After retiring from NASA, Mattingly questioned the high cost of human space exploration.
Ken Mattingly, an astronaut known for his role in the Apollo 16 mission, has died at the age of 87.
Mattingly was removed from the Apollo 13 mission due to exposure to German measles but played a significant role in the mission's success.
Renowned astronaut Thomas K. Mattingly, popularly known as Ken or T.K., passed away at the age of 87 on October 31, 2023. Mattingly was an aeronautical engineer who flew Navy jets off aircraft carriers before being selected as an astronaut in 1966. He was part of the support crews for Apollo 8 and 11, and was scheduled to fly on Apollo 13 but was removed due to exposure to German measles. Despite not being on the mission, he played a significant role in helping the crew return safely to Earth after an oxygen tank explosion in the spacecraft.
Mattingly's accomplishments as the command module pilot for the Apollo 16 mission that landed on the moon in 1972 were hailed. He spent 126 hours in lunar orbit during Apollo 16, taking photos and conducting scientific experiments. He was also known for his involvement in two space shuttle missions. He commanded STS-4, the fourth orbital test flight for Space Shuttle Columbia, and STS-51-C, the first space shuttle mission for the Department of Defense, on Space Shuttle Discovery in 1985.
After retiring from NASA in 1985, Mattingly questioned the high cost of human space exploration, suggesting that robots could perform many of the tasks. His contributions to space exploration and his critical views on the cost of human space exploration have left a lasting impact on the field.
Mattingly was an aeronautical engineer who flew Navy jets off aircraft carriers before being selected as an astronaut in 1966.
After retiring from NASA in 1985, Mattingly questioned the high cost of human space exploration, suggesting that robots could perform many of the tasks.
Mattingly spent 126 hours in lunar orbit during Apollo 16, taking photos and conducting scientific experiments.
He also commanded STS-4, the fourth orbital test flight for Space Shuttle Columbia, and STS-51-C, the first space shuttle mission for the Department of Defense, on Space Shuttle Discovery in 1985.