Astronaut Profile
R. Walter Cunningham
Lunar Module Pilot
Walter Cunningham flew as Lunar Module Pilot on Apollo 7 despite the mission carrying no Lunar Module at all, testing the Apollo spacecraft systems that every later Moon mission depended on.
OrbitingTruths Archive
Lunar Module Pilot • Deceased
Biography
The person behind the mission
R. Walter Cunningham was a United States Marine Corps pilot and NASA astronaut who flew a single spaceflight, Apollo 7, in 1968. Alongside Wally Schirra and Donn Eisele, Cunningham spent eleven days in Earth orbit putting the redesigned Apollo Command and Service Module through its paces, a mission NASA considered essential before risking a crew on a trip to the Moon. Cunningham later became an outspoken commentator on the space program and wrote a memoir about his NASA career.
Astronaut Details
Born
March 16, 1932
Died
January 3, 2023
Birthplace
Creston, Iowa, USA
Role
Lunar Module Pilot
Program
Apollo
Time in Space
10 days, 20 hours
EVA Time
None
Missions
Apollo 7
Recognition
Awards & Honors
- NASA Distinguished Service Medal
- NASA Exceptional Service Medal
- NASA Space Flight Medal