Worden, Alfred Merrill (1932-2020), was a United States astronaut and the command module pilot on the Apollo 15 mission. The Apollo 15 mission was the first crewed moon trip devoted primarily to scientific exploration.
During the Apollo 15 mission, from July 26 to Aug. 7, 1971, Worden orbited the moon in the command module Endeavour for six days. He took photographs, operated recording instruments, and launched an 80-pound (36-kilogram) subsatellite into lunar orbit. While Worden orbited the moon, astronauts David R. Scott and James B. Irwin explored the moon. During the return to Earth, Worden left the spacecraft for 20 minutes and took the first “walk” in deep space.
Worden was born on Feb. 2, 1932, in Jackson, Michigan. He entered the Air Force after graduating from the United States Military Academy in 1955. He earned Master of Science degrees in astronautical and aeronautical engineering and in instrumentation engineering from the University of Michigan in 1963. Worden was an astronaut from 1966 until 1972, when he took an administrative job in the space program. In 1975, he retired from the space program and from the Air Force. Worden then held executive positions with several aerospace companies and with BF Goodrich Corporation before retiring from business in 1996. Worden died March 18, 2020.
