Ken Mattingly, a NASA astronaut, passed away on October 31 in Arlington, Va. at the age of 87. Mattingly, who was originally scheduled to be a part of the Apollo 13 mission before being exposed to measles, went on to play a crucial role in devising a plan to safely bring the crew back to Earth after an explosion occurred onboard the spacecraft. His death was confirmed by a NASA spokeswoman, but no additional information was provided.
In 1970, Mattingly received the news that Jack Swigert was replacing him as the command module pilot. He initially thought it was a practical joke, but soon realized it was true. Mattingly had been exposed to German measles by Charles Duke, which meant that he lacked immunity to the disease and posed a potential risk in space. As a result, he was left on the ground while Swigert, James Lovell, and Fred Haise embarked on the mission.
During the mission, an explosion caused power and oxygen to be lost in the command module. Over the next four days, Mattingly worked with NASA staff to develop plans to bring the crew back safely. This included testing a plan for the astronauts to retreat to the lunar module before returning to the command module to land.
Mattingly’s contributions were praised by his colleagues and NASA. He was credited with providing key decisions that helped bring the crew of Apollo 13 back home. Two years later, he served as the command module pilot of Apollo 16, NASA’s second-to-last moon mission. He conducted experiments and took photographs while his fellow astronauts explored the moon. On the way back to Earth, Mattingly also conducted a spacewalk to collect film canisters and other materials, during which he found his lost wedding ring.
Born on March 17, 1936, in Chicago, Mattingly grew up in Hialeah, Fla. He studied aeronautical engineering at Auburn University and joined the Navy in 1958. In 1966, he was selected as one of NASA’s fifth class of space explorers. After retiring from NASA, Mattingly worked in the private sector for aerospace companies.
He is survived by his wife, Kathleen Ruemmele Mattingly, and his son, Thomas K. Mattingly III. Despite being scrubbed from the Apollo 13 mission, Mattingly’s contributions and dedication to the space program will always be remembered.