spacetoday.net: Wally Schirra passes away

Posted: Thu, May 3, 2007, 8:40 PM ET (0040 GMT)
Schirra, Walter (NASA)

Walter "Wally" Schirra, a member of the original group of NASA astronauts and the only one to fly on Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions, passed away Thursday at the age of 84. Schirra suffered a heart attack in La Jolla, California; he had been hospitalized suffering from cancer. Schirra, a naval aviator, was one of the "Mercury Seven", the original group of NASA astronauts selected in 1959. Schirra flew on the Mercury MA-8 mission in 1962, Gemini 6 in 1965, and Apollo 7 in 1968. Schirra retired from NASA in 1969 and went on to serve as a TV commentator for the Apollo lunar landings, as well as pursue a business career. With his death only two of the original Mercury 7 — Scott Carpenter and John Glenn — are still alive.