Moon Mission Crew: Ken Mattingly

Moon Mission: Apollo 16

Role: Command Module Pilot

Brief Bio: Thomas Kenneth Mattingly II was an American aviator, aeronautical engineer, test pilot, rear admiral in the United States Navy, and astronaut who flew on Apollo 16 and Space Shuttle missions STS-4 and STS-51-C. Born on March 17, 1936, in Chicago, Illinois, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering from Auburn University in 1958 and logged 7,200 hours of flight time, including 5,000 hours in jet aircraft.

Did you know: Ken Mattingly, while based at Naval Air Station Sanford, Florida, participated in a mission to take aerial photos of the Gemini 3 launch, which carried his future Apollo 16 Commander John W. Young.

Afterward: After retiring from NASA and the Navy in 1985 and 1986 respectively, Mattingly worked in the private sector, including positions at Grumman, General Dynamics, and Lockheed Martin, and later at Systems Planning and Analysis in Virginia.

Key Statements: "My earliest memories...all had to do with airplanes."