Ad Astra... LtGen Thomas Stafford (NASA astronaut 1930-2024)

Another Apollo-era astronaut has passed away...
March 18, 2024... former NASA astronaut LtGen Thomas P. Stafford passed away aged 93.
R.I.P.
🙁
Photos: NASA
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Already in High School, Thomas Stafford served in an Infantry Division & Artillery Bataillon before graduating from the Naval Academy but chosing a commission as 2ndLt in the USA Air Force. In September 1953, Stafford graduated from USAF pilot training.
In 1958, Stafford attended the USAF Test Pilot School (class 58C) at Edwards AFB - California.... finishing first in his class. This is a 1959 graduation photo of Captain Stafford receiving the A.B. Honts award together with his first wife Faye.
(Photo: USAF)
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In 1958, Stafford created a civilian Flight Instructor position at the US Air Force Test Pilot School , co-writing a few text books on flight research.
In April 1962, he applied as a candidate astronaut and was accepted in NASA astronaut group 2 " The New Nine " in September 1962.
In March 1965, Stafford was among the very first NASA astronauts to be issued a NASA Omega Speedmaster as backup for the Gemini III spaceflight mission (Virgil Grissom & John Young). The other backup^, Wlater Schirra, already owned his personal Omega Speedmaster CK2998.
Selected with Wlater Schirra for the Gemini VI mission, it proved an exciting time as during a 2nd Gemini launch attempt (Gemini VI was renamed Gemini VIa) the launch vehicle's rocket engines only ignited with immediate shut-down... Emergency procedure was to use the ejection seats but Schirra & Stafford stayed with the Gemini capsule ontop a fully fueled launch vehicle !
Thus saving the hardware for a good launch 3 days later... December 15, 1965...
(Photos: NASA)
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Already before the Gemini VIa mission, Thomas Stafford was assigned as backup Commander for the 1966 Gemini IX mission... a mission which was also renamed Gemini IXa after a launch failure. Launch for Gemini IXa with Thomas Stafford and Eugene Cernan came on June 3, 1966 and the mission lasted 3 days 20 minutes.
During the Gemini IXa mission, Cernan conducted an EVA spacewalk, for which he had to reach the backside of the Gemini capsule but excessive heat caused his heart beat had risen to 180 beats/minute and the EVA was cut short.
Wrist-watch wise an interesting mission as Cernan was issued NASA speedmaster n° 28, which he would keep as a lucky charm and wear as a 2nd time piece under the space suit during Apollo 10 and Apollo 17.
Images show Gemini IXa astronauts during splash-down & recovery by US Navy aircraft carrier USS Wasp...
(Photos: NASA)
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In November 1968, NASA announced the prime crew for the Apollo 10 mission, which would "snoop" around above the lunar surface... with Commander Thomas "Tom" Stafford, LMP Eugene Cernan and CMP John Young.
Apollo 10 launched on May, 1969 and lasted 8 days 3 minutes. Onboard Lunar Module "Snoopy" , Stafford and Cernan flew at an altitude of 14 kilometers above the lunar surface while Young awaited in CSM "Charlie Brown". On May 23, 1969, after docking, "Snoopy" was released & jettisoned and half-a-century later "Snoopy" was spotted & confirmed as a Near Earth Object by the Faulkes North & South telescopes ( Hawaii & Siding Spring Australia).
(Photos: NASA)
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In July 1975, Tom Stafford was Commander of the historic ASTP - Apollo Soyuz Test Project spaceflight mission, during which an Apollo CSM carrying a docking adapter, joined with a Soviet-Russian Soyuz space capsule. Both craft remained docked for 47 hours of which 44 hours of joined activities during which cosmonauts visited the Apollo and astronauts the Soyuz capsule.
During ASTP a total of 11 NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster chronographs were worn (Russians wore 861 models with Leonov wearing 2 but carried a third) and Thomas Stafford wearing NASA numbers 76 & 79 Speedmaster 145.012 versions.
During the mission, the "Speedies" were very well documented and Stafford often explicitly showed his towards the photo cameras...
(Photo: NASA)
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Tom Stafford became USAF Brig General in 1974, Maj General in 1975 and Lt General in April 1978. In November 1979, USAF LtGeneral Thomas Stafford became member of USA Omega Corporate Board of Directors and has been an important Omega ambassador" !
In 2002, Stafford published his Gemini & Apollo astronaut memoirs in " We have Capture "
In 2004, Stafford was named " Ambassador of Exploration " by NASA.
Ending with a few official portraits (remember these are always made in a "smiling" and a "serious" version!)
Photos: NASA
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Thomas Stafford leaving USS Wasp in a Grumman S-2 Tracker post-Gemini VIa recovery...
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Gen. Stafford (wearing an X-33) signing "We Have Capture" for me at the Air & Space Museum, 2002:



