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VETERANIn MemoriamNASA
VETERANIn MemoriamNASANASA·🇺🇸 United States·Born 1923
Wally Schirra
The only astronaut to fly in the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs.
295h
Hours in Space
3
Missions
0
EVAs
—
EVA Time
Biography
The only astronaut to fly in the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs. Commanded Apollo 7, the first crewed Apollo mission. He died in 2007.
Before NASAU.S. Navy fighter pilot who flew 90 combat missions and downed two MiG-15s during the Korean War, then became a test pilot and was the first pilot to fly and fire the Sidewinder missile in live testing.
Mission Timeline
- Pilot
Mercury capsule Sigma 7
Mercury-Atlas 8 (Sigma 7)
Launch: Oct 3, 1962Landing: Oct 3, 1962Duration: 1 day- Textbook six-orbit engineering flight
- Commander
Gemini spacecraft
Gemini 6A
Launch: Dec 15, 1965Landing: Dec 16, 1965Duration: 1 day- First space rendezvous, closing to within feet of Gemini 7
- Commander
Apollo CSM / Saturn IB
Apollo 7
Launch: Oct 11, 1968Landing: Oct 22, 1968Duration: 11 days- Commanded the first crewed Apollo flight
Beyond the Mission
Hobbies & Interests
sailinggolfcooking
Languages
English
Fun fact
During the Gemini 6A mission in December 1965, Schirra smuggled a harmonica and bells aboard, and just before re-entry radioed Mission Control to report a UFO — then played 'Jingle Bells' live from orbit, pulling off the first musical performance in space.
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