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#1 2004-12-07 15:39:37
- Palomar
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- From: USA
- Registered: 2002-05-30
- Posts: 9,734
Re: Astronaut John Young Retires
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.htm … 29]Amazing life and accomplishments
*...and that's a vast understatement. Wow.
He is the only astronaut to pilot four different types of spacecraft, flying in the Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle programs...
Young returned to the moon in 1972 as commander of Apollo 16. He piloted the Lunar Module to a landing on the surface, along with Charlie Duke. Young and Duke drove more than 16 miles across the lunar surface in the Lunar Rover Vehicle, collecting more than 200 pounds of samples. It was the most extensive lunar exploration mission to date...
"John's tenacity and dedication are matched only by his humility," said NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe. "He's never sought fame and often goes out of his way to avoid the limelight. However, when you need a job done and you want it done right, John's the person to go to. He's a true American treasure, and his exemplary legacy will inspire generations of new explorers for years to come."
--Cindy
We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...
--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)
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#2 2004-12-07 19:52:30
- Shaun Barrett
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- From: Cairns, Queensland, Australia
- Registered: 2001-12-28
- Posts: 2,843
Re: Astronaut John Young Retires
Yep, John Young, what an amazing human being! 
Of all the astronauts, Pete Conrad sounded like the one I could have imagined getting along with best in person. Sadly, he died in 1999 from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.
But John Young has been my other favourite astronaut since the first Shuttle flight in 1981. I still remember that launch and the realisation Young and Crippen were flying an untested vehicle. I was simply astounded at the courage and skill of both astronauts at the time but, remembering John Young's already impressive record, my attention was focused on him.
Most people with only a fraction of his career achievements behind them would be looking toward a well-earned retirement, basking in the glory of past adventures. But not our John. No siree Bob! He puts himself in the hotseat in the most complex and innovative untested spacecraft in history and flies a perfect mission, touching down more smoothly than the average airline pilot can manage in a 747!!
Since that time, my admiration for John Young grew even greater and he attained almost god-like status in my eyes.
What a great man!
The word 'aerobics' came about when the gym instructors got together and said: If we're going to charge $10 an hour, we can't call it Jumping Up and Down. - Rita Rudner
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