James Irwin
Jim Irwin | |
---|---|
NASA astronaut | |
Rank | Colonel, USAF |
Time in space | 12d 7h 12m |
Selection | NASA Group 5 (1966) |
Total EVAs | 4 3 EVAs on the moon 1 EVA stand-up |
Total EVA time | 18h 35m |
Missions | Apollo 15 |
Mission insignia | |
Retirement | July 31, 1972 |
James Benson "Jim" Irwin (March 17, 1930 – August 8, 1991) was an American
Early life and education
Irwin was born March 17, 1930, in
At about the age of 12, he informed his mother about his desire to go to the Moon, letting her know that he might be the first person to do so
He received initial flight training at
Irwin was also a developmental test pilot for the
In 1961, a student pilot that Irwin was training crashed the plane they were flying on a training mission. They both survived, but Irwin suffered
During his military service, he accumulated more than 7,015 hours flying time, of which 5,300 hours were in jet aircraft.[8]
Personal life
Irwin was raised in a Christian household but stopped actively practicing the religion at age 10. He became a devout
In 1952, Irwin married his first wife, who was a Catholic. The two had an unhappy marriage made worse by his devotion to his work. By his own account, the marriage failed after two years due to his poor, borderline cruel treatment of her, and he later stated that finding religion again made familial relationships much easier.
In 1959, Irwin married his second wife, the former Mary Ellen Monroe (born 1938). They were married until his death.
Irwin had five children.[10][11]
NASA career
Irwin was one of the 19
Apollo 15
Between July 26 and August 7, 1971 – as the Apollo 15
Apollo 15 landed in the Moon's
Once the
During the post-trans-Earth injection (TEI) phase of the mission there wasn't much more for Irwin to do other than provide help with Al Worden's EVA to retrieve film magazines from the CSM's SIM bay, by donning a pressure suit and monitoring him. He was able to rest and apparently recover during the rest of the mission.[16] The flight surgeons continued to monitor his EKG until splashdown, but his heart rhythm was normal.[18] This incident was not discussed during the mission debriefing sessions, and the condition did not appear when he returned to Earth.[19]
Post-NASA career
After the return of Apollo 15 to Earth, it was discovered that without authority the crew had taken 398 commemorative
I felt the power of God as I'd never felt it before.
Irwin, describing his experience during the Apollo 15 lunar mission.[14]
By his own admission, Irwin was not a committed Christian during his years at NASA. After his retirement as a
Beginning in 1973, Irwin led several expeditions to Mount Ararat, Turkey, in search of the remains of Noah's Ark.[2] In 1982, he was injured during the descent and had to be transported down the mountain on horseback.[26] In More Than Earthlings, Irwin wrote expressing his view that the Genesis creation narrative was real, literal history.[27][28]
Death
Irwin suffered three major heart attacks. One occurred less than two years after Apollo 15, when Irwin was 43, while he was playing
On August 8, 1991, Irwin suffered another heart attack after a bicycle ride. Attempts at resuscitation were unsuccessful, and Irwin died later that day. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.[30] He and his wife, Mary Ellen, to whom he was married for three decades, had five children.[21]
Of the 12
A patch cut by Irwin from a backpack abandoned on the Moon during the Apollo 15 mission was auctioned at Christie's in 2001 for $310,500 in a consignment of material from Irwin's estate that garnered "a combined $500,000".[32]
Organizations
Irwin was a member of the
Irwin was a member of Civitan International, a nonprofit organization promoting community service, scientific research, and service to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.[35]
Awards and honors
- Command Pilot Astronaut Wings[6]
- Air Force Distinguished Service Medal[6]
- two Air Force Commendation Medals[6]
- NASA Distinguished Service Medal[6]
- United Nations Peace Medal, 1971[6]
- City of New York Gold Medal, 1971[6]
- City of Chicago Gold Medal, 1971[6]
- Air Force Association's David C. Schilling Trophy, 1971[6]
- Robert J. Collier Trophy, 1971[6]
- Haley Astronautics Award (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics), 1972[6]
- Arnold Air Society's John F. Kennedy Trophy, 1972[6]
Irwin's other awards include: Belgium's
He was also awarded an
He was inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame in 1983,[14][36] and posthumously into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, on October 4, 1997.[37][38]
In 1973, When Irwin visited the city of Minden, Louisiana, to address a gathering at the First Baptist Church, Mayor Tom Colten declared "James Irwin Day" and made Irwin an "honorary citizen of Minden."[39]
In media
In the 1998 HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon Irwin was played by Gareth Williams.[40]
Bibliography
- To Rule the Night: The Discovery Voyage of Astronaut Jim Irwin (with William A. Emerson, Jr., 1973)
- More Than Earthlings (1983)
- More Than an Ark on Ararat: Spiritual Lessons Learned While Searching for Noah's Ark (with Monte Unger, 1985)
- Destination: Moon (1989)
- Flight Of The Falcon: The Thrilling Adventures Of Colonel Jim Irwin (1991)
See also
References
- ^ ISBN 0-15-100964-3.
