COLONEL JAMES B. IRWIN
Born: March 17, 1930 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Died: August 8, 1991 in Colorado Springs, Colorado
James Irwin (Colonel, U.S. Air Force, Retired)
NASA Astronaut (Deceased)
PERSONAL DATA: Born March 17, 1930, in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Died August 8, 1991 of a heart attack. He is survived
by his wife Mary Ellen and their five children.
EDUCATION: Graduated from East High School,
Salt Lake City, Utah. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Naval Science
from the United States Naval Academy in 1951 and Master of Science degrees in
Aeronautical Engineering and Instrumentation Engineering from the University of
Michigan in 1957. Awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Astronautical Science from
the University of Michigan in 1971, an Honorary Doctorate of Science from
William Jewell College in 1971, and an Honorary Doctorate from Samford
University in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1972.
ORGANIZATIONS: Member of the Air Force
Association and the Society of Experimental Test Pilots.
SPECIAL HONORS: Recipient of the NASA
Distinguished Service Medal, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal and
Command Pilot Astronaut Wings, two Air Force Commendation Medals for service
with the Air Force Systems Command and the Air Defense Command, and an
Outstanding Unit Citation while a member of the 4750th Training Wing; also
awarded the City of New York Gold Medal (1971), the United Nations Peace Medal
in 1971, the City of Chicago Gold Medal (1971), the Air Force Association's
David C. Schilling Trophy (1971), the 1971 Kitty Hawk Memorial Award, the AIAA
Haley Astronautics Award for 1972, the Arnold Air Society's 1972 John F. Kennedy
Trophy, the Robert J. Collier Trophy for 1971, Belgium's Order of Leopold
(1971), and the New York Police Department St. George Association's Golden Rule
Award in 1972, the christian Service Award, and the Milan Hulbert Trophy of SWAP
International (1973).
EXPERIENCE: Irwin, an Air Force Colonel, was
commissioned in the Air Force upon graduation from the Naval Academy in 1951. He
received his flight training at Hondo Air Base and Reese Air Force Base,
Texas.
Prior to reporting for duty at the Manned Spacecraft
Center, he was assigned as Chief of the Advanced Requirements Branch at
Headquarters Air Defense Command. He was graduated from the Air Force Aerospace
Research Pilot School in 1963 and from the Air Force Experimental Test Pilot
School in 1961.
He also served with the F-12 Test Force at Edwards Air
Force Base, California, and with the AIM 47 Project Office at Wright-Patterson
Air Force Base, Ohio.
During his military career, he accumulated more than
7,015 hours flying time, 5,300 hours in jet aircraft.
NASA EXPERIENCE: Colonel Irwin was one of the
19 astronauts selected by NASA in April 1966. He was crew commander of lunar
module (LTA-8)-this vehicle finished the first series of thermal vacuum tests on
June 1, 1968. He also served as a member of the astronaut support crew for
Apollo 10 and as backup lunar module pilot for the Apollo 12 flight.
Irwin served as lunar module pilot for Apollo, July 26 to August 7, 1971. His
companions on the flight were David R. Scott, spacecraft commander and Alfred M.
Worden, command module pilot. Apollo 15 was the fourth manned lunar landing
mission and the first to visit and explore the moon's Hadley Rille and Apennine
Mountains which are located on the southeast edge of the Mare Imbrium (Sea of
Rains). The lunar module, "Falcon", remained on the lunar surface for 66 hours,
54 minutes-setting a new record for lunar surface stay time-and Scott and Irwin
logged 18 hours and 35 minutes each in extravehicular activities conducted
during three separate excursions onto the lunar surface. Using "Rover-l" to
transport themselves and their equipment along portions of Hadley Rille and the
Apinnine Mountains, Scott and Irwin performed a selenological inspection and
survey of the area and collected approximately 180 pounds of lunar surface
materials. They deployed an ALSEP package which involved the emplacement and
activation of surface experiments, and their lunar surface activities were
televised in color using a TV camera which was operated remotely by ground
controllers stationed in the mission control center located at Houston, Texas.
Other Apollo 15 achievements included: largest payloads ever placed in earth and
lunar orbits; first scientific instrument module bay flown and operated on an
Apollo spacecraft; longest distance traversed on lunar surface; first use of a
lunar surface navigation device, mounted on Rover 1; first subsatellite launched
in lunar orbit; and first extravehicular activity (EVA) from a command module
during transearth coast. The latter feat was accomplished by Worden during three
excursions to "Endeavour's" SIM bay where he retrieved film cassettes
from the panoramic and mapping cameras and reported his personal observations of
the general condition of equipment housed there.
