The Archives

1994

“When it came to flying the shuttle—the most complicated vehicle ever built, with more than 800 control switches, 2,600 cargo items, 83 scientific experiments and a satellite on board—the old man had a lot to learn,” Newsweek reported as 77-year-old John Glenn trained at the Johnson Space Center for his final mission to space as the subject of experiments regarding age. The record for oldest person ever to travel to space was broken in July on a Blue origin flight by 82-year-old female aviator Wally Funk and then again in mid-october by 90-year-old William Shatner of Star Trek fame.