NATIONWIDE — Legendary NASA Flight Director Glynn Lunney, who oversaw the historic Apollo 11 moon landing mission, died at age 84.
What You Need To Know
- He was also flight director of Apollo 7 mission
- He was called “key leader” of NASA’s human spaceflight operations
NASA announced Lunney’s death, who died on Friday.
In addition to being the flight director for the moon landing, he was also the lead flight director for the Apollo 7 mission, which was the first crewed Apollo flight, and the Apollo 10 mission, which was the dress rehearsal for the first moon landing, NASA stated.
“Throughout his career, he was a key leader of NASA human spaceflight operations, beginning as a member of the original Space Task Group at NASA’s Langley Research Center established shortly after NASA was formed to manage America’s efforts to put humans into space. After moving to Houston, the task group eventually became the Manned Spacecraft Center, now NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center,” NASA stated in a news release.
Today we mourn the passing of legendary NASA Flight Director Glynn Lunney. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his leadership in bringing the Apollo 13 crew safely home after an explosion in space. More on his legacy: https://t.co/hTujZF1QIA pic.twitter.com/ocW7X90Lny
— NASA (@NASA) March 20, 2021
Mark Geyer, the space center’s director, said that Lunney, who was born in 1936 in Old Forge, Pa., was the right person for the right time.
“Glynn was the right person for the right time in history. His unique leadership and remarkably quick intellect were critical to the success of some of the most iconic accomplishments in human space flight,” he said. “Although he retired from the agency many years ago, he is forever a member of the NASA family.”
Before retiring from NASA in 1985, he worked as the Space Shuttle program manager, and other programs like Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Skylab.
NASA did not state what he died of.