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| Charlie Duke | |
|---|---|
| Name | Charles Moss Duke Jr. |
| Caption | Duke in 1972 |
| Birth date | January 3, 1935 |
| Birth place | Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Charlie Duke |
| Alma mater | Duke University; United States Naval Test Pilot School |
| Occupation | Naval aviator; United States Air Force test pilot; NASA astronaut |
| Known for | Lunar module pilot on Apollo 16 |
| Awards | Presidential Medal of Freedom; NASA Distinguished Service Medal |
Charlie Duke Charles Moss Duke Jr. is an American former United States Air Force officer, test pilot, and NASA astronaut who served as lunar module pilot on Apollo 16, becoming the tenth and youngest person to walk on the Moon. He flew combat missions during the Korean War era and later participated in high‑performance flight testing before selection as part of NASA's astronaut corps during the Apollo program; his contributions span space exploration, aviation, and public outreach.
Duke was born in Charlotte, North Carolina and raised in Orangeburg, South Carolina and Spartanburg, South Carolina, attending Dorman High School in Spartanburg. He enrolled at Duke University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical engineering; while at Duke he participated in Reserve Officers' Training Corps programs connected to the United States Air Force Academy pipeline and was influenced by the aerospace developments following the Sputnik crisis and the establishment of NASA. After graduation he attended flight training at Hondo Air Base and Vance Air Force Base before assignment to tactical units associated with Tactical Air Command.
Duke served as a fighter pilot with the United States Air Force and was assigned to units flying the F-100 Super Sabre and performing deployments tied to NATO commitments in Western Europe and the Pacific Theater context of Cold War tensions. He graduated from the United States Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base where he flew and evaluated aircraft such as the F-101 Voodoo, F-4 Phantom II, and prototype platforms developed at Air Force Flight Test Center. His test pilot duties involved coordination with organizations including the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics legacy teams and contractors such as Lockheed, Northrop, and McDonnell Douglas. Duke's performance in flight testing brought him to the attention of selection panels during the expansion of astronaut recruitment concurrent with programs like Gemini program and Apollo program.
Selected as an astronaut in NASA Group 5, Duke trained with crewmates drawn from institutions such as Johnson Space Center, Marshall Space Flight Center, and Manned Spacecraft Center. He served in support roles for missions in the Apollo program and on backup crews for expeditions involving astronauts like John Young, Tom Stafford, Gene Cernan, and Alan Bean. As lunar module pilot on Apollo 16, with crew commander John Young and command module pilot Ken Mattingly, Duke participated in launch operations at Kennedy Space Center aboard a Saturn V rocket, lunar descent operations to the Descartes Highlands, and extravehicular activities on the lunar surface. During the mission he deployed experiments associated with the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package and collected geological samples later studied by teams at institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and university geology departments including Massachusetts Institute of Technology and California Institute of Technology. The mission contributed to scientific debates about lunar volcanism, impact geology, and stratigraphy addressed in publications circulated through venues like the American Geophysical Union and Lunar and Planetary Institute.
After retiring from NASA and the United States Air Force, Duke entered private industry and engaged with aerospace contractors and consultancies linked to Hughes Aircraft Company, Boeing, and technology incubators in Silicon Valley. He founded and participated in organizations promoting STEM outreach including programs coordinated with Boy Scouts of America, Space Foundation, and the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. A prominent public speaker, Duke toured with exhibits at institutions like the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, lectured at universities including Texas A&M University and Purdue University, and appeared on media platforms such as CBS, NBC, and documentary producers like PBS and National Geographic. He served on boards for non‑profits and veteran associations connected to Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Air & Space Forces Association while supporting initiatives by NASA for commercial crew development with firms like SpaceX and Blue Origin.
Duke married and has children; his family life included relocations tied to assignments at Ellington Field and postings near Houston, Texas. Honors conferred on him include the Presidential Medal of Freedom as part of Apollo recognitions, the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, and awards from organizations such as the Explorer's Club, American Astronautical Society, and state-level proclamations from South Carolina and North Carolina. He has received honorary degrees from universities including Duke University affiliate institutions and has been commemorated with displays in museums like the South Carolina State Museum. Duke's legacy is preserved in archival collections at the National Archives and the Johnson Space Center History Office, and he remains associated with commemorative activities for programs like the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project anniversaries and lunar science symposia organized by the Lunar and Planetary Institute.
Category:American astronauts Category:Apollo astronauts