Walter Marty Schirra Jr.
Astronaut

Date of Birth: March 12, 1923
Place of Birth: Hackensack, NJ
Date of Death: May 3, 2007
Joined NASA: April 2, 1959
Left NASA: July 1, 1969
Space Flights: 3
Time in Space: 17 days, 7 hours, 12 minutes
MISSION ASSIGNMENTS
Mercury-Atlas 6
Assignment: Capcom (California)

Mercury-Atlas 7
Assignment: Back-up Pilot

Mercury-Atlas 8
October 3, 1962
Assignment: Pilot
Flight Duration: 9 hours, 13 minutes

Mercury-Atlas 9
Assignment: Capcom (Cape)

Gemini 3
Assignment: Back-up Command Pilot

Gemini 6A
December 15-16, 1965
Assignment: Command Pilot
Flight Duration: 1 day, 1 hour, 51 minutes

Apollo 1
Assignment: Back-up Commander

Apollo 7
October 11-22, 1968
Assignment: Commander
Flight Duration: 10 day, 20 hours, 8 minutes

HIGHLIGHTS

  • B.Sc., US Naval Academy, Annapolis, 1945

  • Received his "wings" in Pensacola, Florida, in 1947.

  • From 1947 to 1959 Schirra was a US Navy fighter pilot, Operations Officer and test pilot.

  • Graduated US Navy Test Pilot School, Patuxent Maryland, 1958.

  • Flew 90 combat missions in Korea as and exchange pilot with the US Air Force.

  • Took part in the development of the Sidewinder air to air missile.

  • October 1962, Piloted the third manned orbital mission remaining in space for a full working day.

  • December 1965, Command Pilot of the first spacecraft to rendezvous with another manned vehicle.

  • Commanded the first manned Apollo mission in October 1968.

  • After NASA, became a guest commentator with Walter Cronkite on CBS coverage of Apollo missions.

  • 1969, President, Regency Investors Inc., Denver, Colorado
    1970-72, Chairman and CEO, Environmental Control Co.
    1973-74, Chairman of the Board, SERNCO Inc.
    1975, Director of Technology Purchases, Johns-Manville Co.
    1976, Director of Power Plant & Aerospace Systems, Johns-Mansville.
    1978, Vice-President of Development, Goodwin Co. Inc.
    1979, President, Schirra Enterprises.
    Board member and Director of a multitude of companies in the ensuing years.

  • Author of "Schirra's Space", 1988.