Astronaut Thomas K. Mattingly, who helped guide the Apollo 13 mission from the ground and later piloted the Apollo 16 Command Module has died at the age of 87.
According to NBC News, Mattingly was scheduled to be aboard Apollo 13, but was removed from the mission 72-hours before takeoff after possibly being exposed to rubella.
Instead Mattingly stayed on the ground and was critical in helping guide the damaged space craft back to earth.
“We lost one of our country’s heroes on Oct. 31. NASA astronaut TK Mattingly was key to the success of our Apollo Program, and his shining personality will ensure he is remembered throughout history,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement.
Mattingly got his chance to go to space two years after Apollo 13 when he served as a Command Module Pilot aboard Apollo 16’s mission to the moon in 1972.