Moon Walker #8: James Irwin

Moon Mission: Apollo 15

Role: Lunar Module Pilot

Brief Bio: James Benson Irwin was an American astronaut, aeronautical engineer, test pilot, and United States Air Force pilot, born on March 17, 1930, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He served as Lunar Module pilot for Apollo 15, becoming the eighth person to walk on the Moon, and passed away on August 8, 1991.

Did you know: While training a student pilot in 1961, James Irwin survived a plane crash that resulted in compound fractures, amnesia, and nearly losing a leg, but was saved from amputation by U.S. Air Force orthopedic surgeon John Forrest.

Afterward: After retiring from NASA and the Air Force in 1972, Irwin founded the High Flight Foundation and led expeditions to Mount Ararat in search of Noah's Ark, spending 20 years as a "Goodwill Ambassador for the Prince of Peace."

Key Statements: "I felt the power of God as I'd never felt it before."