Astronaut Richard "Dick" Gordon, a Seattle-area native who went to the Moon on Apollo 12, has died. He was 88.
“NASA and the nation have lost one of our early space pioneers. We send our condolences to the family and loved ones of Gemini and Apollo astronaut Richard Gordon, a hero from NASA’s third class of astronauts," acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot said in a statement.
Gordon was born in Seattle in 1929, graduated from North Kitsap High School in Poulsbo in 1947, and from the University of Washington in 1951 with a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry.
Gordon flew on Gemini 11 and set the then-altitude record of 850 miles above the Earth.
He was Command Module Pilot of Apollo 12 in 1969. That was the second mission that landed men on the Moon. Gordon stayed in orbit around the Moon.
After his retirement, Gordon served as Executive Vice President of the New Orleans Saints and held several other executive positions.
