Retired Air Force General Thomas Patten Stafford, a celebrated astronaut known for commanding a dress rehearsal flight for the historic 1969 moon landing, passed away at the age of 93 on Monday.
General Stafford, who served in the Air Force as a three-star general, took part in four space missions, including two Gemini flights before leading Apollo 10, according to Politico.
Despite not landing on the moon himself, Stafford was among the 24 astronauts from NASA who journeyed to the lunar surface. At present, only seven of them are still alive.
He died at a Florida hospital close to his home in Space Coast, as confirmed by Max Ary, director of the Stafford Air and Space Museum in Oklahoma.
In response to his passing, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson expressed his condolences on X (formerly Twitter), highlighting Stafford’s contributions as an astronaut and a peacemaker in the Apollo Soyuz mission.
Post-retirement, Stafford remained actively involved with NASA, offering expertise on various projects, including human Mars missions and safety concerns. He was instrumental in overseeing efforts to repair the Hubble Space Telescope, earning recognition with a NASA public service award.
Additionally, Stafford played a key role in managing the secretive “Area 51” desert base, famous for UFO theories and Air Force stealth technology testing.
Reflecting on his experiences, Stafford once described the profound impact of seeing Earth from lunar orbit, noting the awe-inspiring view that altered his perspective.
Apollo 10’s return to Earth achieved a remarkable milestone, setting a world record for the fastest speed by a crewed vehicle at 24,791mph.
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