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Alfred Merrill Worden

Alfred Merrill Worden

Male 1932 - 2020  (88 years)  Submit Photo / DocumentSubmit Photo / Document


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  • Name Alfred Merrill Worden 
    Born 7 Feb 1932  Jackson, Jackson, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Census 1940 
    1940 Worden.
    1940 Worden.
    1940 US census, Summit, Jackson, Michigan, enumeration district 38-67, Family Number 301, Worden.
    Occupation 1971 
    NASA astronaut who was the Command Module Pilot for Apollo 15.  
    Astronaut Worden Will Be Busiest Man In Parking Orbit.
    Astronaut Worden Will Be Busiest Man In Parking Orbit.
    The San Bernardino County Sun, Tuesday, May 25 1971 section B, page 3.
    Apollo 15 Command Ship To Be Flying Laboratory
    Apollo 15 Command Ship To Be Flying Laboratory
    The Progress-Bulletin, Pomona, California, Sunday, July 18, 1971 Section A, page 3.
    Astronaut Worden Takes First Walk In Deep Space.
    Astronaut Worden Takes First Walk In Deep Space.
    The Capital Times, Madison, Wisconsin, Thursday, August 5, 1971 page 4.
    Apollo 15 Down.
    Apollo 15 Down.
    The Manhattan (Kansas) Mercury. Sunday, August 8, 1971 section A, page 1 & 8.
    Apollo 15 Down 2.
    Apollo 15 Down 2.
    The Manhattan (Kansas) Mercury. Sunday, August 8, 1971 section A, page 1 & 8.
    Alfred Worden Astronaut.
    Alfred Worden Astronaut.
    Alfred Worden Astronaut.
    Apollo 15 Crew.
    Apollo 15 Crew.
    Al flew with David Scott and James Irwin. In the background is their mission patch consisting of tree stylized birds flying across the moon. To the right of the birds the crater shadows form IV, the Roman numeral for 15.
    Apollo 15 Rover.
    Apollo 15 Rover.
    Apollo 15 was the first mission to use a lunar rover. Seen here the crew poses with the rover trainer. Al is sitting on the front of the rover.
    Apollo 15
    Apollo 15
    Apollo 15 Saturn V launch vehicle being transported to the launch site.
    Apollo 15 Lift-off
    Apollo 15 Lift-off
    Apollo 15 Lift-off
    Apollo 15 Lift-off.
    Apollo 15 Lift-off.
    Apollo 15 Lift-off.
    Apollo 15 Command Module.
    Apollo 15 Command Module.
    Worden was busy while the rest of the Apollo crew was on the moon. The Apollo 15 command module was the first to be equipped with a Scientific instrument Module (SIM). It contained cameras, a gamma ray spectrometer, a laser altimeter and a mass spectrometer. It is seen here open. The cover was jettisoned as the crew made the trip to the moon.

    Worden had to operate the camera shutters and turn the various sensors on and off as needed. He mapped over 25% of the moons surface and made detailed studies of the dark side of the moon which had never been studied in such detail before. His work was used to choose the landing sight for Apollo 17.

    Between experiments he had to exorcise. It was found that even on short duration flights, astronauts became weakened due to the lack of gravity. Bungee cords provided resistance to pull on to keep their shoulders and arms strong. Worden would also fold away the center couch and jog on the stop.

    Each time the moon was between Worden and the Earth the result was a radio-blackout. Each time he reappeared he would call out "Hello Earth; Greetings from Endeavour" in a different language having researched the translations before he left Earth.
    Apollo 15 Subsatellite.
    Apollo 15 Subsatellite.
    Here the Apollo 15 crew poses by the training rover with a mock-up of the Particles and Fields Subsatellite (PFS-1) was a small satellite released into lunar orbit from the SIM bay just before the mission left orbit to return to Earth. Its was designed to study the plasma, particle fields of the moon to detect volcanic activity. It mapped magnetic field and the gravity field of the moon.
    PFS-1 Launch.
    PFS-1 Launch.
    The PFS-1 was launched from the Apollo 15 command module SIM bay just before the crew started their journey back to Earth on August 4, 1971.