Apollo 15 concluded with a Pacific splashdown and
subsequent recovery by the USS OKINAWA.
In completing his first flight, Irwin logged 295 hours
and 11 minutes in space - 19 hours and 46 minutes of which were in EVA.
Colonel Irwin resigned from NASA and the Air Force in
July 1972, to form a religious organization, High Flight Foundation, in Colorado
Springs, Colorado. He is Chairman of the Board.
COLONEL ALFRED M. WORDEN
Born: February 7, 1932 in Jackson, Michigan
Alfred Merrill Worden
NASA Astronaut (Former)
PERSONAL DATA: The son of Merrill and Helen Worden, he was born in
Jackson, Michigan, on February 7, 1932. Married to Jill Lee Worden (Hotchkiss).
Three children. Recreational interests include bowling, water skiing, golf and
racquet ball.
EDUCATION: Attended Dibble, Griswold, Bloomfield and East Jackson
grade schools and completed his secondary education at Jackson High School:
Received a bachelor of military science degree from the United States Military
Academy at West Point, New York, in 1955 and master of science degrees in
Astronautical/Aeronautical Engineering and Instrumentation Engineering from the
University of Michigan in 1963. Received honorary doctorate of science in
Astronautical Engineering from University of Michigan in 1971.
EXPERIENCE: Worden was graduated from the United States Military
Academy in June 1955 and, after being commissioned in the Air Force, received
flight training at Moore Air Base, Texas; Laredo air Force Base, Texas; and
Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida.
Prior to his arrival for duty at the Johnson Space Center, he served as an
instructor at the Aerospace Research Pilots School-- from which he graduated in
September 1965. He is also a February 1965 graduate of the Empire Test Pilots
School in Farnborough, England.
He attended Randolph Air Force Base Instrument Pilots Instructor School in
1963 and served as a pilot and armament officer from March 1957 to May 1961 with
the 95th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland.
He has logged more than 4,000 hours flying time--which includes 2,500 hours
in jets.
NASA EXPERIENCE: Worden was one of the 19 astronauts selected by
NASA in April 1966. He served as a member of the astronaut support crew for the
Apollo 9 flight and as backup command module pilot for the Apollo 12 flight.
Worden served as command module pilot for Apollo 15, July 26 - August 7,
1971. His companions on the flight were David R. Scott, spacecraft commander,
and James B. Irwin, lunar module commander. Apollo 15 was the fourth manned
lunar landing mission and the first to visit and explore the moon's Hadley Rille
and Apennene Mountains which are located on the southeast edge of the Mare
Imbrium (Sea of Rains). Apollo 15 achievements include: Largest payloads placed
in earth and lunar orbits; first scientific instrument module bay flown and
operated on an Apollo spacecraft; longest lunar surface stay time (the lunar
module, "Falcon," remained on ground for 66 hours and 54 minutes); longest lunar
surface EVA (Scott and Irwin logged 18 hours and 35 minutes each during three
excursions onto the lunar surface); longest distance traversed on lunar surface;
first use of lunar roving vehicle; first use of a lunar surface navigation
device (mounted on Rover-1); first subsatellite launched in lunar orbit; and
first EVA from a command module during transearth coast.
Scott and Irwin collected approximately 171 pounds of lunar surface materials
on their three expeditions onto the lunar surface; and Worden logged 38 minutes
in extravehicular activity outside the command module, "Endeavour." In
completing his three excursions to "Endeavour's" scientific instrument module
bay, Worden retrieved film cassettes from the panoramic and mapping cameras and
reported his personal observations of the general condition of equipment housed
there. Apollo 15 concluded with a Pacific splashdown and subsequent recovery by
the USS OKINAWA. In completing his space flight, Worden logged 295 hours and 11
minutes in space.
During 1972-1973, Worden was Senior Aerospace Scientist at the NASA Ames
Research Center, and from 1973 to 1975, he was chief of the Systems Study
Division at Ames.
After retirement from active duty in 1975, Worden became President of Maris
Worden Aerospace, Inc., and is currently Staff Vice-President of BG Goodrich
Aerospace Brecksville, Ohio.
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