Obituaries

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Frank Borman, who commanded two early NASA missions including the first to orbit the moon, has died at age 95. In a statement, NASA said Borman died Nov. 7 in Billings, Mont. after a stroke. His death comes a week after fellow Apollo astronaut, Ken Mattingly, died.

Borman was NASA's oldest living astronaut, who was best known for his no-nonsense demeanor and who cared more about beating the Soviet Union in the space race than personal glory.

His discipline and attention to detail are two reasons why NASA selected him to be an astronaut in 1962. He first flew in space in 1965 aboard Gemini 7, a grueling 14-day mission to prove that humans could survive in weightless conditions (in the cramped two-person capsule). Instead of selecting another astronaut with space experience, NASA chose Borman to serve as the mission commander.

NASA administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement Thursday, "In addition to his critical role as commander of the Apollo 8 mission, he is a veteran of Gemini 7, spending 14 days in low-Earth orbit and conducting the first rendezvous in space, coming within a few feet of the Gemini 6 spacecraft."

Apollo astronaut Frank Borman, who first orbited moon, dies at age 95

Frank Borman commanded two early NASA missions including Apollo 8, the first to orbit the moon. He was a no-nonsense astronaut known for his keen attention to detail and duty to country.
www.npr.org

 
Most will know his story, and read the book Mig Pilot.
In the end, he just wanted to be a Farmer.

Viktor Belenko, Soviet Defector Who Hijacked MiG-25 To Japan In 1976, Dies In U.S.

Viktor Belenko, Soviet Defector Who Hijacked MiG-25 To Japan In 1976, Dies In U.S.

Soviet pilot Viktor Belenko, who hijacked a MiG-25 military jet to Japan in September 1976, has died in the United States at the age of 76.
www.rferl.org
 
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