Thomas P. Stafford, an astronaut who commanded a dress rehearsal flight for the 1969 moon landing and facilitated the first U.S.-Soviet space linkup, passed away on Monday at the age of 93.
Stafford, a retired Air Force three-star general, participated in four space missions. Prior to Apollo 10, he flew on two Gemini flights, including the first rendezvous of two U.S. capsules in orbit.
He passed away in a hospital near his home in Space Coast, Florida, as confirmed by Max Ary, director of the Stafford Air & Space Museum in Weatherford, Oklahoma.
Stafford was among the 24 NASA astronauts who journeyed to the moon, though he did not have the opportunity to land on its surface.
Presently, only seven of these astronauts are still alive.
“Today General Tom Stafford went to the eternal heavens which he so courageously explored as a Gemini and Apollo astronaut as well as a peacemaker in Apollo Soyuz,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said via X, formerly known as Twitter. “Those of us privileged to know him are very sad but grateful we knew a giant.”
He chaired an oversight committee tasked with addressing issues with the Hubble Space Telescope, for which he was honored with a NASA public service award.
“Tom was involved in so many things that most people were not aware of, such as being known as the ‘Father of Stealth’,” Ary stated in an email.
Stafford played a significant role in overseeing the operations at the renowned “Area 51” desert base, which sparked numerous UFO theories but primarily served as a testing ground for Air Force stealth technologies.
The Apollo 10 mission in May 1969 set the stage for Apollo 11’s historic mission two months later. Stafford and Gene Cernan piloted the lunar lander nicknamed Snoopy within 9 miles (14 kilometers) of the moon’s surface. Astronaut John Young stayed behind in the main spaceship, dubbed Charlie Brown.
“The most impressive sight, I think, that really changed your view of things is when you first see Earth,” Stafford remembered in a 1997 oral history, speaking about the view from lunar orbit.
Following their journey to the moon’s far side, Stafford remarked, “The earth disappears. There’s this big black void.”
Following Apollo 10’s return to Earth, it achieved the world record for the fastest speed by a crewed vehicle, reaching 24,791 mph (39,897 kph).
After the conclusion of the moon landings, NASA and the Soviet Union agreed to a joint docking mission.
The two teams of space travelers even visited Disney World together, enjoying a ride on Space Mountain before embarking on their journey into orbit and joining their respective spacecraft.
“We have capture,” Stafford radioed in Russian as the Apollo and Soyuz spacecraft hooked up. His Russian counterpart, Alexei Leonov, responded
in English: “Well done, Tom, it was a good show. I vote for you.”
During the 1975 mission, the five men spent two days collaborating on experiments.
Following this phase, both teams embarked on a joint world tour, during which they had the opportunity to meet with President Gerald Ford and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev.
“It helped prove to the rest of the world that two completely opposite political systems could work together,” Stafford reminisced at a 30th-anniversary gathering in 2005.
The bond between the two crews was so strong that years later, Alexei
Leonov arranged for Stafford to adopt two Russian boys when Stafford was in his 70s.
“We are too old to adopt, but they were too old to be adopted,” Stafford shared with The Oklahoman in 2004. “They just added so much meaning to our life, and just because you’re retiring doesn’t mean you don’t have anything left to give.”
Later on, Stafford played a pivotal role in the discussions during the 1990s that led to Russia’s involvement in the partnership for building and operating the International Space Station.
Reflecting on his upbringing in Weatherford, Oklahoma, Stafford recalled watching giant DC-3 airplanes fly overhead on early transcontinental routes.
“I wanted to fly since I was 5 or 6 years old, seeing those airplanes,” he shared with NASA historians.
Commencing his journey at the U.S. Naval Academy, Stafford graduated in the top 1% of his class and developed a fondness for aviation while flying in the backseat of various airplanes. Initially aspiring to fly combat missions in the Korean War, he volunteered for the Air Force.
However, by the time he completed his training and received his wings, the war had ended. Stafford then attended the Air Force’s experimental test pilot school, where he graduated at the top of his class and later became an instructor.
In 1962, NASA selected Stafford as part of its second group of astronauts, alongside notable names like Neil Armstrong, Frank Borman, and Pete Conrad.
He was paired with Wally Schirra for the Gemini 6 mission. Initially intended to rendezvous with an empty spacecraft, their launch in 1965 was aborted when the spacecraft exploded shortly after liftoff.
In December of the same year, Gemini 6 successfully rendezvoused with, but did not dock with, the Gemini 7 spacecraft, which had two astronauts aboard.
His subsequent flight in 1966 paired him with Cernan on Gemini 9.
However, Cernan’s spacewalk, connected to a jet-pack-like device, encountered difficulties.
Cernan faced issues with overheating due to the sun and the machine, which exacerbated his back pain. Additionally, his visor fogged up, obstructing his vision.
“Call it quits, Gene. Get out of there,” Stafford, as the commander, instructed Cernan. Guiding him back in, Stafford provided detailed instructions, saying, “Move your hand over, start to float up … stick your hand up … just walk hand over hand.”
Throughout his career, Stafford accumulated 507 hours in space, piloting four different types of spacecraft and flying 127 types of aircraft and helicopters.
Following the Apollo-Soyuz mission, Stafford resumed his service in the Air Force, focusing on research and eventually commanding the Air Force Flight Test Center. He retired in 1997.
In addition to overseeing the military’s premier flight school and experimental aircraft testing base, Stafford held the position of commanding general of Area 51 during his Air Force career.
A biography from his museum highlighted his instrumental role in shaping military aviation technology.
While serving at Area 51 and later as the development and acquisition chief at the Pentagon, Stafford authored specifications and established programs that paved the way for the development of the F-117 Stealth Fighter and the B-2 Stealth Bomber.
Following his military service, Stafford transitioned to an executive role at an Oklahoma-based transportation company before relocating to Florida, near Cape Canaveral.
He is survived by his wife, Linda, as well as two sons, two daughters and two stepchildren, according to the museum’s records.