Fred Haise

Fred Haise
NASA · Public domain · source
Name	Fred Haise
Birth date	November 14, 1933
Birth place	Biloxi, Mississippi, United States
Nationality	American
Occupation	Pilot, Test Pilot, NASA Astronaut
Known for	Apollo 13 lunar module pilot

Fred Haise Fred Haise is an American former United States Navy aviator, United States Air Force test pilot, and NASA astronaut best known as the lunar module pilot on the ill-fated Apollo 13 lunar landing mission. He flew on the damaged spacecraft that returned safely to Earth, later worked on Space Shuttle development efforts, and has been recognized with awards such as the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the NASA Distinguished Service Medal.

Early life and education

Haise was born in Biloxi, Mississippi and raised in Biloxi High School where he developed an early interest in aviation influenced by the proximity to Keesler Air Force Base and the Gulf of Mexico. He attended University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill briefly before transferring to Mississippi State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in aeronautical engineering. During this period he was exposed to aerospace developments at institutions such as Langley Research Center and the broader post‑World War II aviation community including contacts with personnel from Boeing and Northrop Corporation.

Military and test pilot career

Haise began his flying career in the United States Marine Corps and later joined the United States Air Force, flying operational aircraft and attending the Air Force Institute of Technology. He progressed to become a test pilot with assignments that included work at Edwards Air Force Base and flight testing programs tied to companies like McDonnell Douglas and Grumman Aerospace Corporation. Haise flew aircraft associated with projects such as the F-4 Phantom II evaluations and participated in test activities alongside well‑known test pilots from NACA and the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School.

NASA selection and astronaut training

Selected as part of a later group of NASA Astronaut Group candidates, Haise underwent extensive training at Johnson Space Center in Houston and trained in spacecraft systems relating to the Apollo program, including acclimation in the Lunar Module simulators and coordination with crews from Apollo 11, Apollo 12, and Apollo 14. His training involved rendezvous and docking procedures with the Command Module and crew resource management lessons shaped by predecessors from Mercury Seven and Gemini missions. Haise also collaborated with engineers at Grumman Corporation and flight operations controllers at Mission Control Center in Houston, Texas.

Apollo 13 mission

As lunar module pilot on Apollo 13, Haise flew with commander James A. Lovell and command module pilot John L. Swigert Jr. when an oxygen tank explosion in the service module forced the crew to abort the planned lunar landing at Fra Mauro Highlands. The crew used the Lunar Module Aquarius as a lifeboat, executing improvised procedures developed in coordination with Mission Control flight directors such as Gene Kranz and engineering teams from Rockwell International and North American Rockwell. The incident led to worldwide attention and coordinated recovery efforts involving the USS Iwo Jima and United States Navy recovery squadrons; it remains a case study in crew survival and systems engineering alongside incidents like the Soyuz 1 and Challenger disaster investigations. Haise suffered a pneumonia episode in the aftermath and narrowly missed being assigned to later lunar missions including Apollo 19 due to program cutbacks and medical considerations.

Post-NASA career and honors

After Apollo 13, Haise contributed to the early Space Shuttle program, participating in approach and landing tests and advisory roles with contractors such as Rockwell International and Lockheed Martin. He worked in aerospace consulting and public speaking, engaging with institutions like Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and academic programs at University of Houston and Texas A&M University. Haise received honors including the Presidential Medal of Freedom (awarded to Apollo crews), the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, and inductions into halls of fame such as the Astronaut Hall of Fame and the International Air & Space Hall of Fame.

Personal life and legacy

Haise has maintained ties to his birthplace of Biloxi, Mississippi and to aerospace communities in Houston, Texas and Los Angeles, participating in commemorations at Kennedy Space Center and contributing oral histories to archives at NASA Johnson Space Center Oral History Project and the National Air and Space Museum. His experience on Apollo 13 is frequently cited in analyses of risk management and crew safety alongside works about Tom Wolfe's coverage of the space program and dramatizations such as the Apollo 13 (film). Haise's legacy endures through educational outreach linked to institutions like Aerospace Corporation and mentorship of later astronaut cohorts including members of NASA Astronaut Group 9 and subsequent groups.

Category:1933 births Category:Living people Category:Apollo program astronauts Category:American astronauts