| Charles "Pete" Conrad, Jr. record-setter for time spent in space; third man
on the Moon; part of first Skylab crew
Biographical Data
Born June 2, 1930, in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Died July 8, 1999, from injuries sustained in a
motorcycle accident, in Ojai, California.
Conrad divorced his first wife. He was
survived by his second wife, Nancy, three sons and seven
grandchildren; one son preceded him in death.
Education
Primary and Secondary
Haverford School, Haverford, Pennsylvania; Darrow School,
New Lebanon, New York.
Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering
Princeton University, 1953.
Honorary Master of Arts Princeton University,
1966.
Honorary Doctorate of Laws Lincoln-Wesleyan
University, 1970.
Honorary Doctorate of Science Kings College,
1971.
Military Experience
Entered the U.S. Navy after graduating from Princeton.
Attended the Navy Test Pilot School at
Patuxent River, Maryland, where he was assigned as a
Project Test Pilot.
Also served as a flight instructor and performance
engineer at the school.
Served as an instructor pilot in F4H
Phantoms.
Assigned duty on board the USS Ranger.
NASA Career
Selected as an astronaut by NASA in
September of 1962.
Astronaut on Gemini V, August 21-28,
1965, which established a record for time spent in
space (190 hours 56 minutes).
Commander of Gemini XI, September 12-14, 1966, which
established a world altitude record of 850 miles.
Commander of Apollo
XII, the second manned lunar landing, November 14-22,
1969.
Pete Conrad on the Moon
Commander of Skylab
II, the first manned mission to the first U.S. Space
Station, May 25-Jun 22, 1973.
Post-NASA Career
Retired from the Navy in December 1973, after 20 years
of service (11 of which were as an astronaut).
| American Television and
Communications Corporation |
Vice-President of Operations and
Chief Operating Officer, 1974-1976 |
| McDonnell Douglas Corporation |
Vice-President and Consultant,
1976-1978 |
| Douglas Aircraft Company |
Vice-President of Marketing,
1978-1980
Senior Vice-President of Marketing, 1980-1982
Senior Vice-President of Marketing and Product
Support, 1982-1984 |
| McDonnell Douglas Corporation |
Staff Vice-President of
International Business Development, 1984-1990 |
| McDonnel Douglas Space Company |
Staff Vice-President of New
Business, 1990-1993
participated in research and development for
the Space Exploration Initiative, which included
projects related to the return and colonization
of the Moon, construction of Space Station
Freedom, and the exploration of Mars; he also
contributed his expertise on the Delta Clipper, a
single-stage-to-orbit and return transportation
system |
| McDonnell Douglas Corporation |
Vice-President of Product
Development, 1993-death |
Organizations
fellow, American Astronautical Society
fellow, Society of Experimental Tests Pilots
member,New York Academy of Science
member, American Institute of Aeronautics and
Astronautics
Recognitions and Awards
Princeton University Distinguished
Alumnus Award (1965)
U.S. Jaycee's 10 Outstanding Young Men Award (1965)
American Astronautical Society Flight Achievement Award
(1966)
Pennsylvania's Award for Excellence in Science and
Technology (1967 and 1969)
Rear Admiral William S. Parsons Award for Scientific and
Technical Progress (1970)
Godfrey L. Cabot Award (1970)
Silver Medal of the Union League of Philadelphia (1970)
FAI Yuri Gagarin Gold Space Medal (for Apollo 12, 1970,
and for Skylab I, 1974))
De La Vaulx Medal (for Apollo 12, 1970, and for Skylab I,
1974)
National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Special
Trustees Award (1970)
Federal Aviation Agency's Space Mechanic Technician Award
(1973)
Collier Trophy (1973)
AIAA Haley Astronautics Award (for Skylab I, 1974)
Harmon Trophy (1974)
Congressional Medal of Honor (1978)
two NASA Distinguished Service Medals
two NASA Exceptional Service Medals
Navy Astronaut Wings
two Navy Distinguished Service Medals
two Distinguished Flying Crosses
Enshrined in the Aviation Hall of Fame
in 1980.
SOURCE
Astronaut Biographies www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/conrad-c.html
SEE ALSO
Apollo XII
Skylab II
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