LOS ANGELES (AP) — The renowned astronaut, , who played a pivotal role in the successful return of the damaged Apollo 13 spacecraft, has passed away at the age of 87, according to an announcement made by NASA.
“On Oct. 31, we lost one of our country’s heroes,” said NASA Administrator in a statement released on Thursday.
Thomas Kenneth Mattingly II, who played a vital role in the success of the Apollo Program, will be remembered throughout history for his remarkable contributions,” Nelson added.
Although NASA did not disclose the details of Mattingly’s passing, The New York Times reported that he passed away in Arlington, Virginia.
Mattingly, a former Navy pilot, joined NASA in 1966 and played an instrumental role in the development of spacesuits and backpacks for the Apollo moon missions.
However, it wasn’t until 1972 that he embarked on his first spaceflight as the pilot of the Apollo 16 command module, while two other crew members landed on the moon’s surface.
During the return journey to Earth, Mattingly conducted a spacewalk to collect film cannisters containing photographs he had taken of the moon’s surface.
In the later years of his career, Mattingly commanded two space shuttle missions and retired as a rear admiral from both NASA and the Navy.
However, his most notable mission was the one he did not fly.
In 1970, Mattingly was originally slated to be a part of the Apollo 13 crew as the command module pilot. However, due to his exposure to German measles, he was replaced by John Swigert Jr. just days before the launch.
A few days into the mission, an oxygen tank on the spacecraft’s service module exploded, causing a loss of power and oxygen to the command module. The planned lunar landing was aborted, and NASA commenced frantic efforts to save the lives of Swigert, James Lovell, and Fred Haise.
Mattingly, with his in-depth knowledge of the spacecraft, worked closely with engineers and others to analyze the situation and provide instructions to the crew.
The three astronauts cramped into the lunar module, which was designed for only two occupants, and utilized it as a makeshift lifeboat for four days as Apollo 13 circled the moon before safely returning to Earth.
“Mattingly played a crucial role in making real-time decisions that ensured the successful return of the damaged spacecraft and its crew,” stated NASA’s Nelson.
In a oral history interview with NASA in 2001, Mattingly reflected on the experience, saying, “One of the many lessons from this ordeal is to approach everything with the assumption of success and avoid any hindrances.”
The gripping account of Apollo 13’s mission was chronicled in the book “Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13,” co-authored by Lovell, and later adapted into the film “Apollo 13,” in which Gary Sinise portrayed Mattingly.
