COLONELALFRED 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.
|