Former US astronaut Walter Cunningham, who flew to space aboard Apollo 7 in 1968 on the inaugural crewed Apollo mission, died at the age of 90, NASA said. The flight paved the way for the first human moon landing nine months later. Walter Cunningham was joined by crewmates Walter Schirra and Donn Eisele on the 11-day mission. The mission which was conducted in low-Earth orbit.
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Here are 8 points on Walter Cunningham:
1. Walter Cunningham's flight marked the first human test of the new Apollo spacecraft.
2. Walter Cunningham was the last surviving member of the Apollo 7 crew. Mission commander Schirra, one of the original "Mercury Seven" astronauts, and command module pilot Eisele, died in 2007 and 1987, respectively.
3. Walter Cunningham was the flight's designated lunar module pilot and was responsible for all spacecraft systems except launch and navigation.
4. The Apollo 7 blasted off on October 11, 1968.
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5. Before the mission, Walter Cunningham had been the backup lunar module pilot for the Apollo 1 mission, and was on the prime crew for Apollo 2 as well until it was canceled.
{{/usCountry}}5. Before the mission, Walter Cunningham had been the backup lunar module pilot for the Apollo 1 mission, and was on the prime crew for Apollo 2 as well until it was canceled.
{{/usCountry}}6. Apollo 7 provided the first live television transmission of onboard crew activities. But none of the three astronauts on the mission went to space again.
7. The mission was considered a technical success for proving the capabilities and integrity of systems that would carry Apollo 11 in July 1969 for the historic first moon walks by astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin.
8. "Walt Cunningham was a fighter pilot, physicist and an entrepreneur – but, above all, he was an explorer," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said.