He is perhaps best remembered however as the astronaut who stayed home from the ill fated.
Ken mattingly hero.
The command module pilot ken mattingly had no immunity to the disease and had to be replaced in case he developed it in space.
Among the many unsung heroes laboring to save the crew of the ill fated apollo 13 was the aerospace engineer and rookie astronaut ken mattingly.
Swigert had just replaced ken mattingly as command module pilot after mattingly was exposed to german measles.
We also consider a real helpful letter we got from a fellow who said we ought to take a pig up with us for good luck.
Nasa houston we ve had a problem apollo 13 launched on april 11 1970.
Charlie duke also.
Born march 17 1936 is a former american aviator aeronautical engineer test pilot rear admiral in the united states navy and astronaut who flew on the apollo 16 sts 4 and sts 51 c missions.
Ken mattingly is a nasa astronaut who flew on the apollo 16 mission and twice on the space shuttle.
Thomas ken mattingly was supposed to be on that crew but was yanked at the last minute because he was exposed to the german measles.
Mattingly had been scheduled to fly on apollo 13 but three days prior to launch he was held back and removed from the mission due to exposure to german.
The mission s motto ex luna scientia from the moon knowledge.
There wasn t an airplane big enough he adds with a wry smile.
Just 72 hours before the scheduled launch of apollo 13 ken mattingly was removed from the mission and replaced by jack swigert from the back up crew as command module pilot.
Mattingly joined the united states navy in 1958 and earned his aviator wings flying from aircraft carriers until 1963.
Days before launch he had been bumped from the third lunar landing attempt after being exposed to the measles.
5 comments i would encourage you to understand that the people that made apollo happen are not here says ken mattingly self effacingly.
Ken mattingly apollo s humble hero.
Radm thomas kenneth mattingly ii usn ret.
He attended auburn university where he earned a degree in aeronautical engineering.