Scott Carpenter Dies at 88: Second NASA Astronaut to Orbit the Earth Passes Away
NASA has lost another of their pioneer astronauts, as Scott Carpenter passed away at age 88. The former astronaut, author, fighter and loving husband and father died due to complications after having suffered from a stroke last September.
According to CBC Canada, Carpenter is the second US astronaut who orbited the Earth. The noble profession led him to "conquer fear and quench his very own deep level of curiosity." Along with John Glenn, he was one of the last living survivors who were members of the Mercury 7 space mission until he gave his last breath in Denver.
Another amazing accomplishment that Carpenter had during his NASA days was when he had the chance to discover the ocean floor as a result of missing out on his landing spot that left everyone at the edge of their seats. Hence, he became an aquanaut as he discovered the sea floor by staying underwater for almost a month, Newser reports.
It was Carpenter too who sent off his good friend and colleague Glenn to space on Feb 20, 1962. He himself was sent off to a journey after three months inside a capsule which he named as Aurora 7.
CNN recounts the noble astronaut's life when he rejoined the navy during the World War II and returned to the University of Colorado where he was given the bachelor's degree for the aeronautical engineering course in 1962. He came back to serve the navy in 1949 and since then was recognized more than just a space discovered but as a fighter, test pilot and an intelligence officer.
As an author, Carpenter wrote several books with the following titles such as For Spacious Skies: The Uncommon Journey of a Mercury Astronaut, Steel Albatross, and Deep Flight.
"We will miss his passion, his talent and his lifelong commitment to exploration," Charles Bolden said in behalf of the NASA administration giving tribute to the contribution and inspiration that Carpenter has shared to future space discoveries. Carpenter's daughter Kristen Stoever told ABC News Radio how "shocked" they all were but remains at an all salute state for her dad for having conquered not just the universe but also the seas.
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