Charles Moss Duke Jr.
Astronaut

Date of Birth: October 3, 1935
Place of Birth: Charlotte, North Carolina
Joined NASA: April 4, 1966
Left NASA: January 1, 1976
Space Flights: 1
Time in Space: 11 days, 1 hour, 51 minutes
Number of EVA's 3
Total EVA Time: 20 hours, 14 minutes, 14 seconds

MISSION ASSIGNMENTS

Apollo 10
Assignment: Support Crew & Capcom

Apollo 11
Assignment: Capcom

Apollo 13
Assignment: Back-up Lunar Module Pilot

Apollo 16
April 16-27, 1972
Assignment: Lunar Module Pilot
Flight Duration: 11 days, 1 hour, 51 minutes

Apollo 17
Assignment: Back-up Lunar Module Pilot


HIGHLIGHTS

  • B.Sc., Naval Sciences, US Naval Academy, 1957
    M.Sc., Aeronautics, MIT, 1964
  • Spent three years as a fighter-interceptor pilot with the USAF stationed at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
  • September 1965, Graduate of the USAF Aerospace Research Pilot School, where he remained as an instructor until selected by NASA.
  • April 1972, LMP on Apollo 16, where he and CDR John Young spent three days at the Descartes Highlands landing site exploring the region during three EVA's.
  • Retired from NASA and the USAF(at the rank of Brigadier General) in 1976 to pursue private interests. He is the owner of Duke Investments and the Founder & President of Charlie Duke Enterprises.
  • More recently he founded the Duke Ministry for Christ where he works as a speaker and Christian Lay Witness.
  • While working as Capcom on the Apollo 11 mission he responded to Neil Armstrong after the landing with the word's "Roger Tranquility, we copy you on the ground. You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue. We're breathing again. Thanks a lot!"