A former Jackson, Michigan man who circled the Moon has died.
Al Worden was 88.
"Al was an American hero whose achievements in space and on Earth will never be forgotten,” says NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine.
Worden flew to the moon in 1971 aboard Apollo 15, along with David Scott and Jim Irwin. As command module pilot, Worden remained in lunar orbit while Scott and Irwin descended to the surface with the Apollo program's first moon buggy.
Apollo 15 was Worden’s only spaceflight.
Worden was born February 7, 1932, in Jackson, Michigan. He was appointed to the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating in 1955. He earned Master of Science degrees in astronautical/aeronautical engineering and instrumentation engineering from the University of Michigan in 1963.
In 1971, the University of Michigan awarded him an honorary doctorate of science in astronautical engineering.
Late in life, Al Worden supported efforts to send a manned mission to Mars.
Worden's family announced Wednesday that he died in his sleep in Houston.
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