72-113 Astronauts Mitchell and Irwin to retire

NASA Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, Texas 77058

FOR RELEASE: May 23, 1972

John Eo Riley 713/483-5111

RELEASE NO: 72-113

ASTRONAUTS MITCHELL AND IRWIN TO RETIRE

Astronauts Edgar Do Mitchell and James Bo Irwin today announced plans to retire from their military services and NASA within the next several months.

The plans are subject to the approval of their respective services and effective dates are not yet available. Mitchell, a Navy captain, and Irwin, an Air Force colonel, have not announced their plans after retirement.

As lunar module pilot on Apollo 14, January 31-February 9, 1971, Mitchell was the sixth man to set foot on the moon,. Irwin was the eighth man on the moon as lunar module pilot of Apollo 15, July 26-August 7, 1971. Both were selected as astronauts in April 1966.

Based on Irwin's plans to retire, a new backup crew for the Apollo 17 mission has been named, effective July 1. Crew members are John W. Young, commander; Stuart A. Roosa, command module pilot; and Charles Mo Duke, Jr., lunar module pilot. Young and Duke were prime crewmen on Apollo 16, and Roosa was the prime CMP on Apollo 14 and backup CMP on Apollo 16.

The original Apollo 17 backup crew was made up of David R. Scott, commander; Alfred M. Worden, command module pilot; and Irwin, lunar module pilot.

Scott, Worden and Thomas K. Mattingly, prime command module pilot on Apollo 16, have been assigned to the Space Shuttle Program in the Astronaut Office. Mattingly recently became a father and requested an assignment which would allow him to spend more time with his family during the next six months than would be possible as a backup crewman.

- end - May 23, 1972 PAO