Astronaut John Young, Walked On Moon, Flew Shuttle, Dies At 87

HOUSTON, TX – John Young, who walked on the moon and flew the first Space Shuttle Mission, is dead. He was 87-years-old.

NASA announced his death on Twitter.

"We're saddened by the loss of astronaut John Young, who was 87," they wrote. "Young flew twice to the Moon, walked on its surface & flew the first Space Shuttle mission.

"He went to space six times in the Gemini, Apollo & Space Shuttle programs."

Young was the first astronaut to go into space six times. He was also the only person to be on the "first flight" of two separate new spacecraft: the Gemini 3 craft and the Space Shuttle. He was the commander of that first flight.

He joined NASA after a career with the Navy where he reached the rank of captain.

Young was mourned by colleagues in the space program.

"Saddened for the loss of former astronaut colleague John Young - the astronauts’ astronaut, a true legend," Scott Kelly wrote on Twitter. "Fair winds and following seas, Captain."

NASA Acting Administrator Robert Lightfoot said that the world has "lost a pioneer. Astronaut John Young's storied career spanned three generations of spaceflight; we will stand on his shoulders as we look toward the next human frontier.

"John was one of that group of early space pioneers whose bravery and commitment sparked our nation's first great achievements in space. But, not content with that, his hands-on contributions continued long after the last of his six spaceflights -- a world record at the time of his retirement from the cockpit."

Photo of Young on the Moon courtesy NASA.