I remember that day very clearly, as I had been flown to DC for my (now ex-)wife's holiday party, but sped immediately from the airport to the Air & Space for the signing event instead. Photographed by a very kind docent who then mailed me (pre-digital) the photograph.

I just found out.

I met Tom in the early 90’s I guess it was- he was chairman of Omega at the time. He was very generous with his time and he signed several photos for me.

Since then I’ve had a deeper connection to the Apollo program, and more recently with the huge significance of the ASTP, and resultant impact on the Cold War and world.

Just an amazing person- I had hoped to visit with him one more time…

Nice write up from his museum:
https://www.staffordmuseum.org/general-stafford-obituary

This is how I found out:

https://space.abemblem.com/products...606&utm_medium=email&utm_source=shopify_email

On this date… 95 years ago
1930, September 17 was the birthdate of Thomas Patten Stafford, remembering a great Officer & Gentleman, NASA astronaut who flew 21 days 3 hours in space during 4 spaceflight missions.
In 1952 Thomas Stafford graduated as an officer at the US Naval academy - Annapolis Maryland but was via lottery commissioned as a 2nd Lt in the US Air Force. Fast forward to 1958 as Thomas Stafford attended the US Air Force Test Pilot School, finishing first in class 58C, winning the Anderson B. Honts Award. He stayed on as an Instructor Pilot at Edwards Air Force Base and planned to study at Harvard Business School before hois life took another turn being selected an astronaut in NASA group 2 in September 1962.
During his time at NASA, Stafford was among the three first astronauts to receive an Omega Speedmaster 105.003-63 chronograph as a backup for the Gemini III mission. After Gemini III backup assignment, Stafford remained paired with Walter Schirra for the Gemini VI mission announced in April 1965 with the mission needing three launch attempts to be launched on December 15, 1965 as Gemini VIa, meeting in Low Earth Orbit with the Gemini VII spacecraft of Frank Borman and James Lovell.
During Gemini VIa, both Schirra and Stafford were the first astronauts to wear their US Navy aviator and US Air Force pilot wing attached to the space suit!
For Gemini VIa, Stafford received two NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster 105.003-64 chronographs, one of which he would also use during Gemini IX and Apollo 10.
In July 1975, Stafford was commander of the historic ASTP Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission, linking up for 47 hours with a Soviet-Russian Soyuz spacecraft of Alexei Leonov and Valeri Kubasov. In total, Thomas Stafford had worn five different NASA Omega Speedmaster chronographs, four of which effectively used during four spaceflight missions.
By November 1979, USAF General Stafford had left NASA and became board member of Omega USA, remaining an Omega Speedmaster ambassador for the rest of his life.
Lots and lots more wrist-watch-wise anecdotes with NASA astronaut & wrist watch aficionado Thomas Stafford, gifting watches to fellow astronauts, pranks but also unfortunately a loss of a beloved Speedmaster, all details and photographs in our upcoming article commemorating a great NASA astronaut!
(Photos: USAF/NASA)
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Happy birthday Tom!