NASA Astronaut Thomas Stafford Dies at 93

Stafford flew three types of spacecraft, journeyed to the moon, and logged more than 500 hours of spaceflight.

Monday, March 18, 2024 at 04:04 PM ET

Verified

Astronaut Thomas Stafford, Gemini-6 prime crew pilot, is pictured onboard the NASA Motor Vessel Retriever in the Gulf of Mexico during water egress training in August 1965. [Courtesy: NASA]

Key Takeaways:

Thomas P. Stafford, a distinguished astronaut who journeyed to the moon, passed away at 93, celebrated for his courage and pioneering spirit.
He commanded Apollo 10, the second crewed mission to orbit the moon and the first to fly the Apollo Lunar Module in lunar orbit.
Stafford also led the historic Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, the first joint U.S.-Soviet space mission, fostering international cooperation in space.
Beyond his space career, he was a decorated Air Force test pilot, flying over 120 types of aircraft and later commanding Edwards Air Force Base.

See a mistake? Contact us.

Thomas P. Stafford, one of 24 astronauts to journey to the moon, died Monday after a lengthy illness. He was 93.

“Today, [former Air Force] general Tom Stafford went to the eternal heavens, which he so courageously explored as a Gemini and Apollo astronaut as well as a peacemaker in Apollo Soyuz,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Those of us privileged to know him are very sad but grateful we knew a giant.”