Wally Schirra
Astronaut and Apollo 7 commander
Born
March 12th, 1923
102 years ago
Died
May 3rd, 2007
17 years ago — 84 years old
Category
Explorers & Adventurers
Country
United States
Links & References
A captain, pilot, and astronaut, this individual became a prominent figure in the early years of human spaceflight. Selected as one of the original seven astronauts for NASA's Project Mercury, he flew on Mercury-Atlas 8, performing six orbits of Earth in 1962. Later, he commanded the Apollo 7 mission in 1968, the first manned flight of the Apollo program, which tested crucial systems for future lunar missions. Throughout a distinguished career with NASA, he also contributed to the Gemini program and helped develop space shuttle technology.
Commanded Apollo 7, the first manned Apollo mission
Flew on Mercury-Atlas 8, completing six orbits
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