Jon McBride (1943–2024), NASA astronaut and space shuttle pilot 

Jon McBride was a NASA astronaut, test pilot, and space shuttle pilot who flew the first-ever mission with seven people on board.

William Anders (1933–2024), astronaut who took Earthrise photo

William Anders was an astronaut who orbited the moon on Apollo 8 and took the iconic “Earthrise” photograph from space.

Thomas Stafford (1930–2024), NASA commander on mission with Soviets 

Thomas Stafford was a NASA astronaut who served as commander in the 1975 Apollo Soyuz Test Project (ASTP), the first joint mission between the U.S. and Soviet space programs.

Richard Truly (1937–2024), former astronaut who led NASA

Richard Truly was an astronaut and vice admiral in the U.S. Navy who became the first former astronaut to lead the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and was head of NASA when the famous “Pale Blue Dot” photo was captured.

Mary Cleave (1947–2023), NASA astronaut on Space Shuttle Atlantis

Mary Cleave was a NASA astronaut who went to space twice on Space Shuttle Atlantis in the 1980s.

Frank Borman (1928–2023), commander of historic Apollo 8 mission

Frank Borman was an astronaut who commanded Apollo 8, the first mission to fly around the moon. 

Ken Mattingly (1936–2023), astronaut who assisted Apollo 13 from Earth

Ken Mattingly was an aviator and astronaut who took part in three Apollo missions, including a ground role during the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission.

Karol Bobko (1937–2023), first Challenger space shuttle pilot

Karol Bobko , aerospace engineer, test pilot, and NASA astronaut, was the first person to fly three different space shuttle missions, as well as the first pilot of both the Atlantis and the ill-fated Challenger.

Walter Cunningham (1932–2023), NASA astronaut on Apollo 7

Walter Cunningham  was a NASA astronaut who flew to space on Apollo 7.

James McDivitt (1929–2022), NASA astronaut who led first U.S. spacewalk mission

James McDivitt was a NASA astronaut who commanded the Gemini 4 and Apollo 9 missions.

Valery Polyakov (1942–2022), cosmonaut who took longest trip to space

Valery Polyakov was a Russian cosmonaut who holds the record for most consecutive days in outer space.

Michael Collins (1930–2021), NASA astronaut on Apollo 11 mission

Michael Collins was an astronaut whose most prominent journey was flying the Apollo 11 command module, the same mission that brought and Buzz Aldrin to the moon.

Rhea Hurrle Allison Woltman (1928–2021), one of the first female astronaut candidates

Rhea Hurrle Allison Woltman was a pilot who was one of the Mercury 13, the women who were tested as potential astronaut candidates in the early 1960s.

Millie Hughes-Fulford (1945–2021), first female payload specialist for NASA

Millie Hughes-Fulford was the first woman to go into space as a payload specialist, the scientists who work aboard NASA’s space missions.

Discover the legacies of the Challenger astronauts

On January 28, 1986, Americans turned on their TVs to watch the launch of Space Shuttle Challenger. The shuttle’s flight would turn out to be heartbreakingly brief before tragedy struck. Seventy-three seconds into the Challenger’s flight, the shuttle exploded. All seven astronauts on board were killed.

Gerald Carr (1932–2020), Skylab 4 commander

Gerald Carr was an astronaut who commandedc2Skylabc24c2in 1973, the final Skylabc2mission.c2

Rene Carpenter (1928–2020), last surviving member of the Astronaut Wives Club

Rene Carpenter (first name rhymes with “seen”) was a television host and columnist who first came to public attention as the wife of Mercury 7 astronaut M. Scott Carpenter.

Annie Glenn (1920–2020), John Glenn’s widow, speech disorder advocate

Annie Glenn was the widow of astronautC2and senator and an important advocate for those with speech disorders.C2C2C2

Alfred Worden (1932–2020), astronaut orbited the moon

Alfred “Al" Worden orbited the moon as the command pilot for Apollo 15.TheformerNASA astronaut is one of only 24 people to have flown to the moon.During the 1971 mission, Worden orbited the earth many times as astronauts James Irwin andDavid Scott walked on the moon to explore the surface. He was the first human to do a deep space spacewalk. NASA selected Worden, a military pilot,as an astronaut in 1966.

Aleksei Leonov (1934–2019), first person to walk in space

On March 18, 1965, the Russian cosmonaut left his capsule for a 12-minute space walk.

Mandla Maseko (1988–2019), South African scheduled to be first black African in space

South African Air Force member Mandla Maseko was poised to become the first black African in space.

Jerrie Cobb (1931–2019), NASA’s first female astronaut candidate

A lifelong advocate for women flying and traveling to outer space.

Owen Garriott (1930–2019), Skylab and space shuttle astronaut

NASA astronaut Owen Garriott spent a total of 70 days in space.

Alan Bean (1932 – 2018), Apollo astronaut walked on the Moon

Alan Bean, the NASA astronaut who became the fourth person to walk on the moon, died Saturday, May 26, 2018, in Houston after a short illness, according to the Associated Press. He was 86.

John Young (1930–2018), astronaut walked on the Moon

Legendary astronaut John Young walked on the moon and later commanded the first space shuttle flight.

Bruce McCandless (1937–2017), first astronaut to fly untethered in space

Bruce McCandless wasthe first astronaut to fly untethered in space.

Richard Gordon (1929 – 2017), Apollo 12 astronaut

Flew around the moon for the Apollo 12 mission…

Paul Weitz (1932 – 2017), astronaut piloted Skylab and commanded space shuttle

PHOENIX (AP) — Paul Weitz, a retired NASA astronaut who commanded the first flight of the space shuttle Challenger and also piloted the Skylab in the early 1970s, has died. He was 85.

American Heroes: Astronaut Laurel Clark

She was willing to put her life on the line for medicine, science, and humankind.

John Glenn (1921 - 2016), astronaut and senator

NASA astronaut John Glenn earned everlasting fame when he becamethe first American to orbit the Earth.

Inner Lives of Men Who Walked on the Moon

Edgar D. Mitchell , Commander of Apollo 14 and the sixth man to ever walk on the moon , died on Feb. 4, 2016 at age 85. Born in 1930, he’d been interested in flying since he was a child. He became a Navy pilot before joining the astronaut corps in 1966. Apollo 14 was his only spaceflight.

Edgar Mitchell (1930 - 2016), Apollo 14 astronaut

Edgar Mitchell, Apollo 14 astronaut who was the 6th man to walk on the moon, has died in Florida, according to The Associated Press. He was 85.

Inspired by Sally Ride

Sally Ride, the first American woman in space – and also the youngest American in space – inspired generations of women.

Remembering the Columbia Seven

Ten years ago today, the world witnessed a disaster when the disintegrated on reentry after a successful mission, killing the seven astronauts aboard. It was a shocking tragedy, leaving us to mourn yet another shuttle crew as we did in 1986 after the exploded shortly after lift-off.

Neil Armstrong and NASA: One Giant Leap

First man on the moon Neil Armstrong routinely credited the thousands of scientists, technicians, and others who made his historic flight possible.

Christa McAuliffe: Teacher, Astronaut

On Jan. 28, 1986, teacher Christa McAuliffe nearly became the first civilian in space.