Swigert, John Leonard (Jack), Jr. (1931–1982)
American astronaut who served as Command Module pilot on Apollo
13. Swigert received a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University
of Colorado in 1953 and a M.S. in aerospace science from Rensselear Polytechnic
Institute in 1965. Having served with the Air Force (1953–56) and
as a jet fighter pilot with the Connecticut Air National Guard (1960–65),
he became one of 19 astronauts selected by NASA
in 1966. He served as a member of the astronaut support crews for Apollo
7 and Apollo 11, and was assigned
to the Apollo 13 backup crew before replacing prime crewman Thomas Mattingly
as command module pilot 24 hours prior to flight following Mattingly's exposure
to German measles. From April 1973 to September 1977, Swighert served as
executive director of the Committee on Science and Technology in the House
of Representatives. In 1978, he ran unsuccessfully for the United States
Senate. After several years in business, he ran for Congress and, in November
1982, won the new seat for Colorado's 6th congressional District. Swigert
died of complications from cancer on Dec. 27, 1982, a week before he was
due to take up office. He was the first circumlunar astronaut to die.
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• ASTRONAUTS
AND COSMONAUTS
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