Astronaut tells of Nasa mission to the moon
HAVING been one of only seven men chosen to be Apollo command module pilots, millions watched on TV worldwide as Nasa astronaut Al Worden flew to the moon in July 1971, and this week he visited Aberdare.
Colonel Worden was in the Cynon Valley town to speak about his time in space, and his personal views on intelligent life on other plants.
Col Worden, now aged 85, was the command module pilot for the famous Apollo 15 lunar mission in 1971, and is one of just 24 people that have flown to the moon.
He’s also in the Guinness Book of World Records for being “the most isolated human being ever” after travelling further than any other human being in space. His travels last week brought him to the Coliseum Theatre in Aberdare to a talk arranged by Dark Sky Wales and Rhondda Cynon Taf council.
Coun Ann Crimmings, cabinet member for environment and leisure, with responsibility for cultural services, said: “Col Worden is a member of a unique club of Nasa Apollo Moon Mission pilots, with a remarkable story to tell.
“The council, in association with Dark Sky Wales, was delighted to welcome such an inspirational man to Rhondda Cynon Taff.
“The audience, made up of children and adults, remained spellbound with his stories.”
Col Worden performed the first-ever deep space Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA) – an activity carried out by an astronaut outside a spacecraft.
Coun Crimmings said four decades after his Apollo 15 lunar mission, Col Worden, the first man to moonwalk in deep space, remains as passionate and committed about the universe as ever before and is keen to inspire younger generations to fall in love with the sky at night.
She added: “Rhondda Cynon Taf council and Dark Sky Wales has a strong and proud association which goes back a long way and this has resulted in our county borough becoming one of the best star-gazing locations in the UK.”