Jakarta –
NASA announced Thomas K. ‘TK’ Mattingly died on October 31, at the age of 87. He was an astronaut who helped save the Apollo 13 mission.
NASA administrator Bill Nelson said that Mattingly served in his most dramatic role when he was assigned as command module pilot for the Apollo 13 flight, but was banned from flying 72 hours before launch due to exposure to rubella.
After an explosion crippled the spacecraft on its way to the Moon, Mattingly, who was not actually sick, went to Mission Control and devised procedures to conserve power so the vehicle could successfully reenter the atmosphere, ensuring astronauts James Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise survived.
As quoted from France24, the mission was told and dramatized in the 1995 film ‘Apollo 13’, with Mattingly played by actor Gary Sinise.
Mattingly began his career as a US Navy pilot before being selected to be an astronaut in 1966. He then took on the role of command module pilot on the Apollo 16 mission and was space shuttle commander on two space shuttle missions.
“TK Mattingly’s contributions have enabled advances in our learning in space,” Nelson said.
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(rns/fyk)
2023-11-04 03:16:58
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