Astronaut Walter Cunningham made history in the astronaut field. He was the crew member of the first manned Apollo-7 mission in 1968.
He died in the hospital in Houston from natural causes.
An astronaut, fighter pilot, physicist, entrepreneur, and venture capitalist. He was the last surviving member of the Apollo -7.
Cunningham graduated from Venice High School in Los Angeles, California in 1950 and studied at Santa Monica College.
He joined the U.S. Navy in 1951 and served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1953 to 1956.
From 1956 to 1975 he served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve.
He resumed his duty and began his studies for a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1958. M.A. degree in 1961 in Physics. Doctor of Philosophy degree in Physics at UCLA.
Walter Cunningham NASA Career
He was admitted to NASA’s first manned mission Apollo 7 in 1963. Cunningham joined the crew as the Lunar Module Pilot of Apollo-7, which launched on Oct 11, 1968.
It was the first lunar mission that broadcasted live. It received an Emmy award in the form of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Special Trustee Award.
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Other Ventures
Walter Cunningham is a man of talent, after his retirement, he joins some ventures with Century Development Corp, Hydrotech Development Company, and 3D International.
He was also a keynote speaker and radio talk show host.
Apart from this he always denied that humans caused climate change.
Walter Cunningham Awards and Accolades
Walter’s intelligence and intellect were decorated with so many awards –
- NASA Exceptional Service Medal
- NASA Distinguished Service Medal
- Astronaut Hall of Fame
- International Space Hall of Fame
- Iowa Aviation Hall of Fame
- San Diego Air and Space Museum Hall of Fame
- Houston Hall of Fame
Condolence and Tribute from All over the World
“We would like to express our immense pride in the life that he lived, and our deep gratitude for the man that he was – a patriot, an explorer, pilot, astronaut, husband, brother, and father.” Said the Cunningham family.
Today we mourn the passing of Walt Cunningham: U.S. Marine, patriot, and Apollo astronaut.
Cunningham spent 11 days in low-Earth orbit during Apollo 7, the first crewed Apollo flight, and was instrumental to our Moon landing's program success: https://t.co/VrXhOwQwYd pic.twitter.com/8uquEjdxM7
— NASA (@NASA) January 3, 2023