    It was designed to have a one year life span. On Feb. 3, 1972 an electronic failure ended it's mission. In spite of the shortened life all mission objectives were fulfilled and it was considered a success.

    After communications ceased a decaying orbit undoubtedly caused it to crash on the Moon's surface.
    Worden EVA.
    Worden EVA.
    Worden holds two world's records that are still standing as of 2020

    His lunar orbit at one point had him 2,235 away from the rest of the Apollo crew on the moon. The Guinness Book Of World records" declared him to be the "most isolated human being".

    On the return trip he performed an extravehicular activity (EVA), or spacewalk, to retrieve film cassettes from cameras on the exterior of the spacecraft. It was considered the first "deep space" EVA in history, it took place 196,000 miles from Earth. By comparison the astronauts working outside the international space station are at a maximum of 255 miles away.

    This frame from a 16MM film represents the best picture made of him during that portion of the mission.
    Worden EVA.
    Worden EVA.
    NASA artist depiction of Worden's deep-space walk. Jim Irwin assisted remaining in the hatch as Worden did the work needed and retrieved the film canisters. He spent 38 minutes outside of the spacecraft.
    Stand by for a Hard Impact
    Stand by for a Hard Impact
    The Apollo 15 crew had no idea any thing was wrong until the recovery ship USS Okinawa transmitted; "Apollo 15, this is Okinawa. You have a streamed chute. Stand by for a hard impact."

    It would later be determined that the heat from excess fuel burning from the Command Module Reaction Control System likely caused the lines to break. Fortunately the system was over designed. A normal reentry should have slowed the capsule to 22 miles per hour. With two chutes the speed should have been 25 miles per hour. None of the astronauts were injured.
    Apollo 15 Crew Recovered.
    Apollo 15 Crew Recovered.
    Apollo 15 astronauts exiting the recovery helicopter. They were the first Apollo mission not required to go into quarantine. From studying the crews, the soils and, samples returned from previous missions medical experts had come to the conclusion that there was no risk.
    Biographical Information 1972 
    Apollo 15 Cover.
    Apollo 15 Cover.
    Apollo 15 carried about 400 unauthorized postal covers to the moon. The crew; Scott, Worden and' Irwin agreed to take payments for carrying the covers. It became generally known in 1972. They returned the money and, were reprimanded by NASA. Press coverage led to a Senate committee investigation. The crew was grounded and never flew in space again.

    Sadly a quick look at NASA's official store shows that the "profiting from space exploration" that the three were berated for is now standard operating procedure.
    Military Service U.S. Air Force Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Colonel 
    Worden Class Photo.
    Worden Class Photo.
    United States Air Force Test Pilot School, 1964, Class 64C. Al is in the back row on the right.

    From the privately published book, USAF Test Pilot School, 50 Years and Beyond, page 86.
    Died 17 Mar 2020  Sugar Land, Fort Bend, Texas Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Siblings 3 siblings 
    Headstones Submit Headstone Photo Submit Headstone Photo 
    Person ID I53248  Nagel
    Last Modified 4 Mar 2021 

    Father Merrill Bangs Worden,   b. 9 Aug 1904, Jackson County, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 17 Apr 1978, Miami, Miami-Dade, Florida Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 73 years) 
    Relationship Birth 
    Mother Helen Garnett Crowell,   b. 20 Dec 1909, Charlevoix, Charlevoix, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 9 Jun 2004  (Age 94 years) 
    Relationship Birth 
    Married 16 Nov 1929  Jackson, Jackson, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F15574  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 1 Pamela Vander Beek 
    Divorced Dec 1969 
    Children 
     1. Merrill Worden,   b. 16 Jan 1959  [Birth]
     2. Alison Worden,   b. 6 Apr 1960  [Birth]
    Last Modified 9 Jul 2020 
    Family ID F15576  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 2 Sandra Lee Wilder 
    Married Sep 1974 
    Divorced Jan 1980 
    Last Modified 9 Jul 2020 
    Family ID F15577  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 3 Jill Lee Lafferty,   b. 6 Oct 1943,   d. 4 May 2014, Vero Beach, Indian River, Florida Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 70 years) 
    Married 9 Jul 1982  Palm Beach, Palm Beach, Florida Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Last Modified 9 Jul 2020 
    Family ID F15575  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart