Alfred Worden
Apollo 15 command module pilot; orbited the Moon 74 times.
Alfred Merrill Worden, born in Michigan in 1932, grew up on farms and attended the University of Michigan for a year on a scholarship before entering West Point. He graduated in 1955 and chose the U.S. Air Force, despite having no flight experience. After proving himself as a fighter pilot and test pilot, he was selected as a NASA astronaut in 1966. Worden served on the support crew for Apollo 9 and the backup crew for Apollo 12 before being named command module pilot for Apollo 15 in 1970, alongside commander David Scott and lunar module pilot James Irwin.
During the 1971 mission, after Scott and Irwin landed on the Moon, Worden spent three days alone in the command module Endeavour, orbiting the Moon 74 times. This made him the human being who has traveled farthest from any other person, a record he still holds. He photographed the Moon and operated scientific instruments. On the return trip, he performed the first deep-space spacewalk to retrieve film cassettes from the spacecraft’s exterior, an EVA that remains the most distant from Earth as of 2026.
After the mission, Worden and his crewmates were reprimanded by NASA for taking postal covers to the Moon, and none flew in space again. He stayed with NASA until 1975 at the Ames Research Center, then moved into the private sector. He chaired the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation’s board from 2005 to 2011, made public appearances promoting space exploration and science education, and died in 2020.
Worden was the second of six children, born to Merrill and Helen Worden. He attended several Michigan grade schools and graduated from Jackson High School, where he was student council president and a First Class Scout. After a one-year scholarship to the University of Michigan, he chose West Point over the Naval Academy, beginning in 1951. He later said farm life motivated his path to NASA. At West Point, he ran cross country, did gymnastics, cheered, and graduated 47th out of 470 in 1955 with a bachelor’s in military science.
Commissioned in the Air Force, Worden learned to fly at Moore Air Force Base on T-34s, then advanced to T-33 jets at Laredo and F-86D Sabres at Tyndall. He served with the 95th Fighter Interceptor Squadron near Washington, D.C., flying F-86Ds and F-102s, and was his squadron’s armament officer from 1957 to 1961. Seeking career growth, he studied aerospace engineering at the University of
- born
- February 7, 1932
- died
- March 18, 2020
- field
- Test pilot, engineer, NASA astronaut
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Command module pilot for Apollo 15; farthest distance from any other human being; first deep-space EVA
Lore & Background
Alfred Merrill Worden was born on February 7, 1932, in Jackson, Michigan, the son of Merrill Bangs Worden and Helen Garnett Worden. He grew up on farms and attended the University of Michigan for one year before securing an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. Graduating in 1955, he chose to be commissioned in the United States Air Force despite having no piloting experience. He became adept at flying fighter planes, honed his skills as a test pilot, and was selected as a NASA astronaut in Group 5 in 1966. He served on the support crew for Apollo 9 and the backup crew for Apollo 12 before being selected for the Apollo 15 crew in 1970, with David Scott as commander and James Irwin as lunar module pilot.
During Apollo 15, after reaching lunar orbit and his crewmates landed on the Moon, Worden spent three days alone in the command module, becoming the individual who traveled the farthest from any other human being, a distinction he still holds. He took many photographs of the Moon and operated scientific instruments. On the return flight, he performed an extravehicular activity (EVA) to retrieve film cassettes from the exterior of the spacecraft, the first deep-space EVA and, as of 2026, the one farthest from Earth.
After the mission, the crew became involved in a controversy over postal covers they had taken to the Moon; they were reprimanded by NASA and did not fly in space again. Worden remained at NASA until 1975 at the Ames Research Center, then entered the private sector. He engaged in business activities and served as chair of the board of directors of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation from 2005 until 2011. He made many public appearances promoting space and science education before his death in 2020.
Reader's Guide
Alfred Worden's significance lies in his role as command module pilot for Apollo 15, during which he orbited the Moon 74 times alone in the command module, setting the record for the farthest distance any human has traveled from another human being. He also performed the first deep-space extravehicular activity, retrieving film cassettes from the spacecraft exterior, a feat that remains the farthest EVA from Earth as of 2026. His scientific work included photographing the Moon and operating instruments that probed its surface. The postal covers controversy that followed the mission led to a reprimand from NASA and ended his spaceflight career, but he continued to contribute to aerospace through his work at NASA's Ames Research Center and later in the private sector. His long involvement with the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation and public advocacy for space and science education helped shape his legacy beyond his flight.
Did You Know?
- Worden orbited the Moon 74 times in the command module Endeavour during Apollo 15.
- He holds the record for being the individual who traveled the farthest from any other human being.
- Worden performed the first deep-space extravehicular activity (EVA) in history.
- He was a Boy Scout and earned the rank of First Class Scout.
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