Ken Mattingly

American aviator, aeronautical engineer, test pilot, rear admiral in the United States Navy, and astronaut who flew on Apollo 16 and Space Shuttle STS-4 and STS-51-C missions. Mattingly served as command module pilot on Apollo 16 which orbited the moon in 1972, and commanded two Space Shuttle missions during the 1980s. He was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame on 4 October 1997.

Born in Chicago, Mattingly grew up in Florida and graduated from Miami Edison High School in Miami. He earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Aeronautical Engineering at Auburn University in 1958 after which he began his Naval career. He received his wings in 1960 and served aboard two aircraft carriers from 1960-1965.

Originally scheduled to pilot Apollo 13, Mattingly had to be removed from flight status 72 hours before launch due to exposure to German measles. During his career with NASA, he served as the astronaut representative in development and testing of the Apollo spacesuit and backpack. He resigned in 1985, concurrently retiring from the Navy as a Captain, and took a position at Grumman’s Space Station. He later joined Lockheed Martin.

Ken Mattingly was married and had one grown son. He died on 31 October 2023 at the age of 87 in Arlington, Virginia.