How old was Charles Duke when he walked on the Moon?
Charles Duke was 36 years and 201 days old when he walked on the Moon during Apollo 16, making him the youngest person ever to walk on the lunar surface. That record has never been broken.
Questions about Charles Duke
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What mission did Charles Duke walk on the Moon?
Charles Duke walked on the Moon during Apollo 16 in April 1972. He and Commander John Young landed at the Descartes Highlands on the 21st of April 1972 and conducted three extravehicular activities over a surface stay of 71 hours and 14 minutes.
Why was Ken Mattingly removed from Apollo 13 because of Charles Duke?
Charles Duke contracted rubella from a neighbor's child two or three weeks before the Apollo 13 launch and inadvertently exposed the prime crew. Jim Lovell and Fred Haise were immune, but Ken Mattingly was not, so NASA replaced Mattingly with Jack Swigert. Mattingly was later reassigned as the command module pilot for Apollo 16, Duke's own mission.
What did Charles Duke leave on the Moon?
Charles Duke left two items on the lunar surface during Apollo 16. One was a plastic-encased family portrait taken by NASA photographer Ludy Benjamin, signed and thumb-printed on the back by his family. The other was one of two silver medallions commemorating the Air Force's 25th anniversary in 1972; he photographed both items before departure.
What did Charles Duke do after retiring from NASA?
After retiring from NASA on the 1st of January 1976, Charles Duke entered the Air Force Reserve, graduated from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in 1978, and was promoted to brigadier general in 1979 before retiring from the Reserve in June 1986. He also co-founded a Coors Beer distributorship in San Antonio and pursued various business ventures, and became a committed born-again Christian in 1978.
Who were the surviving Moon walkers as of the time of Charles Duke's profile?
As of the time of his profile, Charles Duke was one of four surviving people who walked on the Moon, along with David Scott, Buzz Aldrin, and Harrison Schmitt.