Receives Ambassador Of Exploration Award

NASA honored veteran astronaut Richard Gordon, Jr., this weekend as an Ambassador of Exploration during a ceremony at The Museum of Flight in Seattle. Gordon was one of the three astronauts on Apollo 12, the second lunar landing mission.

Gordon, a retired U.S. Navy captain, became an astronaut in 1963. He spent more than 316 hours in space on two missions. He was the pilot aboard Gemini 11 in 1966. At the time of the flight, Gemini 11 set the world altitude record of 850 miles. Gordon made a second flight in 1969 as command pilot on Apollo 12, along with mission commander Charles Conrad and lunar module pilot, Alan Bean.

While Conrad and Bean explored the lunar surface, Gordon took mapping photographs of tentative future lunar landing sites. He also performed the final re-docking maneuvers following the successful rendezvous initiated by Conrad and Bean after their ascent from the moon's surface.

In addition to receiving the Exploration Award plaque, Gordon was presented Saturday with a moon rock to recognize the sacrifices and dedication of the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo astronauts. The moon rocks are part of the 842 pounds of samples returned during the six lunar expeditions from 1969 to 1972, according to a NASA release.

Museum of Flight president Dr. Bonnie Dunbar, herself a NASA astronaut, received the moon rock on behalf of the museum, where it will remain on display.

FMI: www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/gordon-rf.html