B.S. (education), 1951, Oklahoma
Baptist University; M.S. (mathematics), 1960, Oklahoma State University.
Chosen with the fifth group of astronauts in 1966. Later served on
support crews for Apollo 13 and Apollo 14 and as pilot for Skylab 4.
Apollo 12
Gerald P. Carr (support crew, Apollo 8)
Paul Joseph Weitz, Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Navy. Born July 25,
1932, Erie, Pennsylvania. B.S. (aeronautical engineering), 1954,
Pennsylvania State University; M.S. (aeronautical engineering), U.S.
Naval Postgraduate School. Chosen with the fifth group of astronauts in
1966. Later served as pilot on Skylab 2.
Edward George Gibson (civilian). Born November 8, 1936, Buffalo,
New York. B.S. (engineering), 1959, University of Rochester; M.S.
(engineering), 1960, Ph.D. (engineering), 1964, California Institute of
Technology. Chosen with the first group of scientist-astronauts in 1965.
Later served as scientist-pilot on Skylab 4.
Apollo 13
Vance D. Brand (backup crew, Apollo 15)
William R. Pogue (support crew, Apollo 11)
Jack Robert Lousma, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps. Born
February 29, 1936, Grand Rapids, Michigan. B.S. (aeronautical
engineering), 1959, University of Michigan; Aeronautical Engineer, 1965,
U.S. Naval Postgraduate School. Chosen with the fifth group of
astronauts in 1966. Later served as pilot for Skylab 3 and backup
docking module pilot for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project.
Apollo 14
William R. Pogue (Backup crew, Apollo 11 and Apollo 13)
Bruce McCandless II, Commander, U.S. Navy. Born June 8, 1937,
Boston, Massachusetts. B.S., 1958, U.S. Naval Academy; M.S. (electrical
engineering), 1965, Stanford University. Chosen with the fifth group of
astronauts in 1966. Later served as backup pilot for Skylab 2.
Charles Gordon Fullerton, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Air Force.
Born October 11, 1936, Rochester, New York. B.S. (mechanical
engineering); 1957, M.S. (mechanical engineering), 1958, California
Institute of Technology. Transferred to the NASA astronaut corps in 1969
from the Air Force Manned Orbiting Laboratory project (canceled). Later
served on the support crew for Apollo 17.
Apollo 15
Karl Gordon Henize (civilian). Born October 17, 1926, Cincinnati,
Ohio. B.S. (mathematics), 1947; M.S. (astronomy), 1948, University of
Virginia; Ph.D. (astronomy), 1954, University of Michigan. Chosen with
the second group of scientist-astronauts in 1967. Principal investigator
for ultraviolet astronomy experiments in the Skylab project. Later flew
on Space Shuttle missions.
Robert Allan Ridley Parker (civilian). Born December 14, 1936,
New York, New York. B.A. (astronomy and physics), 1958, Amherst College;
Ph.D. (astronomy), 1962, California Institute of Technology. Chosen with
the second group of scientist-astronauts in 1967. Later served as
support crewman and mission scientist for Apollo 17 and chief scientist
for the Skylab missions.
Joseph Percival Allen IV (civilian). Born June 27, 1937,
Crawfordsville, Indiana. B.A. (mathematics and physics), 1959, DePauw
University; M.S. (physics), 1961, Ph.D. (nuclear physics), 1965, Yale
University. Chosen with the second group of scientist-astronauts in
1967. Later served as mission scientist for Apollo 15; left the
astronaut corps in 1975 to serve as NASA's Assistant Administrator for
Legislative Affairs; returned in 1978 to participate in the Space
Shuttle program.
Apollo 16
Philip Kenyon Chapman (civilian). Born March 5, 1935, Melbourne,
Victoria, Australia (naturalized in U.S. May 8, 1967). B.Sc. (physics
and mathematics), 1956, Sydney University; M.S. (aeronautics and
astronautics) 1964, Ph.D. (instrumentation), 1967, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology. Chosen with the second group of
scientist-astronauts in 1967.
Anthony Wayne England (civilian). Born May 15, 1942,
Indianapolis, Indiana. B.S. and M.S. (geology and physics), 1965, Ph.D.
(planetary sciences), 1970, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Chosen with the second group of scientist-astronauts in 1967. Later
mission scientist for Apollo 16.
Henry Warren Hartsfieid, Jr., Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Air Force.
Born November 21, 1933, Birmingham, Alabama. B.S. (physics), 1954,
Auburn University; M.S. (engineering science), 1971, University of
Tennessee. Transferred to the NASA astronaut corps in 1969 from the Air
Force Manned Orbiting Laboratory project (canceled). Later flew on two
Space Shuttle Orbiter flights.
Apollo 17
Robert A. R. Parker (support crew, Apollo 15).
Charles G. Fullerton (support crew, Apollo 14).
Robert Franklyn Overmyer, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps.
