Richard gordon astronaut biography

American astronaut and lunar explorer (1929–2017)

For other people named Richard Gordon, see Richard Gordon (disambiguation).

Richard Francis "Dick" Gordon Jr. (October 5, 1929 – November 6, 2017) was an American naval officer and aviator, test pilot, and NASAastronaut, and a football executive.

He was one of 24 people to have flown to the Moon, as command module pilot of the Apollo 12 mission, which orbited the Moon 45 times.^[1] Gordon had already flown in space as the pilot of the 1966 Gemini 11 mission.

Biography

Early life and education

Gordon was born in Seattle, Washington, on October 5, 1929, the first of five children of Richard Francis Gordon Sr. (1905–1963), a machinist, and his wife, Angela Frances Gordon (née Sullivan; 1903–1985), an elementary school teacher.^[2] He was a Boy Scout, and earned the rank of Star Scout.^[3] He graduated from North Kitsap High School in Poulsbo, Washington, in 1947, then e