Edgar Mitchell, Apollo 14 astronaut who walked on moon, dies at 85
(CNN)Edgar Mitchell, one of just 12 human beings who walked on the moon, has died, according to his ex-wife, Anita Mitchell.
Mitchell was 85.
"On
behalf of the entire NASA family, I would like to express my
condolences to the family and friends of NASA astronaut Edgar Mitchell,"
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said in a statement.
"He
believed in exploration, having been drawn to NASA by President
Kennedy's call to send humans to the moon. He is one of the pioneers in
space exploration on whose shoulders we now stand."
Mitchell died Thursday in West Palm Beach, Florida, according to NASA. His death occurred on the eve of the 45th anniversary of his lunar landing, which took place on February 5, 1971.
Mitchell,
Alan Shepard and Stuart Roosa were the crew of Apollo 14, which
launched on January 31, 1971. Mitchell became the sixth man to walk on
the lunar surface.