Born July 14, 1936, Lorain, Ohio. B.S. (physics), 1958, Baldwin-Wallace
College, M.S. (aeronautics), 1964, U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.
Transferred to the NASA astronaut corps in 1969 from the Air Force
Manned Orbiting Laboratory project (canceled). Later served as support
crewman and capsule communicator in Moscow for the Apollo-Soyuz Test
Project and commanded STS Mission 31-B in the Space Shuttle program.
First group, selected April 9, 1959:
Selection criteria: under 40 years of age; less than 5 ft., 11 in. tall;
hold a bachelor's degree in engineering or equivalent; graduate of test
pilot school; qualified jet pilot with at least 1,500 hours of flying
time.
- Lt. M. Scott Carpenter, USN;
- Capt. L. Gordon Cooper, USAF;
- Lt. Col. John H. Glenn, Jr., USMC;
- Capt. Virgil I. ("Gus") Grissom, USAF (died in AS-204 fire, Jan. 27, 1967);
- Lt. Comdr. Walter M. Schirra, Jr., USN;
- Lt. Comdr. Alan B. Shepard, Jr., USN; and
- Capt. Donald K. ("Deke") Slayton, USAF.
Second group, selected September 17, 1962:
Selection criteria: under 35 years of age; bachelor's degree in a
physical or biological science or engineering; experience as a jet test
pilot, having graduated from a military test pilot school or attained
experimental flight test status in the armed services, the aircraft
industry, or NASA.
- Neil A. Armstrong;
- Maj. Frank Borman, USAF;
- Lt. Charles ("Pete") Conrad, Jr., USN;
- Lt. Comdr. James A. Lovell, Jr., USN;
- Capt. James A. McDivitt, USAF;
- Elliott M. See, Jr. (died in T-38 crash, Feb. 28, 1966);
- Capt. Thomas P. Stafford, USAF;
- Capt. Edward H. White II, USAF (died in AS-204 fire, Jan. 27, 1967) and
- Lt, Comdr. John W. Young, USN.
Third group, selected October 18, 1963:
Selection criteria: under 34 years of age; bachelor's degree in science
or engineering; experimental flight test status or l,000 hours of jet
flying time.
- Maj. Edwin E. ("Buzz") Aldrin, Jr., USAF (Ph.D., astronautics);
- Capt. William A. Anders, USAF;
- Capt. Charles A. Bassett II, USAF (died in T-38 crash, Feb. 28, 1966);
- Lt. Alan L. Bean, USN;
- Lt. Eugene A. Cernan, USN;
- Lt. Roger B. Chaffee, USN (died in AS-204 fire, Jan. 27, 1967);
- Capt. Michael Collins, USAF;
- R. Walter Cunningham;
- Capt. Donn F. Eisele, USAF;
- Capt. Theodore C. Freeman, USAF (died in T-38 crash, Oct. 31, 1964);
- Lt. Comdr. Richard F. Gordon, Jr., USN;
- Russell L. Schweickart;
- Capt. David R. Scott, USAF; and
- Capt. Clifton C. Williams, USMC (died in T-38 crash, Oct. 5, 1967).
Fourth group, selected June 28, 1965: (scientist-astronauts)
Selection criteria: doctor's degree in medicine, engineering, or one of
the natural sciences. Applicants were evaluated by a committee of the
National Academy of Sciences and those considered qualified were then
reviewed by NASA for selection.
- Owen K. Garriott, Ph.D. (engineering);
- Edward G. Gibson, Ph.D. (engineering);
- Duane E. Graveline, M.D. (resigned before beginning training);
- Lt. Comdr. Joseph P. Kerwin (M.D.), MC, USN;
- F. Curtis Michel, Ph.D. (physics) (resigned 1969); and
- Harrison H. ("Jack") Schmitt, Ph.D. (geology).
Fifth group, selected April 4, 1966:
Selection criteria same as those for the third group.
- Vance D. Brand;
- Lt. John S. Bull, USN (resigned for health reasons, 1968);
- Maj. Gerald P. Carr, USMC;
- Capt. Charles M. Duke, Jr., USAF;
- Capt. Joe H. Engle, USAF;
- Maj . Edward G. Givens, Jr., USAF (died in auto crash, June 6, 1967);
- Fred W. Haise, Jr.;
- Maj. James B. Irwin, USAF;
- Don L. Lind., Ph.D. (physics);
- Capt. Jack R. Lousma, USMC;
- Lt. Thomas K. Mattingly II, USN;
- Lt. Bruce McCandless II, USN;
- Comdr. Edgar D. Mitchell, USN (Sc.D., aeronautics and astronautics);
- Maj. William R. Pogue, USAF;
- Capt. Stuart A. Roosa, USAF;
- John L. Swigert, Jr.;
- Lt. Comdr. Paul J. Weitz, USN; and
- Capt. Alfred M. Worden, USAF.
Sixth group, selected August 4, 1967: (scientist-astronauts)
Selection criteria same as those for fourth group.
