Sadly about the most experienced and pioneering Astronaut John Young, has died aged 87.
His record is unmatched but he is less well known then perhaps he should have been, however he was a reserved man whose engineering and piloting prowess spoke for itself.
After Naval service he was in NASA's second group of Astronauts, after already setting time to height records in F-4's, whose development he was also heavily involved in.

He first flew in 1965 on the first manned Gemini flight, with Gus Grissom, then in 1966 commanded Apollo 10 along with his pilot Mike Collins.
1969 saw Apollo 10, with Young as the first man to fly the CSM alone in Lunar orbit, while Stafford and Cernan took the LM down to 50,000 feet as a final test before a landing attempt.
In 1972, as commander of Apollo 16, he and Charlie Duke conducted explorations, including the second use of the Lunar Rover, in their 3 days on the Moon.

From 1974, he was Chief Astronaut, overseeing the long path to the Shuttle.
He and Bob Crippen took the first Shuttle, Columbia, on the first flight of a space vehicle without prior unmanned tests, it was also the most complex. Yet another Young first as he piloted it down after two days in space to land at Edwards.
His sixth flight was STS-9, the first with the ESA Spacelab module, for 10 days in 1983.

Young was slated to fly the Space Telescope into orbit in 1986, the Challenger disaster changed that and also Young's role in NASA.
Best described as quietly outspoken, he took various roles in NASA not retiring until the age of 74!
And always a strong advocate for spaceflight and science in general.

This is a BBC documentary from 1982, post STS-1 and pre STS-9, which I both remember seeing and captures the man well, despite it being a VHS rip with the odd bit of interference.
He really was 'The Ultimate Explorer';

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n7yx_6IC8A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYXqsBEXtTk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuO_DLHrkys

Typo correction, of course Young's second spaceflight was in Gemini 10.
Apollo 10 was the one after that for him.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42592057
https://www.nasa.gov/astronautprofiles/young

Rest in Peace John Young

The Astronauts Astronaut. 6 Time flier into space, 7 if you count launching from another world. RIP Mr Young.

He had the most epic career of any astronaut

Two Gemini missions, two Apollo,
including commanding one to and landing on the moon


During the subsequent spacewalk mission control called him to say the space shuttle funding had been
approved

Over a decade later he commanded the first flight, possibly the most dangerous test flight ever conducted considering the unknowns


He commanded at least one other shuttle flight


Other astronauts have received more attention but John Young really wrote the book


I recommend his ‘forever young’

Thanks for the recommendation Max Q, I had heard of the book but recently found out it was co-written by the same writer who worked with Armstrong on 'First Man'. A good sign I think.

A video put together for Young's retirement from NASA in Dec. 2004;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1SrNI_ohV8

For STS-1 (and much more related to it) Rowland White's 'Into The Black' is great, White, as an 8 year old in England wrote to Young after STS-1, Young replied and years later, with three previous aviation books under his belt, got met his hero when writing 'Into The Black'. From his reaction to Young's passing, clearly an example of DO meet your heroes.

GDB wrote:

Thanks for the recommendation Max Q, I had heard of the book but recently found out it was co-written by the same writer who worked with Armstrong on 'First Man'. A good sign I think.

A video put together for Young's retirement from NASA in Dec. 2004;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1SrNI_ohV8

For STS-1 (and much more related to it) Rowland White's 'Into The Black' is great, White, as an 8 year old in England wrote to Young after STS-1, Young replied and years later, with three previous aviation books under his belt, got met his hero when writing 'Into The Black'. From his reaction to Young's passing, clearly an example of DO meet your heroes.

I think you’ll enjoy ‘forever young’ and yes
it was the same co author of the brilliant
‘First Man’

I have read ‘into the black’ it was very well done


Best wishes