Wally Schirra dies

[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

Mercury 7 astronaut dies at 84

From correspondents in the US
May 04, 2007 02:10am

Article from: Reuters


WALLY Schirra, one of the original US Mercury 7 astronauts, has died at the age of 84, NASA said today.
According to his family, Schirra died of natural causes.
CNN reported that Schirra was in California and had been ill for several weeks, but NASA spokesman James Hartsfield could not confirm that.
Schirra flew on three spaceflights, including a six-orbit Mercury flight in October 1962, a Gemini flight with Thomas Stafford in December 1965 and Apollo 7 in October 1968.

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RIP Wal. You opened up space travel for us. Only two of your original "Mercury 7" left now - John Glenn and Scott Carpenter.

[matt]

Sad news.

RIP Wally, and thanks for aiming high

[Ric]

That's sad, another one of the great pioneers has passed on.

[DougAdams]

Sad news. He always seemed to be a no-nonsense straight shooter when interviewed, but ready to have a joke as well. First head cold in space, too!

[merlin8r]

Terrible news. Just as a bit of trivia, who can tell me how Deke Sleyton and Gordo Cooper passed on? (without Google!) I remember that Virgil I "Gus" Grissom perished in the Apollo 1 fire, and Alan Shepherd passed away just a couple of years ago from Leukemia(?)

[DougAdams]

Deke died of a tumor, I think. Not sure about Gordo - he contracted Parkinson's... natural causes? His ashes went up a couple of weeks ago.

[bkm2304 (Richard Brown)]

I have a book I got when I was 10 (1970) called "the Astronauts" a World Book publication by Pemberton and Broadley. The introduction says "Already, in just over six years, twenty four American Astronauts have orbited the earth 577 times..." . On page 28 it describes the 42 year old "Old Man Schirra" who with Tom Stafford in Gemini 6 and Gemini 7 with Lovell and Borman did the "dance of the twins". It is a great book full of snaps of the early Mercury and especially Gemini guys and ends with the tragedy of Appollo 1.

Does anyone know what happened to Quiet Jim McDivitt?

[Chrissyo (Chris)]

That's really sad news. The only astronaut to fly on all three of the early NASA programs - Mercury, Gemini and Apollo.

Since the start of this year I've been catching the train down to the city for Uni every day from up here on the sunshine coast. To pass the time I've started reading lots of space history books (biographies etc), so I've been catching up on all these characters lately. It's sad to see them go.

Originally Posted by bkm2304

Does anyone know what happened to Quiet Jim McDivitt?

Jim McDivitt died in a T-38 crash didn't he? With Charlie Basset? Or am I thinking of someone else.

[anthony2302749]

Jim MaDivitt is very much alive at this moment. Elliott See die with Charles Bassett when their t-38 crashed at St Louis

[bkm2304 (Richard Brown)]

Originally Posted by anthony2302749

Jim MaDivitt is very much alive at this moment. Elliott See die with Charles Bassett when their t-38 crashed at St Louis

Thanks. The book I refer to has a great pic of him and Ed White in their Gemini 4 gear.
By The Way it was 40 years last january 27 since the Apollo 1 fire.

[Glenn Dawes]

Originally Posted by merlin8r

Terrible news. Just as a bit of trivia, who can tell me how Deke Sleyton and Gordo Cooper passed on? (without Google!) I remember that Virgil I "Gus" Grissom perished in the Apollo 1 fire, and Alan Shepherd passed away just a couple of years ago from Leukemia(?)

Hi, I thought Shepherd died in a motor bike accident?
Glenn

[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

Originally Posted by Glenn Dawes

Hi, I thought Shepherd died in a motor bike accident?
Glenn

From Wikipedia, which I trust a fair bit because content is peer-approved.

Shepard died of leukemia near his home in Pebble Beach, California on July 21, 1998, at age 74, two years after being diagnosed with that disease. His wife of 53 years, the former Louise Brewer, died five weeks afterward.

