Young
and Duke drove more than 16 miles across the moon in the Lunar Rover vehicle,
collecting more than 200 pounds of samples. It was the world's first flight
of a reusable, winged spacecraft; the first landing of a spacecraft on a
runway; and the largest, heaviest craft to launch and land until that time. The foam did not.

Memorials dedicated to the crew of Space Shuttle Columbia who died in the accident on February 1, 2003.

memoriam tributes

NASA Names Astronaut John Young Ambassador of Exploration

Statement From NASA on Foam-Shedding From External Tank

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The cameras worked well.

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Young received the award and
commemorative moon rock Wednesday at the Houston Museum of Natural Science,
where the items remain on display. He joined NASA in 1962, and his initial mission was as pilot of the
first manned flight of the Gemini Program in 1965.
Young's sixth and final space mission was again in command of Columbia on
the ninth Shuttle flight, STS-9 in 1983.
When he was not in flight , Young's extensive contributions continued. He
served as chief of NASA's Astronaut Office for 13 years.

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He next flew in 1966, commanding Gemini 10.

remembering gave

The awards remain
property of NASA, but are displayed at a museum or educational institution of
the recipient's choice.nasa.

descending gave

memoriam lasting

He is the only
astronaut to pilot four different types of spacecraft, flying in the Gemini,
Apollo and Space Shuttle programs.
"As with any unexpected occurrence, we will closely and thoroughly
evaluate this event and make any needed modifications to the Shuttle before we
launch again," NASA Administrator Michael Griffin said.nasa.

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"I know of no one who is more deserving of this
prestigious award. He also served eight
years as an assistant and associate director of NASA's Johnson Space Center,
providing advice and counsel on technical, operational and safety matters. "We have said
repeatedly that the first two flights in our Return to Flight sequence are
test flights.

memoriam astronauts

His fellow crewmembers, Thomas Stafford
and Eugene Cernan, descended to within 50,000 feet of the moon's surface in
the Lunar Module. Among the things we are testing are the integrity of the foam
insulation and the performance of new camera equipment installed to detect
problems.

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, is a retired U.
In 1969, two months before the first human lunar landing, Young orbited
the moon in the Apollo Command Module.
Young was at the helm of Columbia for the first Space Shuttle mission,
STS-1 in 1981, with Robert Crippen as pilot. The Shuttle will undergo further inspection beginning
Thursday to check for any significant damage to the orbiter.

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Young, a native of Orlando, Fla. He piloted
the Lunar Module to a landing on the surface, along with Charlie Duke."
Discovery's seven crew members are being updated with the latest ground
team analysis of the foam loss and are continuing to take part in the
inspection process.

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In a letter to the astronaut, NASA Administrator Michael Griffin stated
Young's superb service had earned him a national reputation as a true
Ambassador of Exploration .
Young was the first human to fly in space six times and launch seven
times. It was the first launch of the
Spacelab laboratory in the Shuttle's cargo bay.
There was no indication the piece of foam sighted Tuesday caused any
damage to Discovery.

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Apollo 10 was a rehearsal for the first lunar landing.
Young returned to the moon in 1972 as commander of Apollo 16.

For biographical and other information about John Young on the Web, visit:

http://www.jsc.gov/Bios /htmlbios/young.

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astronauts laz

S. It was the most extensive lunar
exploration mission to date. It was the longest Shuttle
flight until that time, with the first international crew working around the
clock for 10 days to conduct more than 70 experiments. Based on initial assessments, the foam --
which appears to measure approximately 24 to 33 inches long, 10 to 13 inches
wide and 2-1/2 to 8 inches thick -- was seen by high-resolution camera
equipment added to the Shuttle system after the loss of Columbia in 2003.
For the latest information about the STS-114 mission, visit:

http://www.

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The goal of the awards is to inspire a new generation
of explorers.

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Young is the longest serving astronaut in
history. He retired from NASA in December 2004.

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, after a two-day mission .

fallen tribute

Navy Captain and test
pilot.

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You have truly earned it through your extraordinary and
visionary contributions to our nation and to NASA," Griffin said. It
was the first time a manned spacecraft was launched without previous unmanned
test flights. Young guided the 96-ton Columbia to a perfect touchdown at
Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. HOUSTON, NASA engineers are evaluating the loss of
a large piece of insulation foam from the Space Shuttle Discovery's external
fuel tank during Tuesday's launch.

107 tribute

WASHINGTON, Space pioneer John Young has been
named a NASA Ambassador of Exploration .
The Ambassador of Exploration Award recognizes the sacrifices and
dedication of the Mercury , Gemini and Apollo astronauts. Along with Mike Collins, he
performed the first dual rendezvous maneuvers during a single mission. The
accident was caused by foam from the external tank hitting the orbiter during
launch.gov/returntoflight

107 memoriam

He launched six times from Earth and once from the moon . With Young and Commander
Virgil Grissom on board, Gemini 3 was the first American space flight with
more than one person.