Charles Duke facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Charles Duke
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Duke in September 1971
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| Born |
Charles Moss Duke Jr.
October 3, 1935 |
| Awards |
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| Space career | |
| NASA astronaut | |
| Rank | Brigadier General, USAF |
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Time in space
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11d 1h 51m |
| Selection | NASA Group 5 (1966) |
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Total EVAs
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3 |
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Total EVA time
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21h 38m |
| Missions | Apollo 16 |
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Mission insignia
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| Retirement | January 1, 1976 |
Charles Moss Duke Jr. (born October 3, 1935) is an American former astronaut, United States Air Force (USAF) officer, and test pilot. In 1972, he flew on the Apollo 16 mission as the pilot of the Lunar Module. At 36 years old, he became the tenth and youngest person to ever walk on the Moon.
Duke joined the Air Force after graduating from the United States Naval Academy in 1957. He became a fighter pilot and later attended the Aerospace Research Pilot School. In 1966, NASA chose him to be part of their fifth group of astronauts. He was a key part of the support team for Apollo 10. He also served as the voice of Mission Control (called CAPCOM) for Apollo 11, which was the first mission to land humans on the Moon. His famous Southern drawl voice was heard around the world as he talked to the astronauts on the Moon.
Before his own Moon mission, Duke was a backup pilot for Apollo 13. He accidentally exposed the main crew to rubella (German measles). Because one of the astronauts, Ken Mattingly, wasn't immune, he had to be replaced. Luckily, Mattingly was later assigned to Duke's mission, Apollo 16. On Apollo 16, Duke and John Young landed on the Moon and explored its surface three times. Duke left NASA in 1976. He later became a brigadier general in the Air Force Reserve and retired in 1986. He spent over 265 hours in space, including more than 21 hours walking on the Moon.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Charles Moss Duke Jr. was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, on October 3, 1935. He had an identical twin brother named William (Bill). His father was an insurance salesman, and his mother worked as a buyer.
When World War II started in 1941, his father joined the Navy. The family moved around a lot because of his father's military assignments. After the war ended in 1946, they settled in Lancaster, South Carolina. As a boy, Charles and his brother enjoyed building model airplanes. Charles was very active in the Boy Scouts of America and earned the highest rank, Eagle Scout, in 1946.
Charles decided he wanted a military career, just like his father. He aimed to attend the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. To prepare, he went to a military prep school called Admiral Farragut Academy in Florida. He passed the entrance exam and was accepted into the Naval Academy. He graduated in 1953 as the top student in his class.
While at the Naval Academy, Duke realized he loved flying. Even though a minor eye problem prevented him from becoming a Navy pilot, the Air Force said they would still accept him. In June 1957, he earned a degree in naval sciences and became a second lieutenant in the Air Force.
Air Force Career
After graduating, Duke began his flight training. He learned to fly propeller planes like the T-34 Mentor and T-28 Trojan. Then he moved on to jet aircraft, starting with the T-33 Shooting Star. He did very well in his training and chose to become a fighter pilot. He completed advanced training on the F-86 Sabre jet.
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Duke was assigned to a fighter squadron in West Germany. This was during the Cold War, when tensions were high between the United States and the Soviet Union. He chose this assignment because it was on the "front line." His squadron's planes were always ready to intercept any aircraft crossing the border from East Germany.
After three years, Duke decided to continue his education. He was accepted into the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to study aeronautics and astronautics. While studying in Boston, he met Dotty Meade Claiborne. They got married in June 1963. For his master's degree, Duke worked on the guidance systems for the Project Apollo missions. He earned his Master of Science degree in May 1964.
Next, Duke applied for the Air Force Aerospace Research Pilot School (ARPS) in California. This school trained pilots for space missions. The famous pilot Chuck Yeager was the commandant there. Duke did very well in the program. After graduating in September 1965, he stayed on as an instructor, teaching control systems and flying different jet aircraft. His first son, Charles Moss Duke III, was born in March 1965 while he was stationed there.
Becoming a NASA Astronaut
Selection and Training
In September 1965, NASA announced they were looking for a new group of astronauts. Duke saw the announcement and realized he met all the requirements. He applied only to NASA, even though he could have applied for another Air Force space program.