[Glenn Dawes]

Thanks Omaroo,

You know Wally's passing reminds me of how these guys were heros to me when I was much younger and I, like many of you, have become a bit of an historian of this time. I still remember at the age of 12, listening to the shortwave coverage of the landing of Apollo 11. Even then I appreciated this was the tricky bit and understood Armstrong was running out of fuel!

My son's middle name is Eugene. Many people who know me think this had to be in salute to Shoemaker - the Lunar and crater expert. The name actually came from Eugene Schmitt the last man to walk on the moon. If you, like me, have found Armstrong's "one small step for a man one giant leap for mankind' inspirational, have any of you read Schmitt's last words before he left the surface for the last time?

Bob, this is Gene, and I'm on the surface; and, as I take man's last step from the surface, back home for some time to come - but we believe not too long into the future - I'd like to just (say) what I believe history will record. That America's challenge of today has forged man's destiny of tomorrow. And, as we leave the Moon at Taurus- Littrow, we leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind. "Godspeed the crew of Apollo 17."

You can read the transcripts for all Apollo lunar EVA's on:

http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/Hi...lsj/frame.html

Regards from a somewhat reflective fellow IIS.

Glenn

Originally Posted by Omaroo

From Wikipedia, which I trust a fair bit because content is peer-approved.

[Chrissyo (Chris)]

Originally Posted by Glenn Dawes

Hi, I thought Shepherd died in a motor bike accident?
Glenn

That was Pete Condrad on the motor bike. In 2004 I think?

[bkm2304 (Richard Brown)]

I was at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney today. And whose Gemini space suit does it have? Wally Schirra's! I wonder where we would be if the US had decided to push on with Apollo and other projects rather than cancel them. I remember hearing a NASA boss saying during the Apollo landings that they expected to be on Mars by the mid 80's. Twenty years have passed since that target. I also understand that the plans and expertise to build a Saturn V are so dispersed or lost that it couldn't be done. It reminds me of the Shelley poem about the traveller who comes across the ruin of a great King's statue in the desert. So sure was he of his might and power;

"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains: round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

[anthony2302749]

Originally Posted by Glenn Dawes

The name actually came from Eugene Schmitt the last man to walk on the moon.

Glenn

That would be Eugene Cernan. Harrison (Jack) Schmitt was already back in the LM when Eugene said those word.

Anyway, if I ever get a chance to meet an astronaut it would be Jack Schmitt the only scientist to walk on the moon.

[DougAdams]

Originally Posted by anthony2302749

Anyway, if I ever get a chance to meet an astronaut it would be Jack Schmitt the only scientist to walk on the moon.

Nice choice.

The "only scientist" bit always sat a little uneasily with me. These astronauts were highly trained pilots with degrees, some had doctorates, etc. Engineering, nuclear physics, orbital mechanics, etc. Sure, Jack Schmitt was a geologist, but I think these guys were all scientists to some extent.

[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

I agree. There were more scientists than Schmitt. I think that the "scientist" reference has always been in relation to the geological sciences - i.e. those that might understand, in geological terms, what they were looking for.

One notable scientist was Buzz:

EDUCATION: Aldrin received a Bachelor of Science degree from the U. S. Military Academy in 1951, graduating third in his class. In 1961-1962 he attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he received a Doctorate of Science with the thesis "Guidance for Manned Orbital Rendezvous".

[DougAdams]

Originally Posted by Omaroo

I agree. There were more scientists than Schmitt. I think that the "scientist" reference has always been in relation to the geological sciences - i.e. those that might understand, in geological terms, what they were looking for.

One notable scientist was Buzz:

Has anybody seen Deke's "Moonshot" program? There is a great snippet of Wally describing how he interviewed Buzz when selecting the third astronaut intake. Apparently Buzz was all dressed up with his academia tie-pins, etc. Wally looks at him and says "we can read your resume here, so why are you wearing it?".

[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

Originally Posted by DougAdams

Has anybody seen Deke's "Moonshot" program? There is a great snippet of Wally describing how he interviewed Buzz when selecting the third astronaut intake. Apparently Buzz was all dressed up with his academia tie-pins, etc. Wally looks at him and says "we can read your resume here, so why are you wearing it?".

Buzz really was a bit of a wally....