Mr. Young flew twice in Gemini spaceships, commanded the Apollo mission that preceded Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s landing on the lunar surface and later drove a rover vehicle through the moon’s highlands. While brainstorming technical problems in preparation for missions, Mr. Young often displayed an easy and seemingly casual manner. He was enthralled by the challenge and joined NASA in September 1962 as one of nine pilots selected for the Gemini program. In July 1966, Mr. Young commanded Gemini 10, flying with Michael Collins, in the first dual-rendezvous spaceflight. In April 1981, Mr. Young commanded the Columbia space shuttle, with Mr. Crippen as the pilot, in the first flight of a reusable winged spacecraft.

Source: New York Times January 06, 2018 20:07 UTC