Elliot McKay See Jr.

Born:	July 23, 1927 in Dallas, Texas, USA
Died:	February 28, 1966 in St. Louis, Missouri, Texas, USA
Spouse:	Marilyn See
Children:	3
Selection:	September 17, 1962 (NASA Group 2)
Retirement:	February 28, 1966
Missions:	–
Time in space:	–

Elliot See was introduced to the public on September 17, 1962, along with eight others, as NASA’s second group of astronauts. He was one of only two civilians in the nine-member group, alongside Neil Armstrong.

See received his first spaceflight assignment on February 8, 1965, when he became a reserve pilot for the Gemini 5 mission in August 1965. On November 8, 1965, he was then nominated as commander of the Gemini 9 mission. Charles Bassett was assigned to him as his pilot for this mission.

During the Gemini 6 and Gemini 7 flights in December 1965, he served as a liaison officer (Capcom) from the flight control center in Houston.

On February 28, 1966, the primary and backup crews of Gemini 9 flew to St. Louis in two T-38 Talon aircraft to visit McDonnell, the manufacturer of the Gemini spacecraft. Elliot See piloted the lead aircraft with Bassett as co-pilot. Due to poor visibility, See missed the runway at St. Louis Airport. After completing a low-altitude circuit, the aircraft clipped the roof of McDonnell Corp. Building 101 and crashed. See and Bassett were killed instantly. Building 101 housed, among other things, the spacecraft for the Gemini 9 and Gemini 10 missions.

His name is inscribed on the metal plaque of the Fallen Astronaut, the only work of art on the moon.