Thomas Kenneth Mattingly II, known for helping the crew of Apollo 13 safely return to Earth after an explosion doomed their lunar mission, has died at the age of 87, NASA announced.
"Mattingly was key to the success of our Apollo Program, and his shining personality will ensure he is remembered throughout history," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement, calling Mattingly "one of our country's heroes."Born in Chicago on March 17, 1936, Mattingly would go on to graduate high school in Miami and earn a degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Auburn University in 1958, according to his NASA biography.
"Perhaps his most dramatic role at NASA was after exposure to rubella just before the launch of Apollo 13," Nelson said. "He stayed behind and provided key real-time decisions to successfully bring home the wounded spacecraft and the crew of Apollo 13 - NASA astronauts James Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise."Sinise called it an "honor" to play Mattingly in a post on X earlier this year to mark the 53rd anniversary of the Apollo 13 mission.
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