NASA reported the death of Apollo astronaut Thomas Kenneth Mattingly II, who was recognized for assisting the crew of Apollo 13 in safely returning to Earth after an explosion ended their lunar mission. He was 87 years old.
“Mattingly was key to the success of our Apollo Program, and his shining personality will ensure he is remembered throughout history,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement, calling Mattingly “one of our country’s heroes.”
According to the announcement, Mattingly died on Tuesday. The reason of death was not given.
According to his NASA biography, Mattingly was born on March 17, 1936 in Chicago and went on to attend high school in Miami before earning a degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Auburn University in 1958.
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Mattingly, who went by Ken and TK, began his career with the US Navy and later attended the Air Force Aerospace Research Pilot School as a student before being picked by NASA to be part of the astronaut class in 1966, according to the statement.
“Perhaps his most dramatic role at NASA was after exposure to rubella just before the launch of Apollo 13,” Nelson told me. “He stayed behind and provided key real-time decisions to successfully bring home the wounded spacecraft and the crew of Apollo 13 – NASA astronauts James Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise.”
Mattingly was played by Gary Sinise in the film “Apollo 13.”
In a post on X earlier this year commemorating the 53rd anniversary of the Apollo 13 mission, Sinise termed it a “honor” to play Mattingly.
Nelson described Mattingly as having “unparalleled skill as a pilot,” noting that he was a command module pilot for Apollo 16 and the spacecraft commander for space shuttle missions STS-4 and STS 51-C. “The commitment to innovation and resilience toward opposition made TK an excellent figure to embody our mission and our nation’s admiration.”
The contributions of Mattingly “allowed for advancements in our learning beyond that of space,” according to Nelson.
“He described his orbital experience by saying, ‘I had this very palpable fear that if I saw too much, I wouldn’t remember.'” It was simply amazing.’ “He saw the vastness of the universe as an endless forum of possibilities,” Nelson remarked. “As a leader in exploratory missions, TK will be remembered for braving the unknown for the sake of our country’s future.”
