John Young

I met John Young (and Bob Crippen) back in 1979 when I was a software developer on the first Space Shuttle program:

The “Mercury Seven” Astronauts:

– Scott Carpenter
– Gordon Cooper
– John Glenn
– Gus Grissom
– Wally Schirra
– Alan Shepard
– Deke Slayton

The “New Nine” Astronauts:

– Neil A. Armstrong (1930–2012), civilian (retired U.S. Navy) (2 flights)
– Frank F. Borman, II (born 1928), U.S. Air Force (2 flights)
– Charles “Pete” Conrad, Jr (1930–1999), U.S. Navy (4 flights)
– James A. Lovell, Jr (born 1928), U.S. Navy (4 flights)
– James A. McDivitt (born 1929), U.S. Air Force (2 flights)
– Elliot M. See, Jr (1927–1966), U.S. Navy
– Thomas P. Stafford (born 1930), U.S. Air Force (4 flights)
– Edward H. White, II (1930–1967), U.S. Air Force (1 flight)
– John W. Young (born 1930), U.S. Navy (6 flights)

John W. Young:

  • Gemini 3 — March 1965 —
    – Pilot — First manned Gemini mission; first manned mission to change orbital plane
  • Gemini 10 — July 1966 —
    – Command Pilot — First double rendezvous (first orbital docking)
  • Apollo 10 — May 1969 —
    – Command Module Pilot — “Dress rehearsal” for Apollo 11
    – First lunar orbital flight of Lunar Module (first lunar module orbit moon, @ 50K ft. from the moon’s surface)
    – First person to orbit the Moon alone
    – Highest speed attained by a manned vehicle (24,791 mph)
  • Apollo 16 — April 1972 —
    – Commander — Fifth manned lunar mission
    – Young became the ninth person to walk on the Moon
  • STS-1 Columbia — April 1981 —
    – Commander — First Space Shuttle mission (first reusable space shuttle to fly into earth’s orbit)
    – Maiden flight of Columbia
  • STS-9 Columbia — November 1983 —
    – Commander — First Spacelab mission
    – Young became the first person to travel into space six times
    – First six-person crew

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