Edgar Mitchell, the 6th Man to Walk on the Moon, Dies

Astronaut Edgar Mitchell

This is sad. Only 12 men have set foot on the moon and Edgar was the 6th. As Apollo 14’s Lunar Module pilot, his main job was to transport himself and fellow astronaut Alan Shepard to the moon’s surface and back to the Command Module safely. He easily did so. Apollo 14 was an especially tense trip after the near disaster of Apollo 13.

 

Edgar Mitchell on the Moon

A few years ago I was invited by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center to do the ribbon cutting for the opening of CSI: The Experience at the Space Museum in Huntsville, AL—my hometown. Marshall is very engaged in developing new and improved forensic science techniques and equipment.

It was a very special experience, particularly for a boy who grew up with Von Braun’s rocket boosters periodically shaking the ground and building rockets in my backyard. At the reception, which was held at the Davidson Center For Space Exploration, I met Edgar. He was an intelligent and witty man. So long, Edgar, you are a national hero.

 

Space Museum Huntsville, AL

Davidson Center for Space Exploration