During the 1971 Apollo 15 lunar mission, Alfred Worden orbited the Moon 74 times while serving as the command module pilot. Throughout this mission, he achieved the status of the human who traveled the farthest from any other person in history, a record maintained by his solo navigation of the Endeavour module.
Military and Test Pilot Background
Born in 1932 in Jackson, Michigan, Worden graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1955. Following his commission into the United States Air Force, he received flight training at Moore and Laredo Air Force bases. He later served as a pilot at Andrews Air Force Base flying F-86D and F-102 aircraft. His technical expertise expanded through postgraduate studies at the University of Michigan, where he earned two Master of Science degrees in 1963. He further refined his skills at the Empire Test Pilots' School in Britain and the Aerospace Research Pilot School in California.
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Selected as a Group 5 astronaut by NASA in 1966, Worden served on the support crew for Apollo 9 and the backup crew for Apollo 12. During the 1971 Apollo 15 mission, he performed scientific experiments and captured photographic data while his crewmates descended to the lunar surface. On the return trajectory to Earth, he conducted the first deep space extravehicular activity to retrieve film cassettes from the exterior of the spacecraft.
Post-NASA Career and Legacy
Following the Apollo 15 mission, Worden remained with NASA at the Ames Research Center until 1975. After transitioning to the private sector, he focused on business interests and served as chair of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation board from 2005 to 2011. He received numerous honors, including the NASA Distinguished Service Medal and the United Nations Peace Medal in 1971. He was inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame in 1983. Worden died in 2020 in Sugar Land and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Fast facts
- Born: 1932, Jackson, Michigan
- Died: 2020, Sugar Land, Texas
- Military Rank: Corporal
- Mission: Apollo 15 command module pilot
- Education: United States Military Academy, University of Michigan
- Inducted: International Space Hall of Fame, 1983
- Burial Site: Arlington National Cemetery
Questions readers ask
What record did Alfred Worden hold?
He is the human who traveled the farthest from any other person while solo in the command module during Apollo 15.
Did Alfred Worden walk on the moon?
No. He remained in lunar orbit as the command module pilot while his crewmates landed on the surface.
Achievements
- United States Astronaut Hall of Fame
- International Space Hall of Fame — 1983
- Affiliated with National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Educated at University of Michigan, U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School and United States Military Academy
- Worked as military officer, astronaut and aircraft pilot
