NATIONWIDE – Legendary NASA Flight Director Glynn Lunney, who oversaw the historic Apollo 11 lunar landing mission, died at the age of 84.
What you need to know
- He was also flight director for the Apollo 7 mission
- He has been called the “key leader” of NASA’s manned space flight operations
NASA announced the death of Lunney, who died Friday.
In addition to being the flight director for the moon landing, he was also the chief flight director of the Apollo 7 mission, the first manned Apollo flight, and the Apollo 10 mission, the dress rehearsal for the first moon landing. NASA explained.
Throughout his career, he was a key leader of NASA manned space flight operations, starting as a member of the original Space Task Group at NASA’s Langley Research Center, founded shortly after NASA was founded to manage America’s efforts to bring humans into space. After moving to Houston, the task force eventually became the Manned Spacecraft Center, now NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, ”said NASA in a press release.
Today we mourn the death of legendary NASA Flight Director Glynn Lunney. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his leadership in bringing the Apollo 13 crew safely home after an explosion in space. More about his legacy: https://t.co/hTujZF1QIA pic.twitter.com/ocW7X90Lny
– NASA (@NASA) March 20, 2021
Mark Geyer, the space center director, said Lunney, born in 1936 in Old Forge, Pennsylvania, was the right person for the right time.
Glynn was the right person for the right time in history. His unique leadership and remarkably fast intellect were critical to the success of some of the most iconic achievements in human spaceflight, ”he said. “Although he retired from the agency many years ago, he is a member of the NASA family forever.”
Before retiring from NASA in 1985, he worked as a program manager for the Space Shuttle and other programs such as Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and Skylab.
NASA has not stated what caused him to die.