Walter Cunningham, Pilot of First Crewed Apollo Mission, Dead at 90

Walter Cunningham, a NASA astronaut that served as part of the Apollo 7 mission, died Tuesday morning. A veteran of the United States Navy and Marine Corps, Cunningham piloted Apollo 7, the first crewed mission of the program that would later send Americans to the Moon for the first time. He was 90.

NASA announced the news alongside a video it shared featuring clips of the late astronaut. “Walt Cunningham was a fighter pilot, physicist, and an entrepreneur – but, above all, he was an explorer. On Apollo 7, the first launch of a crewed Apollo mission, Walt and his crewmates made history, paving the way for the Artemis Generation we see today,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson added in a press release. “NASA will always remember his contributions to our nation’s space program and sends our condolences to the Cunningham family.”

After flying 54 missions in Korea, Cunningham retired with the rank of colonel. He then worked as a scientist in the private sector before being selected as a member of NASA’s third astronaut class in 1964.

“On behalf of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, we are beholden to Walt’s service to our nation and dedication to the advancement of human space exploration,” added Vanessa Wyche, center director. “Walt’s accomplished legacy will continue to serve as an inspiration to us all.”

Prior to Apollo 7, Cunningham was set to join the Apollo 2 before its cancellation and was listed as a backup lunar module pilot for Apollo 1. In total, Cunninham piloted Apollo 7 for its 11-day flight in space. Alongside his colleagues Walter Schirra, Jr. and Donn Eisele, the trio completed manuevers that tested docking and lunar orbit capabilities needed to ensure a safe descent to the Moon’s surface.

Cunningham then retired from NASA in 1971 and served worked an extensive career in the technical and financial private sectors.