XBradTC

We're deeply saddened to learn of the passing of CAPT John W. Young, USN (Ret.) at the age of 87.

John Young may not be the household name that Neil Armstrong or Buzz Aldrin are, but he was for many years one of the most accomplished and influential test pilots and astronauts.

Young joined the Navy after college, did a tour on a destroyer, and was then selected for Naval Aviation, earning his Wings of Gold in 1954. After a routine tour with VF-103, he was selected for the prestigious Navy Test Pilot School.
As a test pilot, Young evaluated both the Vought XF8U-3 and the McDonnell F4H-1. Among other achievments, Young set two time to climb records in the Phantom.

Selected for the second group of US astronauts, Young joined NASA and the Gemini Program in 1962. In 1965, Young flew as pilot of the first manned Gemini mission, Gemini 3, with Guss Grissom as Mission Commander. Young would fly as Mission Commander for Gemini 10, with Michael Collins as his pilot, in 1966.

With the completion of the Gemini Program, Young joined the Apollo Program. In May of 1969, Young flew to the moon aboard Apollo 10 as the Command Module Pilot, orbitng the moon solo while Mission Commander Tom Stafford and Lunar Module Pilot Eugene Cernan orbited in the Lunar Module in the final dress rehearsal for the actual moon landing that would make Armstrong and Aldrin famous.

After a series of crew shuffles, Young would again fly to the moon aboard Apollo 16, this time as Mission Commander. Charlie Duke served as Lunar Module Pilot, with Ken Mattingly as the Command Module Pilot. Young would make three moonwalks during the mission, and set a moon speed record with the lunar rover.

Young very nearly became the Mission Commander for Apollo 17 as well, when Eugene Cernan injured his knee playing softball. Cernan healed soon enough, so Young served instead as Backup Commander for Apollo 17.
1974 saw Young appointed as Chief of the Astronaut Office. At the time, he was deeply involved with the development of the Space Transportation System (STS) better know as the Space Shuttle.

April 12, 1981 would see Young as Mission Commander and Robert Crippen as Pilot take the space shuttle Columbia on her first mission, a 2 day test flight.

Young's six and final spaceflight would be as Mission Commander of STS-9, a 10 day mission with the first Spacelab module.

Young retired from the US Navy as a Captain in 1976, but remained with NASA as Chief of the Astronaut Office until 1987. Young remained with NASA in a variety of roles until his retirement in 2004, making him the longest serving astronaut. Even after retirement, Young, until very recently, continued to consult with NASA, and routinely attended the Monday Morning Meeting at the Astronaut Office in Houston.