- Joseph P. Allen IV, Ph.D. (physics);
- Philip K. Chapman, Ph.D. (instrumentation) (resigned, 1972);
- Anthony W. England, Ph.D. (awarded 1970, earth and planetary sciences) (resigned, 1972);
- Karl G. Henize, Ph.D. (astronomy);
- Donald L. Holmquest, M.D. (took leave, 1971; resigned 1973);
- William B. Lenoir, Ph.D. (engineering);
- John A. Llewellyn, Ph.D. (chemistry) (resigned, 1968);
- F. Story Musgrave, M.D.;
- Brian T. O'Leary, Ph.D. (astronomy) (resigned, 1967);
- Robert A. R. Parker, Ph.D. (astronomy); and
- William E. Thornton, M.D.
Seventh group, selected August 14, 1969:
(transferred from the canceled Air Force Manned Orbiting Laboratory
[MOL] project)
- Maj. Karol J. Bobko, USAF;
- Lt. Comdr. Robert L. Crippen, USN;
- Maj. C. Gordon Fullerton, USAF;
- Maj. Henry W. Hartsfield, Jr., USAF;
- Maj. Robert F. Overmyer, USMC;
- Maj. Donald H. Peterson, USAF; and
- Lt. Comdr. Richard H. Truly, USN.
All information transmitted to a spacecraft by voice during a mission
was passed up by the capsule communicator or "CapCom." CapComs
were picked from the astronaut corps so that they would be familiar with
the spacecraft and the mission and would understand procedures.
Following is a list of CapComs for the Apollo missions.
- Apollo 7:
- Stafford, Evans, Pogue, Swigert, Young, Cernan.
- Apollo 8:
- Collins, Mattingly, Carr, Armstrong, Aldrin, Brand, Haise.
- Apollo 9:
- Roosa, Evans, Worden, Conrad, Gordon, Bean.
- Apollo 10:
- Duke, Engle, Lousma, McCandless.
- Apollo 11:
- Duke, Evans, McCandless, Lovell, Anders, Mattingly, Haise, Lind, Garriott, Schmitt.
- Apollo 12*:
- Carr, Gibson, Weitz, Lind, Scott, Worden, Irwin.
- Apollo 13:
- Kerwin, Brand, Lousma, Young, Mattingly.
- Apollo 14:
- Fullerton, McCandless, Haise, Evans.
- Apollo 15:
- Allen, Fullerton, Henize, Mitchell, Parker, Schmitt, Shepard, Gordon, Brand.
- Apollo 16:
- Peterson, Fullerton, Irwin, Haise, Roosa, Mitchell, Hartsfield, England, Overmyer.
- Apollo 17:
- Fullerton, Overmyer, Parker, Allen, Shepard, Mattingly, Duke, Roosa, Young.
*Four civilian non-astronauts served as backup CapComs on this mission:
Dickie K. Warren, James O. Rippey, James L. Lewis, and Michael R.
Wash.
Mercury through Apollo
Astronaut Total hours Missions(b)
in Space(a)
================================================================
James Lovell 715 GT-7, GT-12, A-8, A-13
Eugene Cernan 553.32 GT-9, A-10, A-17
John Young 533.6 GT-3, GT-10, A-10, A-16
Charles Conrad 506.8 GT-5, GT-11, A-12
Frank Borman 477.58 GT-7, A-8
James McDivitt 338.95 GT-4, A-9
Richard Gordon 315.88 GT-11, A-12
David Scott 298.88 GT-8, A-15
Walter Schirra 295.22 MA-8, GT-6A, A-7
Thomas Stafford 290.27 GT-6A, GT-9, A-10
Edwin Aldrin 289.82 GT-12, A-11
Jack Schmitt 288.9 A-17
Ron Evans 288.9 A-17
James Irwin 288.2 A-15
Alfred Worden 288.2 A-15
Michael Collins 266.07 GT-10, A-11
Ken Mattingly 265.9 A-16
Charles Duke 265.9 A-16
Donn Eisele 260.15 A-7
Walter Cunningham 260.15 A-7
Alan Bean 244.6 A-12
Gordon Cooper 225.24 MA-9, GT-5
Alan Shepard 216.29 MR-3, A-14
Edgar Mitchell 216.03 A-14
Stuart Roosa 216.03 A-14
Neil Armstrong 205.98 GT-8, A-11
Fred Haise 142.9 A-13
John Swigert 142.9 A-13
Edward White 97.93 GT-4
Virgil Grissom 5.12 MR-4, GT-3
Scott Carpenter 4.93 MA-7
John Glenn 4.92 MA-6
(a) Liftoff to splashdown.
(b) A, Apollo; GT, Gemini-Titan; MA, Mercury-Atlas; MR, Mercury-Redstone
(suborbital).
Source: Astronautics and Aeronautics, annual summaries of space flights;
Apollo mission reports.
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