Alfred Worden

Alfred Worden was a pilot who flew to the Moon.

He grew up on a farm in Michigan. He worked hard to study and learn to fly. He even became a pilot for the Air Force.

In 1971, he went on a big trip to the Moon. He flew in a ship called Endeavour. He went around the Moon 74 times.

While his friends landed on the Moon, he stayed in the ship. He was alone for three days. He was very far from other people.

He also took many pictures of the Moon. He even went for a walk in space. He did this to get film from a camera.

He loved to talk about space and science. He was a brave man who reached for the stars.

Alfred Worden was an American pilot and astronaut.

He grew up on a farm in Michigan. He wanted to learn more about the world. He studied at West Point in New York. Later, he became a test pilot for the Air Force.

He even earned two degrees in engineering.

In 1971, Worden flew to the Moon. He was part of the Apollo 15 mission. He flew in a ship called Endeavour. His crew went to the Moon's surface. Worden stayed in the ship to orbit the Moon. He orbited the Moon 74 times.

He was alone in the ship for three days. This made him the person farthest from other humans.

Worden also did a spacewalk. This is called an EVA. An EVA is a walk outside a spacecraft.

He did this to get film from a camera. This was the first deep-space EVA in history. He also used tools to study the Moon. After his flight, he helped many students learn about science.

Alfred Merrill Worden was a brave American pilot and a NASA astronaut.

He was born on February 7, 1932, in Michigan. As a boy, he lived on a family farm outside of Jackson. He wanted a life beyond the farm, so he worked hard to study. He attended the University of Michigan for one year. Then, he went to the United States Military Academy at West Point in New York. He graduated from West Point in 1955 with a degree in military science.

Worden became a pilot for the United States Air Force. He learned to fly many different types of planes. He flew trainer aircraft and jet planes like the F-86D Sabre. He also became a test pilot, which means he flew planes to see how they worked. He even earned two master's degrees in engineering from the University of Michigan.

In 1966, NASA chose him to be part of their fifth group of astronauts. He worked hard to prepare for the big job of traveling into space.

In 1971, Worden flew on the Apollo 15 mission to the Moon.

He was the command module pilot. This means he was in charge of the main ship called Endeavour. His crewmates, David Scott and James Irwin, went down to the Moon's surface. Worden stayed in the ship to orbit the Moon 74 times. While his friends were on the ground, Worden was alone in the ship for three days. This made him the human who traveled the farthest from any other person.

Worden did many important jobs while he was in space. He used scientific tools to study the Moon and took many photos. During the trip back to Earth, he did something very special. He performed an extravehicular activity, or EVA. An EVA is a spacewalk where an astronaut goes outside the ship.

This was the first deep-space EVA in history. He did this to get film from cameras on the outside of the ship. It was the farthest spacewalk ever done from Earth.

After his space flight, Worden worked at NASA until 1975. He also spent time helping the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation.

He liked to talk to the public about science and space. He wanted more people to learn about the stars and go on new missions. Worden lived a long and interesting life. He passed away on March 18, 2020. He will always be remembered as a man who reached for the Moon.

Alfred Merrill Worden was an American test pilot, engineer, and NASA astronaut.

He is most famous for his role in the Apollo 15 lunar mission in 1971. During this mission, he served as the command module pilot. This means he was responsible for operating the main spacecraft, named Endeavour. Worden was one of only 24 people to have ever flown to the Moon. His work helped humans understand the Moon through science and photography.

Worden's journey began far from the stars on a family farm in Michigan. Born on February 7, 1932, he was the second of six children. He attended several grade schools before graduating from Jackson High School. Worden wanted a life beyond farming, so he sought a scholarship to the University of Michigan. He eventually attended the United States Military Academy at West Point in New York. He graduated in 1955 with a Bachelor of Science degree in military science. He finished 47th in a class of 470 students.

After West Point, Worden joined the United States Air Force. He started with no previous piloting experience. He underwent primary flight training in Texas on Beechcraft T-34 trainer aircraft. He later advanced to Lockheed T-33 jet trainers and F-86D Sabres. Worden became a highly skilled test pilot. He even earned two Master of Science degrees in aerospace engineering and instrumentation engineering. In 1965, he graduated from the Aerospace Research Pilot School. This training prepared him for the complex demands of spaceflight.

NASA selected Worden in April 1966 as part of Astronaut Group 5.

He was one of 19 candidates chosen for this group. Before his main mission, he served in several important support roles. He was part of the support crew for Apollo 9. He also served as the backup command module pilot for Apollo 12. During his time as a backup, he trained closely with Dick Gordon. They practiced navigational techniques to ensure they could return home if communications failed.

In 1971, Worden flew the Apollo 15 mission to the Moon. His crew included commander David Scott and lunar module pilot James Irwin.

Once the spacecraft reached lunar orbit, Scott and Irwin left in the lunar module to land on the Moon. Worden remained alone in the command module, Endeavour, for three days. During this time, he orbited the Moon 74 times. This made him the individual who traveled the farthest from any other human being. This record remains a unique distinction in human history.

While orbiting, Worden operated many scientific instruments to probe the Moon. He also took many detailed photographs of the lunar surface. During the return flight to Earth, Worden performed a historic extravehicular activity, or EVA. An EVA is a spacewalk where an astronaut exits the spacecraft.

He performed this task to retrieve film cassettes from cameras on the exterior of the ship. This was the first "deep space" EVA in history. It also remains the farthest spacewalk ever performed from Earth.

After his mission, Worden worked at NASA's Ames Research Center until 1975. He later entered the private business sector. He remained very active in the scientific community. From 2005 to 2011, he served as the chair of the board for the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. Worden spent much of his later life making public appearances. He used these opportunities to promote science education and a renewed space program.

He passed away on March 18, 2020, leaving a legacy of exploration.