posted 12-07-2004 07:00 AM               

John Young, 'astronaut's astronaut,' retires

Space pioneer John Young, a man who flew twice to the Moon, walked on its surface and commanded the first Space Shuttle mission, is retiring.

Young's achievements during his 42-year career at NASA are unmatched. He was the first human to fly in space six times and launch seven times, six times from Earth and once from the Moon. He is the only astronaut to pilot four different types of spacecraft, flying in the Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle programs. Young is the longest serving astronaut in history. His retirement from NASA is effective December 31.

posted 12-07-2004 08:52 AM               

The end of an era. Young was the first moonwalker I saw in person (in Edinburgh a few years back) and I was impressed by both his sharpness and his ironic wit. During his talk he was absolutely passionate about the need for manned exploration.

I think it's a shame that a lacklustre agenda at NASA through the 80s and 90s has robbed them of the opportunity of returning to manned flights with first person experience as part of the team.