- ^ a b c "Astronaut-turned-evangelist dies of heart attack". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. August 10, 1991. p. 7A.
- ^ "A Who's Who on Apollo Crew". Daily News. New York, New York. July 26, 1971. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Allen, Sam (1985) [1985]. To Ulster's Credit. Killinchy, UK. p. 123.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Interview with Jim Irwin's parents after his selection to NASA (1966, published at YouTube on January 17, 2018)
- ^ National Aeronautics and Space Administration. August 1991. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
- ^ "Living With an American Hero | Latest Space News". Echoesofapollo.com. Archived from the original on August 10, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
- ^ a b Flight of the Falcon: The Thrilling Adventures of Colonel Jim Irwin
- ^ "From Ike to athletes to Elmirans, surgeon touched many". Star Gazette. September 18, 2015. Retrieved December 10, 2017.
- ^ Wilford, John Noble (August 10, 1991). "James B. Irwin, 61, Ex-Astronaut; Founded Religious Organization". The New York Times.
- ^ "James Benson Irwin".
- ^ Thompson, Ronald (April 5, 1966). "19 New Spacemen Are Named". The High Point Enterprise. High Point, North Carolina. p. 2A – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "The Moon-Walker's New Clothes" (PDF). NASA. January 19, 1968. Retrieved December 10, 2017.
- ^ a b c "International Space Hall of Fame :: New Mexico Museum of Space History :: Inductee Profile". Nmspacemuseum.org. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
- ^ a b Woods, David (September 14, 2006). "Mountains of the Moon". Apollo 15 Lunar Surface Journal. NASA. Retrieved February 15, 2007.
- ^ ISBN 0-14-027201-1.
- ^ National Aeronautic and Space Administration. Archived from the originalon March 24, 2007. Retrieved February 15, 2007.
- ^ ISBN 0-525-94571-7.
- ^ "Apollo 15 Technical Crew Debriefing" (PDF). NASA. August 14, 1971. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 26, 2017. Retrieved December 10, 2017.
- ISBN 978-1588343093.
- ^ a b c d Wilford, John Noble (August 10, 1991). "James B. Irwin, 61, Ex-Astronaut; Founded Religious Organization". The New York Times. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
- ^ "U.S. Returns Stamps to Former Astronauts". The New York Times. Associated Press. July 30, 1983. p. 11. Archived from the original on June 22, 2018. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
- ^ Powell, Corey S.; Shapiro, Laurie Gwen (December 16, 2013). "The Bizarre, Tangled Tale of the Only Sculpture on the Moon". Slate Magazine. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
- ^ "Colonel James B. Irwin – About Us & Board". Highflightfoundation.org. Archived from the original on December 11, 2017. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
- OCLC 3845054.
- ^ Howe, Marvine (September 18, 1983). "Rush To Climb Ararat Gives Town A Lift". The New York Times. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
- ^ Bergman, Jerry (2013). "Colonel James Irwin: Creationist Astronaut". Institute for Creation Research (from Acts & Facts. 42 (11)). Retrieved August 2, 2016.
- ISBN 978-0805452556.
- ^ "Ex-Astronaut Apparently Has Heart Attack While Jogging". The New York Times. June 8, 1986. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
- ^ Arlington National Cemetery
- ^ "James Irwin Charter Schools". James Irwin Charter Schools. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ "Irwin backpack patch sale". Antiques Roadshow Insider. 7 (2): 11. February 2007.
- ^ "Masonic Astronauts". Freemason Information. March 2015. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
- ^ "Freemasons in Space". Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
- ^ "Civitan International Clergy Week" (PDF). Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library. 1974. p. 4. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
- ^ Sheppard, David (October 2, 1983). "Space Hall Inducts 14 Apollo Program Astronauts". El Paso Times. El Paso, Texas. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "James B. Irwin | Astronaut Scholarship Foundation". Astronautscholarship.org. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
- ^ Meyer, Marilyn (October 2, 1997). "Ceremony to Honor Astronauts". Florida Today. Cocoa, Florida. p. 2B – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Pop McDonald, "Mayor Makes Col. James Irwin an 'Honorary Citizen of Minden,'" Minden Press-Herald, February 26, 1973, p. 1.
- ^ "From the Earth to the Moon, Full Cast and Crew". IMDb. Retrieved December 4, 2017.