VIDEO: Apollo astronaut Al Worden dies at 88; celebrated moon landing 50th on the Outer Banks

Col. Al Worden (left), Moose and Jody. [Sam Walker photo]

UPDATED: Retired U.S. Air Force Col. Al Worden, command module pilot of Apollo 15, passed away in his sleep Wednesday at age 88.

He performed the first deep-space spacewalk more than 200,000 miles from Earth during the 1971 mission.

Worden stopped by Beach 104 on on July 17, 2019, to talk with Moose and Jody about the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing.

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Worden presented “Apollo 11: Behind the Scene” on the North Lawn of the Whalehead Club in Corolla on Thursday at 8 p.m. Admission is free.

As support for Apollo 9, back-up crew-member for Apollo 12 and primary on Apollo 15, Worden will be sharing his personal insights and experiences that led to mankind’s greatest technological accomplishment – landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth.

“I’m excited to make my first visit to the Outer Banks and the birthplace of heavier-than-air flight,” Worden said.

“When Apollo 15’s Saturn V lifted off, we were, at that time, the heaviest object to ever lift off the ground at nearly 7 million pounds,” Worden said.

“Throughout my life, as I’m sure every pilots does, I’ve appreciated the determination and innovative spirit the Wright Brothers demonstrated and know how much we owe them as we reached for and achieved our Lunar objectives,” Worden said.

Worden’s presentation will feature film clips and rarely-seen Apollo 11 photos, giving the audience a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear from one of the 12 remaining Apollo Lunar explorers.

As CMP on Apollo 15, he was also the first man to ever perform a deep-space extra-vehicular activity, or space walk, just outside lunar orbit.

His 65 solo revolutions around the moon also earned him the Guinness Record as the most isolated man ever.

Since his mission in 1971, Worden has dedicated his life to inspiring the next generation of students and explorers.

“It’s been a lifelong endeavor reaching out to and sharing my experiences with young men and women around the world,” Worden said.

“Getting to Mars and beyond is going to take all kinds of talent, not just pilots and navigators, but men and women of every discipline,” Worden said. “The methodical approach we took on Apollo sets an example for programs in the future – and that future starts now.”

Twiddy & Company, Currituck Travel and Tourism and Kallman Worldwide Inc., the New Jersey based air show organizers are sponsoring Worden’s visit to the Outer Banks. “We’re honored to have such an American hero in our ranks and very excited to spend time with Al Worden,” said Clark Twiddy of Twiddy & Company.

“Twiddy & Company has supported numerous events like this, but on the 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11, this is particularly special opportunity for our guests and the entire Outer Banks community,” Twiddy said.

“Al plans to visit the Wright Brothers Memorial, view the beaches from a bi-plane, and watch the sunset from the Outer Banks like millions before him,” said Tom Kallman, President & CEO of Kallman Worldwide.

“We’re just happy that so many people will be able to learn about the Apollo program and especially Apollo 11 from someone who was right there in the middle of it.”

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About Sam Walker 1512 Articles
Sam Walker was news director for OBXToday.com, Beach 104, 99.1 The Sound, Big 94.5 WCMS and Z 92.3 from August 2011 to March 2022.