ARLINGTON, Va. — Astronaut Thomas "Ken" Mattingly, who orbited the moon on NASA's Apollo 16 mission and narrowly missed the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission, died Tuesday at age 87, NASA said.
“We lost one of our country’s heroes on Oct. 31. NASA astronaut TK Mattingly was key to the success of our Apollo Program, and his shining personality will ensure he is remembered throughout history," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement.
Mattingly began his career as a jet pilot in the Navy and joined NASA in 1966, serving on the support crews for Apollo 8 and Apollo 11.
His first space flight was set to be on Apollo 13, during which he would orbit the moon in the command module while the other two astronauts, James Lovell and Fred Haise, explored the lunar surface. He was scratched from flight status 72 hours before launch because of exposure to Rubella, avoiding the massive explosion that crippled the spacecraft as it neared the moon.
During the emergency response from the ground, Mattingly offered critical advice to the three astronauts as they worked to get back to Earth safely.
"He stayed behind and provided key real-time decisions to successfully bring home the wounded spacecraft and the crew of Apollo 13," Nelson said.
Mattingly was portrayed by Gary Sinise in the 1995 film about the event.
He later would orbit the moon in 1972 on NASA's Apollo 16 mission and fly two space shuttle missions.
“TK’s contributions have allowed for advancements in our learning beyond that of space. He described his experience in orbit by saying, ‘I had this very palpable fear that if I saw too much, I couldn’t remember. It was just so impressive.’ He viewed the universe’s vastness as an unending forum of possibilities," Nelson said.