NASA astronaut Tom Stafford, famed for U.S.-Soviet orbital handshake, has died at 93

NPR ^ | March 18, 2024 | Russell Lewis

[MikelTackNailer]

Holy crap, that's Deke Slayton! WWII badass (56 combat sorties), original Mercury guy disqualified for irregular heart-beat, worked his way through NASA and rebuilt himself to eventually become the oldest astronaut at that time (51).

He went to the stars in 1993 from a brain tumor.

[Weirdad]

Back in the day I got to work at NASA with Vance Brand’s daughter Susan, life sciences, she is so smart and nice.

I never got to meet her Dad, who is in the middle of the photo you posted.

That hookup was a great thing as part of a path to better times with the USSR. Great photo.

RIP Tom Stafford.

[Weirdad]

FYI, interesting, the Brands are still going strong:

https://www.reporterherald.com/2022/09/12/this-is-for-the-american-people-longmont-native-vance-brand-donates-40-acres-to-rocky-mountain-national-park/

[linMcHlp]

bttt