Ken Mattingly, a notable astronaut renowned for his crucial role in the successful return of the Apollo 13 mission, has passed away at the age of 87, as announced by NASA. Mattingly, who was replaced on the Apollo 13 mission due to exposure to German measles, was instrumental from the ground in devising strategies to bring the crew home safely after an in-flight emergency.
  

Key Points: 

1. Ken Mattingly is remembered for his pivotal contributions to the Apollo program, particularly his ground support for the imperiled Apollo 13 mission.
2. Initially set to fly on Apollo 13, Mattingly was grounded due to a health concern but played a vital role in the mission’s crisis response.
3. He later flew to the moon on Apollo 16, conducted a spacewalk, and commanded two Space Shuttle missions before retiring as a rear admiral.
4. Mattingly’s story gained wider public recognition through the book “Lost Moon” and its film adaptation “Apollo 13,” in which actor Gary Sinise portrayed him.

Source: https://phys.org/news/2023-11-apollo-astronaut-thomas-mattingly-dies.html