WASHINGTON, May 26, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The
following is a statement from NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine on the passing of Apollo and
Skylab astronaut Alan Bean:
"Alan Bean once said 'I have the
nicest life in the world.' It's a comforting sentiment to recall as
we mourn his passing.
"As all great explorers are, Alan was a boundary pusher. Rather
than accepting the limits of technology, science, and even
imagination, he sought to advance those lines -- in all his life's
endeavors. Commissioned in the U.S. Navy in 1955, he chose the
challenging pursuit of flight training and, after four years as a
Naval pilot, decided to challenge himself further by attended the
Navy Test Pilot School and becoming a test pilot.
"He joined NASA's astronaut corps in 1963 and, just six years
later, was piloting the lunar module for the Apollo 12 mission.
During that mission, he walked on the Moon. Yet he pushed farther.
In 1973, Alan commanded the Skylab Mission II and broke a world
record with a 59-day flight traversing 24.4 million miles. In all,
he had a hand in breaking 11 world records in the areas of space
and astronautics.
"After logging 1,671 hours and 45 minutes in space, Alan passed
the baton to the next generation of astronauts and changed fronts,
looking to push the boundaries of his own imagination and ability
as an artist. Even in this endeavor, his passion for space
exploration dominated, as depicted most powerfully is his work
'Hello Universe.' We will remember him fondly as the great explorer
who reached out to embrace the universe."
For more information about Bean's NASA career, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/alan-bean
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SOURCE NASA