Space Pioneer Wally Schirra Dies At 84

Navy Pilot Flew In Mercury, Gemini And Apollo Programs

(CBS/AP)  His Gemini mission represented a major step forward in the nation's space race with the Soviet Union, proving that two ships could dock in space. Schirra's Apollo 7 mission in 1968 restored the nation's confidence in the space program, which had been shaken a year earlier when three astronauts were killed in a fire on the launch pad.

His last space flight, aboard Apollo 7, shot into space on Dec. 15 atop a Saturn rocket, a version of which would later carry men to the moon. But Schirra and his two fellow crewmembers were grumpy for most of the 11-day trip. All three developed bad colds that proved to be a major nuisance in weightlessness.

The following year, Schirra resigned from NASA and retired from the Navy with the rank of captain. He had logged 295 hours 154 minutes in space.

"Mostly it's lousy out there," Schirra said in 1981 on the occasion of the first space shuttle flight. "It's a hostile environment, and it's trying to kill you. The outside temperature goes from a minus 450 degrees to a plus 300 degrees. You sit in a flying Thermos bottle."

Roger Launius, a space historian at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, said Schirra "had a personality that was fun and effervescent. He had the gift of gab. He was able to take complex engineering and scientific ideas and translate that to something that was understandable."

Launius recalled that Schirra smuggled a corned beef sandwich on his Gemini flight and also reported seeing a UFO ... Santa Claus.

A Family Of Fliers

Wally, as he liked to be called, was born in Hackensack, N.J., to an aviation family (his father, a Navy captain and pilot during World War I, later barnstormed at county fairs; his mother was a wing walker) who was flying planes in his mid-teens. After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in June 1945, he served in the Seventh Fleet and later flew 90 combat missions in the Korean War. He was credited with shooting down one Soviet MiG-15 and possibly a second. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross and two Air Medals.

In the 1950s, he served as a test pilot at China Lake, Calif., where he participated in tests of the Sidewinder missile and other defense systems.

He complemented CBS anchorman Walter Cronkite during broadcasts of the Appolo lunar flights and the two became a powerful space-coverage team. His commentary on CBS' Apollo 11 moon landing provided half of what he dubbed "Walter-To-Walter coverage." Schirra continued to work with CBS until 1975.

In 1984, he moved to the San Diego suburb of Rancho Santa Fe, serving on corporate boards and as an independent consultant. He also was a director of the San Diego Aerospace Museum, a trustee of the Scripps Aquarium, and a member of the International Council of the Salk Institute.

He also co-authored several books, including "We Seven" (1960), "Schirra's Space" (1988), and "Apollo: The Epic Journey to the Moon" (2002).

Schirra was inducted into the Naval Aviation Hall of Honor in 2000.

His favorite craft became the Windchime, a 36-foot sailboat.

Survivors include his wife Josephine, his daughter Suzanne, and son Walter Schirra III.

[michellem99-2009]

Even tho I was a girl at the time,they were my girlhood heroes. That is BEFORE the bosoxs.I did when in high school had 2 pen pals I wrote to .Foster mum tryed to put a stop to my space interests. I was so hurt when I came home from school one day It was gone .Everything. It all met something to me. I remember him sharing and teaching us about the flights on TV. I loved to listen both Walter/Wally talk about it. I was able to hear Gene Cernan/Ron Evans share their mission in person in Portland ME. I met the teacher who was killed in the space shuttle at her church as she served us thanksgiving dinner in Concord NH 85. She was so nice. As a legally blind person,I am grateful for the space program.I send my heart felt prayers to his loved ones. A true hero .

[louklou51]

One of the last American heroes, rest in peace, Wally, you earned it. God Bless.

[paviles394]

Another hero gone..we can use more these days.

