Born: |
February 18, 1930 in Haverford, Pennsylvania, USA |
Died: |
October 31, 1964 at Ellington Air Force Base, Houston, Texas, USA |
Spouse: |
Faith Freeman |
Children: |
1 |
Selection: |
October 18, 1963 (NASA Group 3) |
Retirement: |
October 31, 1964 |
Missions: |
– |
Time in space: |
– |
Theodore Cordy Freeman was introduced to the public on October 17, 1963, along with 13 others, as NASA’s third group of astronauts. He was responsible for supporting the development of launch vehicles.
On October 31, 1964, Theodore Freeman died in a plane crash while flying his T-38 Talon jet.
A goose struck the cockpit windshield during the landing approach. Fragments of Plexiglas were ingested by the engines, causing them to shut down immediately. Although Freeman was able to eject, the aircraft was already too low for the parachute to deploy properly. He did not survive the violent impact.
He was the first US astronaut to die in the line of duty. His name is also inscribed on the metal plaque of the Fallen Astronaut, the only artwork on the moon.