Duke was one of 44 finalists chosen for medical tests. These included many physical and psychological exams. The final step was an interview with a panel of astronauts and space experts. In April 1966, Duke received a call from Deke Slayton, a key NASA official, telling him he had been selected. NASA officially announced the 19 new astronauts on April 4, 1966.
Duke and his family moved to Texas, near other astronauts. Their second son, Thomas, was born in May 1967. Astronaut training was intense. It included four months of studies on astronomy, how spacecraft move in orbit, and how spacecraft systems work. A big part of the training was geology, so astronauts would know what rocks to look for on the Moon. This involved field trips to places like the Grand Canyon and Meteor Crater. They also had survival training in jungles and deserts.
Duke was assigned to work on the Saturn V rocket, which would launch the Apollo missions. He also flew T-38 Talon jets often, which was common for astronauts.
Lunar Module Specialist
The new astronauts were divided into two groups: those who would specialize in the command and service module (CSM) and those who would specialize in the Lunar Module (LM). Duke chose to be a Lunar Module specialist. He helped develop the LM's propulsion systems, especially the engine that would lift the astronauts off the Moon.
In 1969, Duke joined the support crew for Apollo 10. The support crew helped prepare the mission by creating flight plans, checklists, and emergency procedures. Duke was chosen because he knew a lot about the LM. He also served as the voice of Mission Control (CAPCOM) for Apollo 10.
It was unusual for someone to be CAPCOM for two missions in a row, but Neil Armstrong, the commander of Apollo 11, asked Duke to do it again. Apollo 11 was the first mission to land humans on the Moon. Duke's unique Southern drawl became famous around the world. He was the voice of Mission Control during the tense moments when the Lunar Module Eagle was running low on fuel during its landing. His first words to Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the Moon were: "Roger, Twank...Tranquility, we copy you on the ground. You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue. We're breathing again. Thanks a lot!"
Apollo 13 Incident
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Duke was chosen as the backup Lunar Module pilot for Apollo 13. The main crew for Apollo 13 included Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and Ken Mattingly. A few weeks before the launch, Duke caught rubella (German measles) from a friend's child. He accidentally exposed the main crew to the disease. It turned out that Mattingly was not immune, so he had to be replaced by Jack Swigert.
When an explosion happened on Apollo 13, it was a very serious situation. Duke, Mattingly, and Young worked in the simulators to help develop emergency plans to bring the crew back safely to Earth. The measles incident led to new rules: starting with Apollo 14, crews would be quarantined for three weeks before their flight to prevent illness.
Apollo 16 Mission
Training for the Moon
On March 3, 1971, Young, Mattingly, and Duke were officially named the crew for Apollo 16, the fifth mission to land on the Moon. They planned to land in the Descartes Highlands, a high region on the Moon. Scientists hoped to find rocks there that would explain how these highlands formed.
Their training included practicing in the Lunar Module simulator and driving a training version of the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV), a special Moon car. They also collected rock samples during geology field trips. In December 1971, Duke got the flu, which turned into pneumonia in both lungs. He was very sick.
Duke worried he wouldn't recover in time for the launch, which was set for March 17, 1972. But luckily, the launch was delayed until April 16 due to some technical issues with the spacecraft and spacesuits. This gave Duke enough time to recover. When Apollo 16 launched on April 16, 1972, Duke became the first twin to fly in space.
Journey to the Moon
The launch was smooth. The rocket stages worked perfectly, and the spacecraft entered low Earth orbit. After about 1.5 orbits, the rocket fired again, sending the craft towards the Moon at over 22,000 miles per hour (35,000 km/h).
In orbit around the Moon, the crew faced some minor problems. Duke had trouble with the Lunar Module's antenna, which made communications with Earth difficult. He had to manually copy down many numbers to enter into the computer. Also, the Lunar Module's pressurization system had a double failure. Young and Duke worked with Mission Control to find a way around the problem.
Young and Duke then separated their Lunar Module Orion from Mattingly in the Command and Service Module Casper. As Mattingly prepared to adjust Casper's orbit, a problem occurred with the engine's backup system. This caused severe shaking. Mission rules said Orion should have re-docked with Casper, but they didn't. They flew in formation while Mission Control decided whether it was safe to land.
