Richard F. Gordon, Jr.

Richard F. Gordon, Jr. (born October 5 1929) (Captain, USN, Ret.) is a retired NASA astronaut.

NASA Experience

Captain Gordon was one of the third group of astronauts named by NASA in October 1963.

Related Topics:
Third group of astronauts - 1963

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Gordon served as backup pilot for the Gemini 8 flight. In September 1966, he made his first space flight as pilot of Gemini 11, alongside Pete Conrad - Gordon was already good friends with Conrad, who had previously been his roommate on the carrier "Ranger". On the flight, Gordon performed two EVAs, which included attaching a tether to the Agena and retrieving a nuclear emulsion experiment package.

Related Topics:
Gemini 8 - 1966 - Gemini 11 - Pete Conrad

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Gordon was subsequently assigned as backup command module pilot for Apollo 9, and in November 1969, he flew as command module pilot of Apollo 12, the second manned mission to land on the Moon. While his crewmates Pete Conrad and Alan Bean landed in the Ocean of Storms, Gordon remained in lunar orbit aboard the command module, "Yankee Clipper," obtaining desired mapping photographs of tentative landing sites for future missions.

Related Topics:
Apollo 9 - November - 1969 - Apollo 12 - Alan Bean - Ocean of Storms - Yankee Clipper

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Gordon was then backup commander of Apollo 15 and slated to walk on the Moon as commander of Apollo 18, but the mission was cancelled. In all, Gordon completed two space flights, logging a total of 315 hours and 53 minutes in space, 2 hours and 44 minutes of which were spent in EVA.

Related Topics:
Apollo 15 - Apollo 18

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Captain Gordon retired from NASA and the USN in January 1972.

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