[b1falcon]

Wally Schirra was truly one of the best and my my condolences go out to his family.
I was a member of the launch support team at Kennedy Space Center during the Appolo Missions and it was a great honor. I still have all of the certificates, patches, coins and envelopes (for mailing from the KSC Post Office). It was also an honor to have known, (in passing), most of the astronauts during my tour with NASA. Again, I extend my heartfelt sympathy to Wally's family, and my thanks to him for being one of the original pioneers of our great space program.
He will be missed by those of us who knew of his accomplishments.

[mitywhity]

Another irreplacable member of our greatest generation gone away. I hope I catch the last bus out of here with the final member of that generation.

[arthurcl1]

He was a real Hero to the American People and our Space Program!

[michellem99-2009]

I am 52. I am so sad that this gentleman is no longer here. I was 10 when Ed White walked in space,saw that on TV. I loved the Apollo flights and saw most of it on TV. Due to the foster homes I was not allowed to watch most of the missions due their remarks which did hurt. I saw them golf on the moon/Apollo 14. Apollo 15 riding on the moon. Apollo13 returning to earth as a class as I her for thim. My fave mission was Apollo 17.I followed the Apollo missions the best as I was able to. Apollo 17 will always be secial to me for personal reasons. I lost the scrap books I use to have years ago due things the beyondmy control as they went missimg my foster Mum. I did look uo the moom felt it was men were walking on the moon. The kids today can only read about it. I watched live TV as it happened. I still follow manned flight.I am glad women now go into space. I have alway felt ought and should have yeaers ago. i saw some Apollo 7.They were doing a TV cast from inside the cm. Heard the Bible read at Christmas time 68. The pc we have haveis more powerful than than what they used in the Apollo flights. Never dreamed we be on computers years ago. My heart felt prayer go out his loved ones. Peace and love.

[canaima]

A head cold wasn't the only reason Wally was "grumpy" on his Apollo flight. He was also extremely upset that NASA decided to launch Apollo 7 even though winds aloft were stronger than 25 MPH to the west. He remarked that they had promised him that this would never happen, but they went ahead & launched anyway despite the promise. So Wally felt that NASA had broken their promise, and it upset him greatly. In the event of an abort of the launch, west winds would push the command module over land and, not being designed to come down over land, there were serious concerns about the survivability of a crew during a hard landing that wasn't in water.

News items that mention his "grumpiness" during Apollo 7 seldom ever mention this. It was also, according to Schirra, one of the reasons he finally decided to retire from NASA when he did. Who can blame him for being upset?

Godspeed, SkyRay! Thanks for helping us finally conquer the moon!

[pensacola8-2009]

My Salute to you Wally!! The world owes you a debt of gratitude! We'll keep the fire burning!

[mottasa-2009]

Truly a great American. Farewell Wally, your legacy continues.

[freckster]

I met him once at the Huntsville AL Space & Rocket Center. Nice guy. Something about astronauts - at least the early ones. They are different. They have an aura about them. I've met a few and even before I knew who they were I felt they were something special.

[infidel_us]

Goodbye to an American hero. Your contributions to your country and to science will not be forgotten.

[resqdiver4]

IKrupp I must agree with you. I am 45 and can remember vividly my childhood growing up through the Mercury Program and those wonderful years watching the Apollo Missions. I too had hopes of seeing a manned mission to Mars and the possibility of colonizing the moon, but I guess we can only hope our children will see it and get the wonderful experience it was to see Neil make that first step on another world. God Speed to Wally and those who have blazened the trails to boldly go where no man has gone before. My sincere prayers and Thanks go out to his family in their time of grief for sharing this great astronaut with those of us who can only dream of what spaceflight was really like.

[lkrupp-2009]

It seems crazy that the original space pioneers are now slowly dying off. I'm rather pessimistic about the future of manned exploration. The scientific community is generally against manned missions, preferring instead robotic probes. They're getting more bang for the buck I guess. I'm 56 years old now and hope is fading for me to see a manned mission to Mars in my lifetime. I would like to experience one more time the thrill I felt as I watched Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon LIVE on television. If you weren't there I can't explain it to you.