For the record, Ken Mattingly never did get the German measles.
The former NASA astronaut, who in 1970 was pulled from the Apollo 13 crew due to being exposed to the Rubella virus, died on Tuesday (Oct. 31) at the age of 87. Mattingly's death was confirmed by NASA.
"NASA astronaut TK Mattingly was key to the success of our Apollo Program, and his shining personality will ensure he is remembered throughout history," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement released Thursday (Nov. 2). "As a leader in exploratory missions, TK will be remembered for braving the unknown for the sake of our country's future."
Chosen with NASA's fifth class of astronauts in 1966, Mattingly went on to fly to the moon and then led two space shuttle missions. He logged a total of 21 days, 4 hours and 34 minutes in space, including 1 hour, 23 minutes on a spacewalk near the moon, the second deep-space extravehicular activity (EVA) in history.
