Astronaut Profile
John Young
Pilot
John Young flew on Gemini 3 and 10, commanded Apollo 16 to the Moon, and later commanded the very first Space Shuttle flight, becoming the only astronaut to fly Gemini, Apollo, and the Shuttle.
OrbitingTruths Archive
Pilot • Deceased
Biography
The person behind the mission
John Young was a U.S. Navy test pilot who flew six spaceflights across three different NASA programs, an unmatched career among American astronauts. He piloted Gemini 3, NASA's first crewed Gemini flight, alongside Gus Grissom, and commanded Gemini 10 in 1966. Young flew to the Moon twice, first as Command Module Pilot on Apollo 10 and then as commander of Apollo 16, becoming the ninth person to walk on the lunar surface. In 1981, he commanded STS-1, the first flight of the Space Shuttle program, and later commanded STS-9 as well.
Astronaut Details
Born
September 24, 1930
Died
January 5, 2018
Birthplace
San Francisco, California, USA
Role
Pilot
Program
Gemini
Time in Space
34 days, 19 hours, 39 minutes
EVA Time
20 hours, 14 minutes
Missions
Gemini 3, Gemini 10, Apollo 10, Apollo 16, STS-1, STS-9
Recognition
Awards & Honors
- Congressional Space Medal of Honor
- NASA Distinguished Service Medal (multiple)
- Presidential Medal of Freedom