Moon Mission: Apollo 16
Role: Commander
Brief Bio: John Watts Young was an American astronaut, naval officer, and aviator, born on September 24, 1930, who became the ninth person to walk on the Moon as commander of Apollo 16. He flew on six space missions, including Gemini, Apollo, and the Space Shuttle, making him one of NASA's most experienced astronauts.
Did you know: During his time on the Moon during the Apollo 16 mission, John Young tripped over cables to the heat flow sensors, which irreparably broke the sensors' communication link with Earth.
Afterward: Young continued working at NASA until his retirement in 2004, contributing to the Space Shuttle program and other initiatives; he passed away on January 5, 2018.
Key Statements: "The Moon is a very nice place. When we landed, we were 20 minutes behind. Because time on the Moon was so precious, we'd practice getting out in 5 minutes."
