QuoteApollo astronaut Thomas Kenneth Mattingly II, known for helping the crew of Apollo 13 safely return to Earth after an explosion doomed their lunar mission, has died at the age of 87, NASA announced.
Starting his career with the US Navy, Mattingly, who went by Ken and TK, eventually joined the Air Force Aerospace Research Pilot School as a student, before being chosen by NASA to be part of the astronaut class in 1966, according to the statement.
"Perhaps his most dramatic role at NASA was after exposure to rubella just before the launch of Apollo 13," Nelson said. "He stayed behind and provided key real-time decisions to successfully bring home the wounded spacecraft and the crew of Apollo 13 – NASA astronauts James Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise."
Actor Gary Sinise portrayed Mattingly in the movie "Apollo 13."
https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/03/us/ken-mattingly-death-apollo-astronaut-scn/index.html
Sad to hear. RIP, hero.
Fair Winds and Following Seas. RIP.
RIP
RIP