NASA Astronaut, Apollo 15 Command Module Pilot.
Astronaut Al Worden Apollo 15 Command Pilot passed away March 18, 2020 according to his family.
“I’m deeply saddened to hear that Apollo astronaut Al Worden has passed away,” NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine tweeted about Worden. “Al was an American hero whose achievements in space and on Earth will never be forgotten. My prayers are with his family and friends.”
Astronaut Alfred “Al” Worden was a Colonel in the U.S. Air Force. He attended the United States Military Academy at West Point earning bachelor of military science degree. Before becoming an Astronaut in 1966, Worden was a test pilot and instructor in the United States Air Force.
While an astronaut, Worden flew to the Moon as command module pilot aboard Apollo 15. In July 1971, Worden traveled to the moon along with fellow Apollo 15 astronauts commander David Scott and Lunar Module pilot James Irwin. Worden remained on the Apollo Command module for three days in lunar orbit while his colleagues visited the surface of the moon.
During this time he earned a world record as “most isolated human being” while his crew mates roamed the lunar surface, and he was 2,235 miles(3,597km) away from anyone else.
Worden was also Senior Aerospace Scientist at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California. He made multiple appearances on the children’s show Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. Worden efforts to educate children may have been influenced by his Historic Apollo 15 mission. Worden is known to have said said,
‘Now I know why I’m here. Not for a closer look at the Moon, but to look back at our home, the Earth.’
On the return journey to Earth, Worden completed the first spacewalk in deep space, venturing outside the Command Module to retrieve film from a canister on the craft’s exterior. It remains one of just three deep space extra-vehicular activities. This NASA image depicts that spacewalk.
Apollo 15 Astronaut Al Worden during an EVA outside the Command Module Pilot to retrieve film from a canister on the spacecraft exterior. It this was the first deep space EVA. Credit NASA
Worden was also a member of the astronaut support crew for the Apollo 9 flight and backup command module pilot for the Apollo 12 flight.
Notably, Apollo 15 was the first lunar mission to include a rover, and was able to returned 77kg of lunar material to Earth for study and even launched a small lunar satellite. Apollo 15 was also the second longest Apollo mission.
Video of Al Worden in 2018 at NASA KSC in Forida.
