Edgar Mitchell | |
---|---|
NASA Astronaut | |
Nationality | American |
Status | Deceased |
Born | Edgar Dean Mitchell September 17, 1930 Hereford, Texas, U.S. |
Died |
February 4, 2016 (aged 85) West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. |
Other occupation
|
Naval aviator, test pilot |
Carnegie Mellon University, B.S. 1952 Naval Postgraduate School, B.S. 1961 MIT, Sc.D. 1964 |
|
Rank | Captain, USN |
Time in space
|
9d 00h 01m |
Selection | 1966 NASA Group 5 |
Total EVAs
|
2 |
Total EVA time
|
9 hours 23 minutes |
Missions | Apollo 14 |
Mission insignia
|
|
Retirement | October 1, 1972 |
Awards |
Edgar Dean "Ed" Mitchell (September 17, 1930 – February 4, 2016) was a United States Navy officer and aviator, test pilot, aeronautical engineer, ufologist and NASA astronaut. As the Lunar Module Pilot of Apollo 14, he spent nine hours working on the lunar surface in the Fra Mauro Highlands region, making him the sixth person to walk on the Moon.
Mitchell was born on September 17, 1930, in Hereford, Texas. He came from a ranching family that moved to New Mexico during the Depression and considered Artesia, New Mexico (near Roswell) as his hometown. He first learned to fly at 13 and was active in the Boy Scouts of America where he achieved its second highest rank, Life Scout. He was also a member of DeMolay International, part of the Masonic Fraternity, and was inducted into its Hall of Fame. Mitchell was a member of Artesia Lodge #29 in New Mexico. He enjoyed handball, tennis, and swimming, and his hobbies included scuba diving and soaring.
He graduated from Artesia High School in 1948. Mitchell received a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Management from the Carnegie Mellon University in 1952. The following year he joined the U.S. Navy, and completed basic training at San Diego Recruit Depot. While on active duty in the Navy, he earned a bachelor's degree in Aeronautics from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in 1961, and a Doctor of Science degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1964.