Walter Cunningham, the last surviving Apollo 7 astronaut, has died at the age of 90, the BBC reported. Apollo 7 was an 11-day manned mission in 1968 that tested its ability to dock and rendezvous in space. But the team also won an Emmy Award for their broadcast.
It paved the way for the Apollo 11 moon landing less than a year later.
NASA confirmed Cunningham’s death and said he was instrumental in the success of the Moon landing program. A family representative noted that Cunningham died of natural causes.
“WORLD LOSE ONE MORE REAL HERO”
In a statement shared by Nasa, the Cunningham family said, “We want to express our immense pride in the life he lived and our deep gratitude for being a patriot, explorer, pilot, astronaut, husband, brother and father. The world has lost another true hero and he is so very much loved. We will miss you.” said.
Cunningham was born in Creston, Iowa and earned a master’s degree in physics from the University of California, Los Angeles. While working as a civilian at the time, he was one of three astronauts selected for the first manned spaceflight in the Apollo program.
As the lunar module pilot for Apollo 7, he was accompanied by Walter Schirra and Donn Eisele.
He had previously served in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps and had flown 54 missions in a fighter plane over Korea, retiring at the rank of colonel.