Walking on the Moon
After four hours and three orbits, Mission Control gave the go-ahead to land. Because of the delay, the landing began about six hours late. Orion landed safely on the Cayley Plains at 02:23:35 UTC on April 21.
Charles Duke became the tenth person to walk on the Moon, right after John Young. Apollo 16 was the first mission to explore the rugged lunar highlands. Duke and Young spent 71 hours and 14 minutes on the Moon. During this time, they went on three spacewalks (called extravehicular activities or EVAs), spending over 20 hours outside. They set up scientific equipment, collected nearly 213 pounds (97 kg) of rocks and soil, and drove the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) over the roughest terrain yet seen on the Moon.
Towards the end of their time on the Moon, Duke tried to set a lunar high jump record. He jumped about 2.6 feet (0.81 meters) high but fell backward onto his backpack. It was a risky move, as a broken suit could have been very dangerous.
Journey Home
On the way back to Earth, Duke helped with a spacewalk in deep space. Mattingly climbed out of the Casper spacecraft to get film from the service module. After traveling over 1.2 million nautical miles (2.2 million km), the Apollo 16 mission ended with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on April 27. The crew was recovered by the aircraft carrier USS Ticonderoga.
Duke left two special items on the Moon. One was a plastic-covered photo of his family, taken by a NASA photographer. On the back, it said: "This is the family of Astronaut Duke from Planet Earth, who landed on the Moon on the twentieth of April 1972."
The other item was a special medal from the Air Force, celebrating its 25th anniversary. Duke was the only Air Force officer to visit the Moon that year. He left one silver medal on the Moon and gave another to the Air Force. Today, it is displayed at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Ohio, along with a Moon rock from Apollo 16.
Duke was also the backup Lunar Module pilot for Apollo 17. He trained for this mission, but he never flew in space again. He retired from NASA on January 1, 1976.
Later Life
After leaving NASA, Duke continued to serve in the Air Force Reserve. He was promoted to brigadier general in 1979 and retired from the Air Force in 1986. He had logged over 4,147 hours of flying time.
Duke later became involved in business. He and a partner started a successful beer distribution company in San Antonio, Texas. He also worked in real estate and served on the boards of several companies. He was chairman of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation from 2011 to 2012.
In 1978, Duke became a committed born-again Christian. He has said that his marriage and family life improved greatly after this. Both Duke and his wife, Dotty, are active in Christian ministry.
Awards and Honors
Charles Duke has received many awards and honors throughout his life. In 1973, he received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of South Carolina. He also received the NASA Distinguished Service Medal in 1972, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, and the Legion of Merit.
He was named South Carolina Man of the Year in 1973. He has been inducted into several halls of fame, including the South Carolina Hall of Fame (1973), the International Space Hall of Fame (1983), and the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame (1997). In 2019, he was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame. His name is also on The Astronaut Monument in Iceland. In 2019, he was named Texan of the Year for 2020. An asteroid, 26382 Charlieduke, was named in his honor.
Cultural Depictions
Duke has been featured in several documentaries and TV shows. He was the subject of the documentary Lunar Tribute, which premiered in 2017. In 2019, he was featured in the BBC World Service Podcast, 13 Minutes to the Moon, which marked 50 years since the Apollo 11 mission.
In 2018, the country music duo The Stryker Brothers released a song called "Charlie Duke Took Country Music To The Moon." This song tells the true story of how Duke brought two audio cassette tapes of country music to play during the Apollo 16 mission. Famous country artists like Merle Haggard and Dolly Parton recorded personalized messages for the astronauts on these tapes.
Duke has also been a character in a fictional youth audio adventure series called Jonathan Park. In television, he was played by J. Downing in the 1998 miniseries From the Earth to the Moon. In the 2019 TV series For All Mankind, he is played by Ben Begley.
Images for kids
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Young (right) and Duke maneuver a training version of the Lunar Roving Vehicle in a field at the Kennedy Space Center built to resemble the lunar surface.
See also
In Spanish: Charles M. Duke para niños
