NASA Astronaut Group 5

NASA's Astronaut Group 5 (the 'Original 19') selected by NASA in April 1966. Of the six Lunar Module Pilots that walked on the Moon, three came from Group 5. The group as a whole is roughly split between the half who flew to the Moon (nine in all) and the other half who flew Skylab and Shuttle, providing the core of Shuttle Commanders early in that program. This group is also distinctive in being the only time when NASA hired a person into the astronaut corps who had already earned astronaut wings, X-15 pilot Joe Engle. John Young labelled the group the "Original Nineteen" in parody of the original seven Mercury astronauts.

  • Vance D. Brand, ex-USMC, (4 flights)
Skylab Rescue — never flown
Apollo-Soyuz Test Project — July 1975 — Command Module Pilot — First joint U.S./U.S.S.R. mission
STS-5 Columbia — November 1982 — Commander — SBS-C and Anik C-3 satellite deployment mission
STS-41-B Challenger — February 1984 — Commander — Westar 6 and Palapa B2 satellite deployment mission, first untethered spacewalk
STS-35 Columbia — December 1990 — Commander — ASTRO-1 mission
  • John S. Bull, USN (1934-2008)
Resigned from the astronaut corps after learning that he was suffering from pulmonary disease.
  • Gerald P. Carr, USMC, (1 flight)
Skylab 4 — November 1973–February 1974 — Commander — Third crew of the Skylab space station
  • Charles M. Duke, Jr, USAF, (1 flight)
Apollo 16 — April 1972 — Lunar Module Pilot — Fifth manned lunar landing; tenth person to walk on the moon
Also CAPCOM during landing of Apollo 11
  • Joseph H. Engle, USAF, (2 flights + ALT)
ALT Enterprise — February through October 1977 - Commander
STS-2 Columbia — November 1981 — Commander — Remote Manipulator System testing
STS-51-I Discovery — August 1985 — Commander — AUSSAT-I, ASC-I, and Syncom IV-4 satellite deployment; Syncom IV-3 repair mission
Was replaced as the Lunar Module Pilot for Apollo 17 by geologist Harrison Schmitt after Apollo 18 had been canceled.
Engle was the only shuttle pilot who had prior hypersonic flight experience, having earned his astronaut wings flying the X-15 rocket plane.
  • Ronald E. Evans, Jr, USN, (1 flight) (1933-1990)
Apollo 17 — December 1972 — Command Module Pilot — Last manned lunar landing
  • Edward G. Givens, Jr, USAF (1930-1967)
Killed in automobile accident in 1967 after serving on the Apollo 7 support crew.
  • Fred W. Haise, Jr, ex-USMC, (1 flight + ALT)
Apollo 13 — April 1970 — Lunar Module Pilot — Aborted lunar landing; would have been the sixth person to walk on the moon
Slated to land as Commander of Apollo 19
ALT Enterprise — February through October 1977 - Commander
Was to command the original STS-2 flight to rescue Skylab in 1979.
  • James B. Irwin, USAF, (1 flight) (1930-1991)
Apollo 15 — July 1971 — Lunar Module Pilot — Fourth manned lunar landing; eighth person to walk on the moon
  • Don L. Lind, ex-USN, (1 flight)
Skylab Rescue — never flown
STS-51-B Challenger — April 1985 — Payload Commander — Spacelab mission
His first mission in 1985 came 19 years after being selected as an astronaut, longer than any other American astronaut.
  • Jack R. Lousma, USMC, (2 flights)
Skylab 3 — July–September 1973 — Pilot — Second crew of the Skylab space station
STS-3 Columbia — March 1982 — Commander — Research and development flight
  • T. Kenneth Mattingly, II, USN, (3 flights)
Apollo 16 — April 1972 — Command Module Pilot — Fifth manned lunar landing
STS-4 Columbia — June 1982 — Commander — Final research and development flight, first classified United States Department of Defense payload
STS-51-C Discovery — January 1985 — Commander — First classified United States Department of Defense mission; deployed USA-8 (Magnum 1)
Was the original Command Module Pilot for Apollo 13, but was grounded due to exposure to rubella, which he was not immune to.
  • Bruce McCandless II, USN, (2 flights)
STS-41-B Challenger — February 1984 — Mission Specialist — Westar 6 and Palapa B2 satellite deployment mission; McCandless conducted the first untethered EVA
STS-31 Discovery — April 1990 — Mission Specialist — Hubble Space Telescope deployment mission
  • Edgar D. Mitchell, USN, (1 flight)
Apollo 14 — January 1971 — Lunar Module Pilot — Third manned lunar landing; sixth person to walk on the moon
  • William R. Pogue, USAF, (1 flight)
Skylab 4 — November 1973–February 1974 — Pilot — Third crew of the Skylab space station
  • Stuart A. Roosa, USAF, (1 flight) (1933-1994)
Apollo 14 — January 1971 — Command Module Pilot — Third manned lunar landing
  • John L. Swigert, Jr, ex-USAF, (1 flight) (1931-1982)
Apollo 13 — April 1970 — Command Module Pilot — Aborted lunar landing
Intended as Command Module Pilot on Apollo-Soyuz Test Project but was replaced by Vance Brand because of the Apollo 15 postage stamp incident
  • Paul J. Weitz, USN, (2 flights)
Skylab 2 — May–June 1973 — Pilot — First crew of the Skylab space station
STS-6 Challenger — April 1983 — Commander — Maiden flight of Challenger, TDRS A satellite deployment mission
  • Alfred M. Worden, USAF, (1 flight)
Apollo 15 — July 1971 — Command Module Pilot — Fourth manned lunar landing

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